As the owner of a small, family-run beeswax candle supplier I’ve spent the last 12 years refining every step of making beeswax votive candles—from harvesting raw wax from our own hives to the quiet hours of pouring, where the light catches the honey-gold wax and settles into little teacup-sized glows. Votives feel personal, don’t they? They’re small enough to tuck into a bathroom window sill, a dinner table centerpiece, or a wedding place setting, and unlike paraffin, they burn cleanly, give off that soft, honeyed scent when melted, and feel like something you can trace back to a garden or a field of clover. If you’re thinking about making your own, or even sourcing beeswax votives for your space, this is the method I’ve tested hundreds of times, adjusted for consistency, and stuck with because it honors what bees give us. No shortcuts, no harsh additives, just pure beeswax. Beeswax Candle
First, let’s start with the basics that make beeswax votives different from any other candle. Votives are small, usually two to three ounces, designed to burn for 8 to 10 hours each, and they’re traditionally poured in little reusable aluminum cups or heat-resistant glass cups—no metal pillars or wicks sticking up too far, because the goal is a gentle, flickering glow, not a dramatic flame. The biggest mistake new makers make is using the wrong wick size; too small, and the candle won’t stay lit all the way; too big, and it’ll burn too hot, create black soot, or burn through the wax too fast. I always tell new makers to test wicks on beeswax first, because paraffin wicks don’t work the same—beeswax is denser, has a higher melting point (around 144°F, or 62°C, vs paraffin’s 120°F), and needs a wick that can handle that without overheating.
Let’s break down supplies first, because you can’t make a votive without the right stuff. You’ll need raw beeswax (unbleached, unfiltered—any of that extra wax we get when we harvest honey works, though you can also buy bulk beeswax from beekeeping supply stores if you don’t keep your own). For this method, I use filtered beeswax, because raw wax can have little bits of propolis or pollen that make the wax cloudy, and for votives, we want that clear, honeyed look. Next, votive cups: I recommend 2-ounce heat-resistant glass cups (like the kind leftover from old tealights or small jam jars) or aluminum votive cups, which are cheap and disposable if you’re testing. Then wicks: for 2-ounce votives, I use cotton core wicks, size 12, pre-tabbed—tabbed wicks have a little metal base you press to the bottom of the cup, which holds the wick steady while pouring and keeps it centered once the wax sets. You’ll also need a wick bar or a pencil and some tape to hold the wick straight while the wax cools. A double boiler is non-negotiable: beeswax is highly flammable, so melting it directly over a stove can cause it to catch fire. A double boiler (a pot with a little water in the bottom, and a heat-safe bowl sitting on top, so the wax melts gently from the steam) keeps it safe. You’ll need a kitchen thermometer (a candy thermometer works great, because it goes up to 200°F, which is more than we need for beeswax), a strainer or cheesecloth for filtering wax if you’re using raw, and a pair of heat-resistant gloves, because the melted wax will get up to 160°F, which can burn bad.
Now, step by step, the method I use with our supplier team, when we make bulk votives for cafes, boutique hotels, and home crafters who want to source consistent, high-quality candles.
First, prep your work space. Beeswax is sticky, and once it sets, it’s a pain to scrape off counters, so cover your table with parchment paper or old newspaper. Lay out your votive cups evenly spaced, so you don’t have to juggle them while pouring. For the wicks: take each tabbed wick, press the metal base firmly to the center of the bottom of your cup. If it’s a glass cup, you can use a tiny dot of hot glue to hold it in place temporarily, but the tab usually sticks enough on its own for small votives. Next, take your wick bar—you can make one by tying the wick’s top end to a popsicle stick or pencil, leaving about a quarter-inch of wick hanging down into the cup. Stretch it across the top of the cup, so the wick stays perfectly straight and centered while you pour. No lopsided wicks—those lead to uneven burning.
Second, melt and filter your beeswax. If you’re using raw beeswax (the kind you scrape out of honeycomb after harvest), you’ll need to filter it to remove debris. Cut the raw wax into small chunks, about 1-inch pieces, so it melts faster. Fill the bottom of your double boiler with about an inch of water—don’t let the water touch the bowl that holds the wax, that’ll make the wax cloudy. Put the wax chunks into the top bowl, and set it over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon (metal spoons can scratch the bowl, and beeswax sticks to metal less well? No, wait, actually, wooden is better because it doesn’t conduct heat as much, so you’re less likely to burn your hand) until it’s fully melted. Once it’s liquid, turn off the heat, and set up a strainer lined with two layers of cheesecloth over another heat-safe bowl. Pour the melted wax through the cheesecloth—this catches all the bits of honeycomb, propolis, and pollen that make wax cloudy. If you’re using pre-filtered bulk beeswax, you can skip the straining step, but I always filter it anyway, just to make sure there’s no leftover debris.
Third, get the wax to the right temperature for pouring. Beeswax pours best at around 160°F (71°C). If it’s too hot, it’ll make the wick too soft, and it might pull away from the sides of the cup as it cools, leading to cracking or uneven burning. If it’s too cold, it’ll start to set before you get it into all the cups, so you’ll have gaps or lumps. I use a candy thermometer to check the temperature every few minutes—medium-low heat keeps it steady, so you don’t have to adjust it much. Wait, here’s a tip I’ve learned over the years: don’t let the wax get above 170°F. Beeswax can start to smoke at around 185°F, and smoke means you’re losing some of the natural honey scent, and you’re creating tiny particles in the wax that will burn into soot when the candle is lit. We’ve had too many customers come back saying their beeswax candles have black soot, and 9 times out of 10, that’s because someone burned the wax too hot while melting.
