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How to Make Luminary Candle Bowls (Beeswax Craft)

Published on February 15, 2021Last updated October 4, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

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These DIY bowls are made from pure beeswax and decorated with pressed flowers to create beautiful votive candle holders or small flower pots.

For more projects, see 6 Creative & Practical Beeswax Projects including How To Make Beeswax Wraps.

Beeswax candle bowls decorated with pressed flowers.

Homemade beewax bowls inlaid with pressed flowers.

About the Book

This beeswax candle bowl project is one of over 50 creative projects in the book Beekeeper’s Lab.

Beekeeper's Lab (book cover)
Beekeeper’s Lab

You do not need to be a beekeeper to use this book. While there are instructions for basics like setting up a hive and finding a queen, there are plenty of tutorials showing creative and practical uses for honey and beeswax, which you can buy online or from a local beekeeper.

If you are a teacher or simply love nature-based learning and creating, you will find plenty of engaging activities.

  • Recipes and tutorials include homemade honey dog treats, honey straws, and honey butter.
  • Beeswax projects include candle-making, beeswax jewelry, ornaments, fire starters, waterproof bags, and the beautiful candle bowls (shown below).
  • Health and beauty ideas include a homemade cream, lip balm, tincture, and cleanser.
  • There are also sections featuring pollination, bee-related experiments, art projects, and bee conservation and awareness.

This selection from Beekeeper’s Lab by Kim Lehman is provided with permission from Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. who also provided a review copy of this book.

DIY Beeswax Candle Bowls

Homemade beewax bowls inlaid with pressed flowers.

One tea light can transform this delicate beeswax candle bowl votive into a warm, luminous lamp. It’s a an easy-to-make gift using nothing more than a wax-covered water balloon and dried flowers.

Luminary beeswax bowls with pressed flowers.
Grouped together, candle bowls make an impressive presentation.

I followed the instructions (below) and made several to also use as flower pots.

Homemade beewax bowls inlaid with pressed flowers. with an orchid growing inside.

Take it Further

Homemade beewax bowls inlaid with pressed flowers.
  • Pressing flowers is great fun in itself. To allow for adequate reseeding, only pick flowers where there are at least ten plants present. Pick fewer than a third of the flowers in any one area. Make a simple plant press using recycled paper sandwiched between corrugated cardboard and held together with rubber bands.
  • Not all flowers and leaves maintain their colors when pressed. Pansies, verbena, and larkspur maintain their colors well. Ferns, fennel, and dill add a beautiful feathery look.
  • Challenge yourself by using only flowers that are nectar and pollen producers for honey bees.

See How to Press Flowers (Fast and Traditional Methods)

I hope you enjoy the project. It’s lots of fun to make.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Beeswax candle bowl.
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5 from 2 votes

DIY Beeswax Candle Bowls With Pressed Flowers

Craft these beautiful bowls from pure beeswax and decorate with press flowers and leaves.
Prep Time15 mins
Steps1 hr 15 mins
Clean up30 mins
Total Time2 hrs
Makes: 5 bowls
Author: Melissa J. Will
Cost: $15

Equipment

  • Double boiler
  • Electric hot plate
  • Baking sheets
  • Ladle

Supplies & Materials

Beeswax Bowls

  • 1 pound Beeswax pure, solid or pellets
  • 5 Water balloons small
  • Pressed flowers for decoration

Other Materials

  • 1 Towel to dry balloons
  • 1 Glue stick for pressed flowers
  • 1 piece Aluminum foil to line baking sheet
  • 1 Tape
  • 1 Newsprint or cardboard to protect surface to protect work surface
  • Sand if using as votive candle bowl
  • 5 Tealights if using as votive candle bowl

Instructions

Setup

  • Set up a workstation with newsprint or cardboard to protect your work surface. Plug in the hot plate and put it on your work surface.
    Using water balloon to create beeswax bowls.
  • Place the double boiler on the hot plate and melt the wax. You will need about 6″ (15 cm) of molten beeswax.
    Leave plenty of space between the top of the wax and the top of the container for wax displacement.
  • Make a water balloon to dip in the wax by stretching the mouth of the balloon over a faucet. Slowly run the water while firmly supporting the bottom of the balloon as it expands.
    Tightly squeeze the mouth of the balloon while removing it from the faucet.
    Tie a knot at the top of the balloon.
    Dry the water balloon completely with a paper towel.

