Have you heard of beeswax sheets? If you’re not a beekeeper, you may not even be aware that there is such a thing. But if you’re interested in making homemade candles, you’ll want to read on.
Sheets of beeswax are manufactured by melting the wax, filtering out impurities, and rolling the wax through a press. The resulting sheets are embossed with a honeycomb pattern, and for very good reason.
Beekeepers use these versatile sheets in their bee hives. For this use the sheets are called foundation. The bees build honeycomb upon the foundation, following the pattern embossed into the sheets.
Using the foundation as, well, the ‘foundation’ of a honeycomb gives the comb extra strength.
And it also helps assure that the bees build the comb straight and even so that the beekeeper will be able to easily remove it from the hive to harvest the honey.
No Easier Method of Making Candles
Even if you’re not a beekeeper, you can put beeswax sheets to an entirely different use: making candles.
You just roll the sheet of beeswax around a wick, and violà – you have a homemade candle made of pure beeswax! Super easy and fun!
Pure beeswax sheets are malleable at room temperature, which makes them perfect for creating unique, customized candles and art projects.
Beekeepers, of course, use the wax only in its natural form for foundation. Here is a link to my favorite natural candle making kit.
But for making candles, you can buy sheets in all different colors, typically in 8×16 inch sheets but they do come in different sizes. Here is a link to my favorite color beewax candle kit.
If you’re buying colored sheets, be aware that some (not all) retailers may sell colored sheets made of beeswax AND paraffin.
Might not be a big deal to you, but if you want pure beeswax, just be careful about what you buy.
(Most of the links on this page are to products that are 100% pure beeswax.)
How To Make Your Own Beeswax Sheet Candle Videos
Here are some great step by step videos I found on DIY candle making with beeswax sheets. I personally love the spiraled candles.
Why Make Beeswax Sheet Candles?
Besides being easy and fun to make and creating unique and elegant hand-rolled candles, there’s a lot of reasons to use beeswax in your candles.
They’re non-toxic and 100% natural (unless you go with colored sheets that may have paraffin in them) so you’re not burning and breathing in any chemicals or carcinogens in your home. This is a cleaner and safer option for candles for you, kids, babies, and your pets.
And the scent of beeswax alone provides a warm, calming, and comforting aroma without the need for any added fragrances. It has a sweet honey smell to it that’s not overpowering and actually has calming effects in aromatherapy.
Long-Lasting Burn
You wouldn’t think there would be differences between candles, but beeswax candles actually have a lot longer lasting burn, so your candle will last a lot longer than typical store bought ones.
The light these candles produce comes from the same spectrum as sunlight. It’s a pure bright light and they’re pretty much smokeless.
Purifies the Air Too
Beeswax sheet candles produce negative ions when they burn. It is believed that these ions actually neutralize airborne pollutants like dust and pollen (which have positive ions), helping to purify the air in the environment by removing dust, odors, and mold.
A great option for all of us, but especially great for people with allergies and asthma.
You also benefit from these negative ions as well! They affect your happy hormones (serotonin) which can help lower stress levels and boost your mood.
Safer Candle Option
Not only are these candles safer because they’re non-toxic, they also don’t create hot drips when you burn them because of their high melting point and density and they burn very evenly. So you’re at a lot lower risk of getting burned by melting wax. However – don’t leave burning candles unattended. They could still get knocked over by kids, pets, wind, etc and risk fire and injury.
Easy to DIY
One more reason to use beeswax candles is that they’re easy to make yourself, especially if you use beeswax sheets. It’s a great project for beginners or to do with kids since you don’t even have to melt the wax and there’s a lot of room to get creative with colors, essential oils, styles and shapes of the candles
Frequently Asked Questions
What are beeswax sheets?
Beeswax sheets are thin sheets of beeswax that are used in a variety of ways. They can be used as a food wrap, to make candles, or to create a variety of other beeswax products. Beeswax is a natural product that is made by bees. It is made up of a variety of compounds, including wax esters, fatty acids, and other organic materials.
Beeswax food wrap sheets
This is a different type of sheet then discussed on this page but I get a lot of questions about them. When used as a food wrap, the beeswax sheet is placed over food and then wrapped tightly with string or another material to keep the food fresh.
The beeswax creates a barrier that prevents air and moisture from reaching the food, which helps to keep it fresh for a longer period of time. It’s also antibacterial and anti-microbial and a non-toxic option for covering your food.
Are there any precautions you need to take when using beeswax sheets?
When using beeswax sheets, there are a few precautions you need to take. First, make sure the sheets are clean and free of debris.
Second, be sure to wear gloves when handling the sheets, as they can be quite sticky.
Third, be careful not to heat the sheets too much. They have a low melting point and become difficult to work with.
Finally, always store the sheets in a cool, dry place.
Can I melt beeswax sheets?
Sure you technically can, although I am not sure why you’d want to. They’re great for creating rolled candles and even at room temperature the sheets are very malleable so should be easy to work without needing to melt them. If you want to make melted beeswax candles, I’d suggest you use beeswax blocks or pellets.
