Kelly JensenWondering what to do with beeswax? Below are 15 fantastic ideas that you can try. Whether you are a fellow beekeeper who has lots of beeswax from a honey harvest, or you’re a crafter who has leftover wax from a project, you can make so many great household items.
From candles to lip balm, furniture polish to salve – these great DIY recipes are fun to make and also to gift to others.
Fall is here, and that means it’s honey harvesting time around our homestead. I’ve been a beekeeper for 6 years now, and every year I love having wax leftover from harvesting our honey. I’m including a few of my own personal recipes below (like our wildly popular lip balm!) and more great ideas from other beekeepers.
Why Do Bees Make Beeswax?
As a beekeeper, we save the leftover wax from when we harvest honey from our hives. Honey bees make the wax to create “cells”, which form that hexagonal honeycomb pattern. The cells can be used to lay eggs, raise brood, and keep honey that the bees store for the winter.
The honey is stored in the hexagonal cells, and when the moisture has been cured out from the honey, the worker bees will cover the cells with a wax seal. This is called capping. It preserves the honey for the winter, and keeps the moisture from spoiling honey stores.
When we harvest honey, we scrape the wax to release the honey from the cells. Once the honey gets filtered into a separate bucket (which we then jar up and enjoy!) we are left with the wax. We melt the wax to remove any impurities, and then keep it to make great products like this beeswax furniture polish!
Here is a frame full of honey, perfectly capped in beeswax.
We then melt the raw wax down in a large pot to remove any impurities. We take the clean pure wax and use it in great recipes like these! In the list below you’ll find natural beauty products,
Where Can I Buy Beeswax?
Look for a local beekeeper in your area who may have extra to sell. You can always try a farmer’s market, or a beekeeping store too. Amazon also sells organic beeswax, so that is an option if you can’t find it locally.
DIY Beeswax Hand Salve
This DIY Beeswax Hand Salve recipe is a winter savior for dry or chapped hands. Made with all natural ingredients, this simple hand balm moisturizes the skin with each use. Infused with rosemary, this hand salve is not only effective but also smells great.
The recipe uses beeswax, shea butter, olive oil, and your favorite essential oils. This natural product makes a great homemade holiday gift or stocking stuffer too.
Beeswax is a great natural ingredient for skin care products. It forms a protective barrier, allowing your skin to absorb the nutrients from the olive oil and shea butter.
This hand salve is simple to make and only takes a few minutes. It’s also a great way to use up leftover beeswax from honey harvesting. Give it a try and your hands will thank you!
DIY Beeswax Food Wraps
This recipe is the perfect DIY beeswax wrap you can make reusable food storage wraps with! The recipe includes beeswax, jojoba oil, and pine resin.
A natural alternative to plastic wrap, beeswax wraps are a great way to keep your food staying fresh!
You can also use any kind of fabric you like, making them fun and customizable. There are step-by-step instructions on how to make your own reusable food wrap, as well as tips on how to get the best results.
Beeswax Wood Furniture Polish
This easy DIY beeswax furniture polish recipe will make your wood furniture shine like new. It’s made with just two ingredients, beeswax and mineral oil, and takes only 10 minutes to make.
Start by melting the beeswax in a double boiler, add the mineral oil, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a jar and allow it to cool.
To use, apply a dab (use only small amounts!) of the polish to a clean cloth and rub it in a circular motion on the furniture. Allow the polish to sit overnight, then buff it off with a paper towel or non-abrasive cloth. It’s the easiest way to get a natural shine that will last for months. It creates a beeswax seal on the wood too, repelling water for a few days after.
Mason Jar Beeswax Candles
Beeswax candles are one of my favorite ways to use beeswax! This recipe teaches you how to make your own beeswax candles. It is an easy process and the candles are non-toxic and have a natural honey scent. You can also add essential oils to create different scents.
I like beeswax candles as they are a natural alternative to paraffin wax (which most candles are made out of).
DIY Beeswax Lip Balm Recipe
This DIY Beeswax Lip Balm recipe is simple, all-natural lip moisturizer you can make at home. Great for easy DIY homemade holiday gifts with pure beeswax! All it takes is a few simple ingredients for amazingly soft and hydrated lips. Made with natural oils and no harsh chemicals or flavor additives – I use cocoa butter for a delicious and natural ingredient. Use this lip balm all winter, and believe me, your lips will thank you.
I’ve actually made this lip balm to sell at a crafter’s market, and I had people placing orders for refills months after! Friends always ask me to make this for them, it’s a huge hit! Make your own beeswax lip balm for yourself and others!
Easy Homemade Fire Starters
We have a wood stove, so we love using fire starters all winter long! This great recipe from Carolina Honeybees is a great eco-friendly project that can be done in a few steps. You can use pinecones, beeswax, wick, cinnamon sticks, and an egg carton to make them. Add scent to your fire starters with spices, dried flowers, or essential oils for your favorite scent!
One of the best DIY projects for winter.
Beard Balm Recipe – DIY Homemade Beard Wax
This recipe for DIY beard balm is my husband’s favorite! It’s made with natural ingredients, including beeswax, oils, and shea butter. It is hydrating and moisturizing, and it gives your beard an all-natural shine. You can also add your favorite essential oils to customize the scent.
