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.
About the Book
This beeswax candle bowl project is one of over 50 creative projects in the book 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
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.
I followed the instructions (below) and made several to also use as flower pots.
Take it Further
- 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.
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 ♛
DIY Beeswax Candle Bowls With Pressed Flowers
Equipment
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Use as Candle Bowl
- Put sand in the bowl to insulate the bottom from the heat of a tea light.
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.
Alexis says
Do the tea light candles eventually start to melt the beeswax?
Melissa J. Will says
Great question. I have used tea lights in them and have never had any issues. That said, for anyone reading this, never leave lit candles unattended. 🙂
April says
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.
Kathy says
My balloons busted when I dipped them in wax ruined my wax
Any suggestions
Melissa J. Will says
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.
Emily says
So gorgeous! Just made my first one