Handmade Cookie Cutter Beeswax Candles

You can use beeswax to make a variety of candles. You may have heard of rolling beeswax around a wick to make a type of pillar candle or tapered candle. You may have also heard of melting the beeswax and pouring it into molds or votive holders to create candles. But you can also make beeswax candles simply by cutting the wax into shapes using cookie cutters!

Cookie cutter beeswax candles make pretty candles that can be used on birthday cakes or as table centerpieces. These candles are thin and melt fairly quickly, so they are not good for lighting your home. But, using cookie cutters to make candles allows you to create a variety of candles for every occasion or holiday. You can see one example of cookie cutter beeswax candles here. Here is another example. It's easy to see just how much fun you can have making these candles to spell a child's name or to create a certain number you need for a certain birthday age.

To make a cookie cutter beeswax candle, you will need flat sheets of beeswax, cookie cutters, toothpicks or popsicle sticks and wick. You can buy sheets of beeswax in just about any craft store. If you can't get to a craft store, you can order sheets of beeswax online. The wax comes in many colors and is inexpensive.

You can get cookie cutters in grocery stores, but you will have a much larger variety to choose from if you shop in a craft store or a cake decorating store. If you don't want to spend on cookie cutters, you can always try cutting simple shapes freehand. You can also use items in your home to cut the wax, such as the lid of a jar.

Wick can be purchased in any craft store or online. You might even find candle wick in your local Super Walmart in the craft section. You can use toothpicks to make your candles stand up, or for taller candles, you can use popsicle sticks. If your candles are small and not too heavy, you can also use chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) for the stand.

Start by cutting the shape of your choice out on one layer of beeswax. Then cut three more of the same shape so you have four total of the same shape. Do not stack the wax before cutting. You need to cut one layer at a time for the shape to come out nice.

Take two of the shapes and press them together, one on top of the other. Do the same with the other two shapes. You now have two stacks of two shapes pressed together.

Lay one of the stacks down and gently press a toothpick or popsicle stick into the bottom of the shape. Then lay some wick on the candle so it meets up with the toothpick. Then press the other two layer stack of wax on top and press together. Trim the wick to about 3/4 inch long and you are done!

If at any time the beeswax is hard to handle, you can warm it up a bit with a hair dryer. Just make sure you use the low heat setting and do not heat it for long or the wax will melt. You can also lay the wax near a sunny window and the heat of the sun will soften the wax. But keep an eye on it or you may end up with a melted puddle of wax.

Source for the image links: images.marthastewart.com