Making Beeswax Luminaries

They glow beautifully, fill a room with the warm scent of beeswax, and are reusable many times over. Meet, the beautiful beeswax luminary! This great beeswax craft is easy and fun to make, is a very unique gift.

PS. If you don't have enough beeswax of your own yet, it's perfectly acceptable to buy a few pounds from another beekeeper!

What you need:

• A pot or double boiler that is at least 8" in diameter and 8" deep

• Enough beeswax to fill the pot (approx 4 lbs, but you will have some left over)

• Helium quality balloons

• A cold water tap

• Scissors

• An infrared thermometer (optional)

How to make a luminary:

I will provide a written list of steps below, but you will definitely benefit from watching the full video before trying to make a luminary for yourself. Plus, you'll get to laugh at my scissors fail when I spray water all over myself...

The Step-by-Step

1. Melt wax. Temperature should be approximately 170ºF/76ºC

2. Fill a helium quality balloon with cold tap water and tie (temp approx 60ºF/15ºC)

3. Hold on tight just below the knot of the balloon and dip the balloon into the wax, letting the wax rise to the widest point of the balloon.

4. Lift the balloon all the way up out of the wax, hold for 2 seconds, and then dip again.

5. Repeat the dipping motion 12 - 15 times, always letting the wax reach the same line on the balloon.

6. Set the balloon on a flat surface to cool. Gently press to form a base on the luminary. Let go when you can feel that the balloon will not roll.

7. Let sit for 5-10 minutes

8. Cut the knot off the balloon and let the water drain into the sink. The balloon should peel off the wax easily.

9. Gently rub the rim of the luminary on a hot plate to smooth it out.

10. Before lighting a tea light in your luminary, place something in the bottom to protect it. Good options are rice, sand, pebbles, a flat rock, a small pottery dish, or a round of wood.

And if you're making a luminary for the first time, don't forget to share photos and tag me on FB or IG because I love to see you getting crafty with your bee products!