Once your candle has burnt down, there is often a bit of leftover beeswax. Many people do not like to waste the wax that the bees worked so hard to make it! Here are some creative ideas on what to do with your extra wax:
- As a sewing aid
- One common use of beeswax is in sewing! Rub your thread in a little bit of wax before you use it. It will help control static and prevent tangles. It also allows the thread to be very smooth, allowing for easier and better stitches.
- For sealing envelopes
- A fun way to make your mail look fancy, you can use beeswax to make wax envelope seals! You will need to melt your excess wax in a microwave safe vessel until it is liquid. Once it has cooled, but not hardened, pour a drop of beeswax on your envelope. Then, with a wax stamp, or a small circular object, press the wax for a few seconds until the shape of the seal is imprinted. Let completely harden, and ta-da! Victorian style mail.
- Wax melts
- You can easily reuse your wax in a wax warmer! Many people have caught onto the trend of wax warmers, which use either a tealight, electricity, or a lamp to melt your wax in a ceramic vessel. You can put the leftover wax in a wax warmer, and it will melt away, leaving your room with a natural honey scent and no wax waste!
- Non stick coating for pans
- You can easily make a nonstick coating on pans by heating the pan slightly, and rubbing a small amount of wax on it. Buff it, and then it will be ready to use!
- In construction
- Extra wax can be used to help screw stubborn screws or nails into wood. Rub a little wax onto the end of the screw or nail, and it will be much easier to put in! You can use it on the ends of handsaws, which will make it easier to saw into wood.
- Fire starter
- You can make simple fire starters to bring on camping trips! Brush melted wax onto cardboard or pinecones and let dry. It will help booster your next fire!
- Lip balm
- You can make a natural moisturizing lip balm from beeswax and a few other ingredients! Melt beeswax, and combine it with solid coconut butter and sweet almond oil. Let completely melt again and pour it into lip balm tubes, or into a tin. Use once cooled! Be careful, it will melt very easily at hot temperatures.
- Balm for dog paws, or humans
- Leftover wax is perfect in a balm. Combine melted beeswax, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, and a little bit of shea butter. Once cooled store in a tin and use whenever your dog’s paws are cracked, or if your skin is dry!
- Hair Products
- You can very easily make a natural hair care product from extra beeswax. Combine equal portions of melted beeswax and coconut oil. This can be used to moisturize hair and dreadlocks, and can even work as a beard balm!
- Crayons
- Fun for children, natural beeswax candles are easy to make and use ingredients found in most kitchens. Combine beeswax with carnauba wax and cocoa butter and melt until liquid. Then add color powder. For pink, use beet root powder. For yellow, turmeric powder. For red, alkanet root powder or Australian red clay. For black, activated charcoal. For brown, cocoa powder. Pour into a mold and let set! Simple and easy, this will help save you money!