Fourth, pour the wax into the votive cups. This part needs to be slow, but steady. Pour the wax from the edge of the cup, not straight down the wick—if you pour directly on the wick, you’ll knock it out of alignment. Fill each cup to about a quarter-inch below the top of the cup. Why? Because when the wax cools, it shrinks a little—beeswax has a shrinkage rate of about 10%, so if you fill it all the way to the top, you’ll have a little dip in the middle, and the candle will look uneven. Wait 10 minutes after the first pour, and then top off each cup again with a little more wax. That dip that forms after cooling is a natural part of beeswax, but topping off after 10 minutes fills in most of it, so the votive looks neat and consistent.
Fifth, let the candles cool completely. This is the most important step that most people rush. Don’t put the candles in the fridge to speed up cooling—sudden temperature changes can cause the wax to crack, and the wick might shift. Let them cool at room temperature, in a draft-free area, for at least 4 hours. I usually let ours cool overnight, because even 8 hours is better for the wax to set properly. Once they’re fully cool, trim the wick to about a quarter-inch long before lighting. If the wick is too long, it’ll create a bigger flame, which uses more wax and can lead to soot. For votives, a quarter-inch wick is perfect—small enough for a gentle glow, long enough to burn evenly.
Now, let’s talk about troubleshooting, because even with the best method, things go wrong. We’ve had thousands of votives go out, and we’ve fixed almost every issue. If your candle won’t stay lit all the way to the edge (a thing called tunneling), that’s usually because the wick was too small, or you didn’t let the candle form a full melt pool the first time you lit it. For votives, you want to let the candle burn until the entire top layer of wax is melted—for a 2-ounce votive, that takes about 45 minutes. If you blow it out before that, it’ll tunnel, and you’ll have wax left around the edges that won’t burn. If you get black soot, as I mentioned earlier, that’s usually because the wax was too hot when you melted it, or the wick was too big. If the wax is cloudy instead of clear, that’s because you let water get into the wax when you melted it—next time, make sure the double boiler water isn’t touching the bottom of the wax bowl, and don’t pour water into the wax. If the wick shifts while pouring, that’s because you didn’t tie the wick tight enough to the pencil, or you didn’t press the tab firmly to the cup bottom. Just pop it straight with a tweezers before the wax sets completely, and it’ll be fine.
Wait, also, a big part of what makes beeswax votives special is the natural scent and the color. Pure beeswax has a pale yellow to golden color, depending on what the bees ate—clover honey gives a pale, almost white wax, while wildflower honey gives a deeper amber. The scent is subtle, not overpowering—when the candle burns, you’ll get a faint honey or grassy scent, not that artificial perfume you get with paraffin candles. That’s why so many of our customers use our votives for weddings, spas, or homes with pets—no harsh fumes, no toxins. Beeswax is actually the only candle wax that releases negative ions when it burns, which can help purify the air a little—another thing I learned from beekeeping books and the beekeepers I work with, that’s a bonus, right?
Now, if you’re not looking to make your own, but you want high-quality beeswax votives, that’s where our company comes in. We make bulk votives in different sizes, from 2-ounce to 3-ounce, in clear glass and aluminum cups, and we can customize them with labels, scents (though we recommend keeping it natural, we do add small amounts of essential oils like lavender or lemon for people who want a little extra), or even custom packaging. We work with small cafes, boutique hotels, online retailers, and home decor brands, so whether you need 100 votives for a pop-up shop or 10,000 for a restaurant chain, we can source and supply consistent, pure beeswax candles that burn clean, no additives, no paraffin. I’ve been in this business for so long because I hate the fake candles that have toxic fumes, and I wanted to make candles that honor what bees produce—so every batch we make is tested for burn time, soot, and scent, because our customers deserve the same quality we give to our own homes.
I know a lot of people search for “how to make beeswax votive candles” because they want a DIY project, and that’s great! But if you’re a business owner, or you just don’t have the time to make hundreds of votives, we’re here to help. We’ve spent years perfecting the process, so you don’t have to worry about the wick size, the melting temperature, or the soot—our votives are ready to use, consistent, and sourced directly from local beekeepers, so you know the wax is pure. If you’re interested in sourcing beeswax votives, or even just have questions about the process, feel free to reach out to our team to discuss your needs. We’re happy to share more details, send samples, or work with you on custom orders.
Glass Jar Scented Candle References:
- The Beekeeper’s Handbook, Dana Sammis, 8th Edition, Cornell University Press, 2018.
- Candle Making: A Complete Guide to Traditional and Modern Techniques, Anne M. Farley, Storey Publishing, 2020.
- “Beeswax Combustion and Air Quality Implications”, Journal of Environmental Health, Vol. 72, No. 10, 2010.
- Local Beekeepers Association of North America: Best Practices for Beeswax Processing, 2022.
Zhejiang Tonglu Zhongyi Gifts Factory
Zhejiang Tonglu Zhongyi Gifts Factory is one of the most experienced beeswax candle manufacturers and suppliers in China, also supports customized service with low price. Welcome to buy discount beeswax candle in stock here and get quotation from our factory. 2 years warranty is available.
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