If you’ve been wanting to make your own clean-burning candles, this DIY beeswax candle recipe is one of the easiest places to start. With just a handful of natural ingredients, you can make beautiful homemade beeswax candles that burn longer than many store-bought candles and fill your home with a subtle, natural honey aroma.

Unlike paraffin candles, which are made from petroleum, natural beeswax is a renewable wax that burns cleanly and has an incredibly long burn time. Add your favorite essential oils for a lightly scented candle, or leave them unscented to enjoy the natural scent of pure beeswax candles.

diy beeswax candle recipe in an amber jar sitting on a counter surrounded by beeswax pellets

Whether it’s your first time making candles or you’ve made your own homemade candles before, this simple recipe comes together in less than an hour.

Why You’ll Love This DIY Beeswax Candle Recipe

Made with only a few simple ingredients
A great way to avoid paraffin wax and artificial fragrance oils
Beautiful homemade gifts for holidays and birthdays
Naturally clean-burning candles with a long candle burn
Easy enough for beginners
Perfect for using beeswax from a local beekeeper or clean beeswax pellets

One of the biggest reasons I started making my own candles is to avoid many of the ingredients commonly found in conventional candles. Many store-bought candles are made with paraffin wax—a petroleum byproduct—and often contain synthetic fragrance oils that can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants when burned. While the amount varies depending on the candle, wick, and fragrance used, switching to natural beeswax candles made with pure beeswax and essential oils is a simple way to reduce your exposure to unnecessary additives and enjoy a cleaner-burning candle in your home.

Ingredients

1 pound of beeswax pellets
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons essential oils
Organic cotton candle wicks
Wick stickers (optional)
Wick holders

Ingredient Notes

Beeswax pellets: I recommend yellow beeswax pellets because they retain more of the natural honey aroma than white beeswax. If you have raw beeswax, simply chop it into smaller pieces before melting.

Coconut oil: A little bit of coconut oil helps soften the beeswax, making it easier to burn while improving scent throw when using essential oils.

Essential oils: Since beeswax has a high melting point, you’ll need a lot of essential oils compared to an essential oil diffuser. I recommend sticking with stronger oils like lavender, cedarwood, orange, peppermint, cinnamon, or fir needle.

hot beeswax being poured into an amber glass jar with a candle wick

Equipment

Double boiler
Large pot
Glass bowl or heat-safe container
Measuring cup
Candle jars or mason jars
Organic cotton wicks
Wick stickers
Wick holder

How to Make this DIY Beeswax Candle Recipe

Step 1: Prepare your jars

Attach your cotton candle wick to the bottom of the jar using wick stickers. Center the wick and secure it with a stainless steel wick holder across the top of the jar.

a woman's hand placing candle wicks in 3 amber glass jars

Step 2: Melt the beeswax

Fill a large pot with a few inches of water and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Place a heat-safe glass bowl over the pot of water to create a double boiler. Add the beeswax pellets and coconut oil to the glass bowl, stirring occasionally until the melted beeswax is completely smooth. Be careful not to let excess water splash into the wax.

Step 3: Add the essential oils

Remove the glass bowl from the heat and allow the melted wax to cool for a minute or two. Stir in the essential oils until well combined. You can experiment with different scents. I love a combination of sweet orange, cinnamon leaf, and cedarwood atlas for fall. Or a mix of geranium, lavender and sweet orange for summer.

hot beeswax in a double boiler with a woman's hand dropping essential oils in

Step 4: Pour the candles

Slowly pour the melted wax into your candle containers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar. Allow the candles to cool undisturbed at room temperature.

3 amber glass candle jars with a cotton wick in the center and hot beeswax being poured into one of the jars

Step 5: Trim the wick

Once the wax has completely hardened, remove the wick holder and trim the cotton wick to about 1/4 inch. Your finished candle is ready to enjoy!

diy beeswax candle recipe in 3 glass amber jars sitting on a counter

Expert Tips

Choose the right wick size based on the size of the container. Different wick sizes create different candle burn results.
Beeswax burns hotter than soy wax, so using the correct cotton wick is important.
Avoid overheating the wax. Beeswax melts around 145°F and doesn’t need a higher temperature than necessary.
If the top of your candle develops a slight sinkhole while cooling, simply reheat a small amount of melted wax and pour a very thin layer over the top.
Keep paper towels nearby for easy cleanup while the wax is still warm.
If using mason jars, make sure they’re intended for hot liquids and are free from cracks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many candles will 1 pound of beeswax make?

The one pound of beeswax used in this recipe typically makes:

Two 12 ounce candles
Three 8-ounce candles
Six 4-ounce candles
About twelve tea lights

The exact number depends on the size of the container you choose.

Do I need to add coconut oil to beeswax candles?

No. You can make candles using just beeswax.

However, adding 1/2 cup of coconut oil per pound of wax creates a slightly softer candle that burns more evenly and helps improve the scent throw if you’re making DIY beeswax candles with essential oils. I find it’s well worth adding.

Storage

Store your homemade beeswax candles in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. They’ll last for a very long time before burning and can be enjoyed for years.

Variations

Leave out the essential oils for naturally scented candles.
Use different candle molds instead of jars.
Make tea lights or small poured candle tins.
Experiment with different types of candles by using larger candle containers or decorative glass jars.
While I prefer organic cotton candle wicks, wooden wicks can also work if you choose the right wick size for your container.

Final Thoughts

Making your own beeswax candles is one of my favorite DIY projects. They’re simple to make, naturally beautiful, and a healthier alternative to many regular candles made with paraffin wax. Plus, you can customize them with your favorite essential oils and reuse your candle jars again and again.

Once you make your first batch, you’ll probably never want to go back to store-bought candles!