This is a great gift for any man with facial hair, and it is also easy to make. You will need a double boiler, mason jars, and a few simple ingredients.
Beard balm is a great way to keep facial hair healthy and looking its best. It is also a great conversation starter, as people will be curious about how you made it.
Beeswax Lotion
This great beeswax lotion recipe is the perfect way to keep your skin looking and feeling its best. Made with all-natural ingredients, this lotion is deeply hydrating and nourishing, and it will leave your skin feeling soft, smooth, and protected.
To make your own beeswax lotion, simply combine olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and essential oil in a jar and melt over low heat. Once melted, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before stirring in your favorite essential oil. Pour the lotion into a clean container and enjoy, and use it like you would use body butters!
Your skin will love this all-natural beeswax lotion. It’s perfect for all skin types, and it’s especially beneficial for dry, cracked, or irritated skin. Beeswax is a natural emollient, so it helps to lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated. The essential oils add a touch of luxury and can also provide additional benefits for your skin, such as reducing inflammation or promoting healing.
DIY Beeswax Air Fresheners
To make your own, you’ll need beeswax, coconut oil, mica powder, and essential oils. Simply melt the beeswax and coconut oil, then add the mica powder to give the leaves a beautiful autumn color palette. You can use any essential oils you like, but cinnamon leaf and clove bud are a great choice for a warm, comforting scent.
Once the wax has cooled, pour it into small leaf molds and let it harden. Once the wax has hardened, pop the leaves out of the molds and enjoy!
Beeswax Ornaments
Make your own unique blackened beeswax Christmas ornaments using clay cookie molds and ground cinnamon. It’s a simple process that can be used to create ornaments of any shape or size. You can use any shape of cookie cutter you like. It’s a great family friendly activity too.
Once your ornaments are cool, you can rub them with cinnamon to give them a rustic, folk-art look. They can be hung on your tree, used as part of a centerpiece, or even given as gifts.
DIY Leather Conditioner Recipe with Beeswax
This DIY Leather Conditioner recipe uses beeswax, mineral oil, coconut butter, and olive oil to create a conditioner that will leave your leather soft, supple, and shining.
To make the conditioner, simply melt the beeswax and coconut butter in a double boiler over low heat. Once melted, add in the olive oil and mineral oil and stir until combined. Carefully pour the conditioner into mason jars and let cool overnight.
To use the conditioner, apply it to your leather with a soft cloth or microfiber towel. Rub the conditioner into the leather in circular motions, paying special attention to dry or chapped areas. Allow the conditioner to sit on the leather for 5 minutes before buffing it off with a clean cloth.
With regular use, this leather conditioner will help to keep your leather looking and feeling its best. It’s also a great way to restore old or damaged leather.
Natural Hand-Dipped and Poured Beeswax Candles
This article has 6 great ways to make beeswax candles – each of them unique! Beeswax candles are eco-friendly, non-toxic, and simple to make. You can make your own beeswax candles at home using just two ingredients: beeswax and cotton string for the wicks. Here are a few great methods you can use:
- Rolled beeswax candles: Warm the beeswax with a hair dryer and roll it around a cotton wick.
- Dipped beeswax candles: Immerse a cotton wick in melted beeswax and let it cool. Repeat until the candle is the desired thickness.
- Poured beeswax candles: Pour melted beeswax into a mold with a centered cotton wick. Let the wax cool and harden before removing the candle from the mold.
Homemade Beeswax Deodorant
I’ve been using homemade deodorant for over a decade, and adding white beeswax is the best way to firm up natural deodorant so it has the same texture as store-bought! This homemade beeswax deodorant recipe is easy to make in just 25 minutes! This recipe is simple to follow and uses only 5 simple ingredients: organic virgin coconut oil, organic beeswax, non-GMO cornstarch, aluminum free baking soda, and essential oils. This deodorant is all natural and definitely something you can feel good about using.
DIY Beeswax Wax Melts
A great alternative to candles, these easy wax melts can be made with your favorite fragrance or essential oils! All you need to make these melts is: yellow beeswax pastilles, candle fragrance oil (or carrier oil), a double boiler, a wax melting pitcher, a thermometer, and a silicone wax mold.
To make the wax melts, melt the beeswax in a double boiler, add fragrance oil (optional), and pour the hot wax into the silicone mold. Let the wax cool completely, then pop the finished wax melts out of the mold.
Natural Face & Body Moisturizer
This is a fantastic recipe for a two-ingredient moisturizer made with beeswax and coconut oil. It is antibacterial, antifungal, and moisturizing, and can also be used as a diaper cream or skin treatment salve. To make the cream, melt the beeswax and coconut oil together in a double boiler, pour it into containers, and let it cool.
This is a fantastic recipe for a two-ingredient moisturizer made with beeswax and coconut oil. It is antibacterial, antifungal, and moisturizing, and can also be used as a diaper cream or skin treatment salve. This DIY recipe is great as a hand cream.
To make the cream, melt the beeswax and coconut oil together in a double boiler, pour it into containers, and let it cool. Great for dry skin!
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