Beeswax candles are beautiful and loved by thousands worldwide. There just isn't any other candle which comes close! But, what do you do with the leftover stumps? Here are some great ways to use up those leftover bits and pieces from your beloved beeswax candles:
1.
Natural lubricant - The easiest way to put your leftover beeswax candle to use, is to simply rub it up against the sides of a pesky drawer, or along the edges of a sticking window sash. The beeswax acts as a natural lubricant, and reduces the friction so that the window or drawer slides more easily. Also works on sticky zippers!
2.
Natural sealant - Dangerous germs live in your kitchen, and your wooden cutting board likely harbours some really nasty ones. Beeswax candle remnants can help out here too. Sealing your cutting board will help to prevent germs and bacteria from seeping into the board and can help to keep your family safe. Place ½ teaspoon of a piece from your old candle into 1 cup of mineral oil. Heat the mixture in the microwave until the beeswax is completely incorporated and the mixture is warm but not too hot. Rub the mixture into your cutting board using a soft, lint-free cloth.
3.
Make crayons - Leftover beeswax candles are perfect for making crayons! This is a fantastic rainy-day craft for the kids (with grown-up supervision of course!). If you are using yellow beeswax candles, you can create rich and deep colours for your wax crayons. White beeswax candle remnants are suitable for any colour, including pastels. Place an equal amount of beeswax and grated glycerine soap into a clean soup can. Put the can into a pot of water, so that at least half of the can is submerged. Heat the water and keep the can in the pot until the beeswax and soap have melted. Be careful not to heat the water past 185 degrees Fahrenheit or the beeswax could darken. Once completely melted, mix in food colouring until the desired shade is reached. Carefully lift out the soup can using oven mitts to avoid being burned from the heat of the can. Also be careful not to drip boiling water on arms or children standing close by! Pour the melted mixture into silicone candle or chocolate molds which have been sprayed with vegetable oil. Once cooled, enjoy spending the rainy day colouring with your beeswax candles!
4.
Feed your new beeswax candles - By far the best way to utilize leftover pieces from beeswax candles is to break apart the stumps into smaller pieces and feed the tops of your new candles. This process ensures that every last bit gets used up, and the life of your new candle is increased so that you potentially have hours more of enjoyment. What could be better?
5.
Fire starters - Planning on going camping this year? Here are three great firestarter recipes to make using beeswax! Melt
beewax in a soup can placed in a pot of water. Firestarters can be made several different ways, including:
- Tying a cotton string around a 2-3 inch piece of dried corn cob. Immerse the corn cob and string into the melted beeswax;
- Tying a cotton string around a length of cardboard which has been rolled up. Immerse the cardboard and string into the melted candle remnants, or;
- Filling cardboard egg carton with sawdust. Pour melted wax from old beeswax candles into the individual egg carton cups. Place pieces of cotton string already pre-dipped into each egg cup using a bamboo skewer if necessary. Once the beeswax has cooled, cut apart the egg cups for individual fire starters.
