Easy Rolled Beeswax Candles DIY | Simple Nordic Christmas

Learn how to make easy hand-rolled beeswax candles from honeycomb beeswax sheets. With this tutorial, you will make two taper candles from one sheet. I’ll show you also two other different sizes and ways to roll your own beautiful candles, which are amazing natural gifts for holidays and decorative atmosphere creators on any dining table.

Beeswax is an amazing material. It consists of over 300 substances, of which we currently know only 41. It is so complex that it is impossible to create synthetically! Making your own hand-rolled beeswax candles is rather effortless. If you want to make hand-dipped candles with melted beeswax pellets and stearin, you need a heat source and you might burn yourself quite badly with the hot wax. Rolling the beeswax sheet candles is safe for even the tiniest, crafty young children. One of our family’s favorite DIY projects is to make beeswax taper candles together for the darkening days.

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Tips for making the beeswax taper candles

• Beeswax becomes pliable at 30°C (86°F), so choose a warm room at home to roll your candles smoothly.
• When you have cut the first beeswax sheet, use it as a model for the next ones so you don’t need to measure every time!
• Choose a spooled cotton wick to cut the length easily without wasting any wick.
• If you have different-colored beeswax sheets, place parchment paper between them to prevent the colors from staining each other.
• Cover the entire work surface with parchment paper or a carton so as not to stain with wax your table.

Materials you need to DIY rolled Beeswax candle

Sheets of beeswax

For the long tamper candles choose a rectangle-shaped beeswax sheet. Here in Finland, the beeswax sheets are commonly sold in about 22 x 38 cm sizes, whereas in the States the beeswax sheets are cut in 8 x 16 inches so in the end quite similar in size. With this tutorial, you will make two taper candles from one beeswax sheet.

Look for the header “Other candle sizes” to find other ways to cut the beeswax sheet to make different kinds of candles.

Braided cotton wick

Use a cotton wick of good quality. The candle wick size should be preferably 30 strands in the thread (it is marked 3×10 SU in Finland) to enable the candle to burn cleanly without leaking. A 30-stranded wick will be perfect for about a 4 cm (1,6 inches) candle in diameter, which will be the maximum size of these tutorial candles. Choose a spooled candle wick so you can easily cut it to the length needed without worrying about the right length of the wick or wasting any. The length of the wick depends on the length of the candle wanted. Always cut the wick about one inch longer than the candle length.

We go through the cutting and measuring of the wick and beeswax sheets more closely next.

Tools you may need

• Cook knife or other sharp knife
• Cutting board or other cutting surface
• Ruler (optional)
• Scissors (optional)

Exact measurements and sizes can be found in the How-to tutorial card at the end of this post.

How to make rolled beeswax candles 

When making the beeswax candles make sure they are at room temperature and that you roll them in a nice and warm room to make it easy for you. Too cold a beeswax sheet will crack and not bend beautifully. Beeswax sheets become pliable at 30°C (86°F), so choose the warmest room at home to roll your candles smoothly.

Step 1 – Measure and cut the beeswax sheets

This is the way to cut beeswax sheets for spiral taper candles. Look for the header “Other candle sizes” to see my tips for other cuts.

First, set the sheet of beeswax horizontally on a covered cutting board in front of you and measure about 5 centimeters (2 inches) from the upper corner downwards to the vertical side. Repeat the same for the opposite corner diagonally: measure about 5 centimeters (2 inches) from the corner upwards to the vertical side up. Cut diagonally across the beeswax sheet from the first marking to the second as you see in the photo below.

Step 2 – Measure and cut the wick

Place the ready-cut sheet on the longest straight side in front of you and the shortest side to your left side. Place the end of the square braided wick on the right-down corner, and lightly press with the finger to make it stick into the beeswax sheet. Roll the spool of the wick to the left and cut it about on2 cm (one inch) longer than the wax sheet. Do not pull the wick tight, but leave it in its natural light to prevent cutting the wick too short. Better leave the wick too long and cut it afterward than let the too-short wick loose into the candle.

Step 3 – Roll the beeswax sheet candle

Gently press the entire wick into the beeswax sheet following the edge. Then turn the edge of the beeswax sheet on just enough to cover the wick and then start rolling. Roll with palms and the whole length of your fingers. Keep an eye on the edges to keep it straight and tight-ish. If there is extra space between the layers the candle will unravel. If you roll too hard you will deform the honeycomb pattern. Find the perfect middle.

Step 4 – Secure the beeswax candle

When you have finished the candle roll it a few extra times to secure the end of the sheet. The best practice is to roll in the same direction to prevent unraveling.

Now repeat the same with the other half of the beeswax sheet and your pair of spiraled taper candles is ready! Just make sure you roll always in the same direction to keep the spirals united in the pair.

How to tweak this project

• Use a small cake cutter and take stars or hearts from another colored beeswax sheet to style your candle.
• Cut a long strand from another colored beeswax sheet and emphasize the spiral-shaped edge with the strand.
• Roll the other candle to opposite direction to make the pair of candles roll away from each others.
• Cut differently the sheet with the tips under the next header.

Making straight candles in various sizes

Here you can find other ways to cut the candles in two different sizes and shapes. The first we did in the tutorial was the spiraled taper candle like this one:

Then, to make straight candles, you can cut the beeswax sheet to half lengthwise or crosswise. If you use the whole beeswax sheet the candle will be larger, so you should consider finding a larger size of a wick for that one.

Here are two options for a beeswax sheet candle using a sheet that is cut into three parts.

Place the wick on the longer edge to make longer candles like this one below:

Then, to make shorter candles, start rolling from the shorter edge like in the photo below. Both candles are made with the same 1/3 of the beeswax sheet, just rolled form different direction.

The first one is made by rolling from the long edge to make a longer candle. Start the same way as with the spiral candle: place the cut beeswax sheet in front of you and measure the wick to be about one inch longer than the beeswax sheet. Press gently the wick into the edge of the sheet and then turn the edge of the beeswax sheet on the wick just enough to cover it and then start rolling.

Make sure that the top of the candle and the bottom of the candle are even and keep rolling. When you have rolled the entire sheet, roll a few extra times to make the end of the beeswax sheet stick to the candle. Repeat the rest of the candles same way.

Troubleshooting with unraveling beeswax sheet candles

If you have a problem with unraveling candles, you can use a hair dryer to warm the wax slightly. I use the warmth of my hands when pressing gently to seal the candle and roll it against the table a few times extra and that will do it. Notice that If you press TOO HARD the sheet will lose the pretty honeycomb structure so find the perfect middle.

Hacks to fit the candle into the candle holder

If you have a candle holder that is bigger than your rolled candle, cut a tiny strip of beeswax sheet to wrap around the bottom of the candle to make it larger to stand more steady in the candle holder. You can use a strip of aluminium too, if you do not have any extra beeswax sheets.

If you have a candle holder that is smaller than your rolled candle, press the foot of the rolled candle from about an inch in the foot to make it more narrow.

Burn those candles safely

• Make sure your candle is steady and will not fall, check above the “Hacks to fit the candle into the candle holder.“
• Do not leave candles unguarded, especially around kids or pets.
• Always burn the candles on a fire-resistant surface and holder.
• If you are using decorative wreaths on the candleholder, make sure to blow off the candle well before the flame reaches the decoration.
• Do not let the candle burn to the end to prevent any damage to candle holders nor to create Andy fire hazard.

The tutorial card continues below.

Would you like to DIY something else…?