This week I have been visiting my parents. We have a local bee keeper who sold us some beeswax so that we could make candles. We also bought some honey... you'll see why in a minute!
Ok... back to candles.
Mom and I have been experimenting by using freshly rendered beef tallow, beeswax, and paraffin wax to see which ones burn better and longer. The candles that we made last night are a mixture of beeswax and a left over wedding candle that mom had saved from our wedding 4 years ago! Wax is wax :) We melted the wax in a double boiler [a pot with water in it and an old coffee can] I wouldn't suggest using a real double boiler b/c the wax is so hard to clean off anything that it touches...
For the wick you need to use cotton. I braided ours to make it stiffer. We also soaked it in a mixture of borax and salt - then let it dry over night to make it burn clean (without black smoke.) You'll need to pre-dip your wick into the melted wax, then tie something to the bottom of it to weigh it down. I used a nut. Once the wax was fully melted we poured it into the jar.
(When the wax is melted you'll want to add any type of scent - before you pour it into your jar. We added citrus :)
Burn and enjoy!
We also made lip balm - I know what you're thinking.... "really?!"
It's true!
It's wonderful smelling, it tastes good, and it make your lips feel great.
Don't let the Altoids box fool you -
**Recipe For Lip Balm**
Melt - 1 tsp. beeswax / 2 tsp. coconut oil / 1/2 tsp. lanolin / one vitamin E capsule
in the microwave. [BE CAREFUL - beeswax is highly flamable]
Once melted, add 1 tsp. honey and stir.
Pour into a container and put into the fridge until completely set.
Felicia- you still astound me every time.
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