Create Bowls

  • Using a smooth, fluid movement, dip the water balloon in and out of the wax slightly past the balloon’s halfway point.
    Do not stop in the middle of the dipping movement or it will result in a visible seam.
    Wait a few seconds and then dip the water balloon into the wax again to the same depth.
    Repeat approximately 20 times to create a durable thickness of wax.
    The hotter the wax, the thinner each coat will be, so additional dips may be needed.

Add Pressed Flowers

  • Cradle the wax-coated water balloon in your lap or on a towel.
    Use a glue stick to attach the dried flowers and leaves onto the wax.
    Glueing pressed flowers on beeswax bowl.
  • Dip the water balloon into the hot wax one last time to coat and seal the flowers.
    Set the water balloon upright to cool for a few minutes.

Remove Balloon

  • Carefully puncture the water balloon over a sink using a small paring knife.
    The punctured water balloon will pull away from the wax sides, creating the candle bowl.

Finish Bowl

  • Cover the griddle or warming tray with aluminum foil and secure with tape.
    Turn the griddle to the very lowest setting possible.
    Smooth the rim of the candle bowl by placing the rim on the griddle.
    Turn the bowl right side up.
    Place it on the griddle, make sure it is level, rest your palm on the rim, and gently press down for a few seconds to make a flat base.
    Be careful not to completely melt the bottom.
    Hand pressing on beeswax bowl to shape it.
  • Allow the melted wax to cool.
    Once cooled, using a ladle, carefully spoon a little melted wax into the candle bowl to strengthen the base.
    Pouring beeswax into bowl.

Use as Candle Bowl

  • Put sand in the bowl to insulate the bottom from the heat of a tea light.
    Lighting candle in luminary bowl.

Use as Flower Pot

  • Carefully drill drain holes in base of bowl. It's best to work with the bowl right side up and insert drill bit into the bowl to reduce pressure. Heating bit first helps it penetrate the beeswax.
    Pressed flowers and beeswax candle bowls.

Notes

Read over entire instructions in article for more tips. 
This project originally appeared in Beekeeper’s Lab by Kim Lehman.
Instructions and images are used with permission.
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Homemade beewax bowls inlaid with pressed flowers.
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Comments

  1. April says

    March 22, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    This is an awesome project! Thank you for all the methodology tips… we are doing this in homeschool co-op for art (also works that we are studying botany and just covered pollination)! For those interested, I used 5″ helium quality latex balloons from Party City, filled with water to a small-ish size (not 5″), soaked in a tub of warm water to warm the internal temperature, dried, and dipped 20 times. It did not explode. The author’s note to try this first in hot water was so helpful! I tried it first in water heated to 175 degrees, and my first type of balloon broke. I was so grateful for this warning step. Thank you again for a wonderful project post.

    Reply
  2. Kathy says

    February 21, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    My balloons busted when I dipped them in wax ruined my wax
    Any suggestions

    Reply
    • Melissa J. Will says

      February 21, 2022 at 8:15 pm

      Hi Kathy,
      Drat! Could be the quality of the balloons (too flimsy) and/or the temperature of the water in the balloons. If you try again, get the best quality balloons you can find and test them first. To do this, fill the balloon with warm water and dip it in water heated to the same temperature as melted beeswax. If it doesn’t pop, it’s a good sign it should work. I hope this helps. I know it’s disappointing to have this happen. There are so many inconsistencies with balloon brands that I don’t have a specific one to recommend.

      Reply
  3. Emily says

    December 19, 2020 at 8:07 pm

    So gorgeous! Just made my first one

    Reply

Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
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