There is something so lovely about a homemade beeswax candle. It feels warm, natural, simple, and just a little bit old-fashioned in the best possible way. If you have been wanting to try candle making at home but do not want anything too complicated, these beeswax and coconut oil candles are a beautiful beginner-friendly project.
Beeswax candles have a naturally warm golden colour and a soft honey-like scent, while coconut oil helps soften the wax slightly and can make the candle easier to pour into jars or small containers. Together, they create a simple homemade candle that looks lovely on a bedside table, bathroom shelf, kitchen counter, handmade gift hamper, or craft stall display.
This is also a nice project if you are trying to make more natural candles at home. You can use organic beeswax if that is important to you, and pair it with coconut oil and a cotton or hemp wick for a simple rustic finish. Hemp wick gives the candle a natural handmade look, especially if you are gifting these candles or making them to sell at markets.
These candles are not heavily perfumed unless you choose to add fragrance or essential oils, which makes them a good option for people who prefer a softer, more natural candle. The beeswax itself has a gentle scent, so you may decide to leave them unscented and let that natural honey note come through.
Why Use Beeswax and Coconut Oil For Candles?
Beeswax is a favourite in natural candle making because it is firm, long-lasting, and beautiful to work with. It holds its shape well and gives candles a classic warm glow.
Coconut oil is added to help soften the beeswax slightly. Pure beeswax can be quite hard, especially in container candles, so blending it with coconut oil can make the wax easier to melt, pour, and burn more evenly.
You can also buy ready-made coconut wax blends if you prefer not to mix your own wax and oil. These are handy if you are making a larger batch of candles or want a more predictable result.
Supplies You Will Need
To make beeswax and coconut oil candles, you will need:
Beeswax pellets or grated beeswax
Coconut oil
Cotton or hemp candle wicks
Small glass jars, tins, or heat-safe candle containers
Wick stickers or a small amount of melted wax to hold the wick in place
A double boiler or heat-safe bowl over a saucepan
A wooden skewer, chopstick, or wick holder
Optional essential oils or candle fragrance oil
Optional labels, twine, ribbon, or gift tags
If you are making these as gifts, small mason jars, amber glass jars, tins, or recycled glass yoghurt jars all work beautifully. Just make sure your container is heat-safe and suitable for candle making.
Basic Beeswax and Coconut Oil Candle Ratio
A simple starting ratio is:
4 parts beeswax
1 part coconut oil
For example, you could use:
1 cup beeswax pellets
1/4 cup coconut oil
This gives you a candle that still has the firmness and natural beauty of beeswax, but with a slightly softer texture that works well in containers.
If you live somewhere very hot, you may want to use a little less coconut oil so the candle stays firmer. If you live somewhere cooler, the 4:1 ratio is a good place to begin.
How To Make Beeswax and Coconut Oil Candles
Start by preparing your candle containers. Make sure they are clean, dry, and ready to use. Place one wick in the centre of each jar and secure it with a wick sticker or a tiny dab of melted wax. Use a skewer, chopstick, or wick holder to keep the wick standing upright.
Add the beeswax and coconut oil to a double boiler and melt slowly over low to medium heat. Beeswax takes longer to melt than soy wax, so be patient and do not rush it with high heat. Stir gently as it melts.
Once the wax and coconut oil are fully melted together, remove the mixture from the heat. If you are adding fragrance oil or essential oil, allow the wax to cool slightly before stirring it in. Beeswax has its own natural scent, so you may only need a small amount of fragrance.
Carefully pour the melted wax into your prepared jars, keeping the wick centred as you pour. Leave a little space at the top of the jar.
Allow the candles to cool and harden completely. This may take several hours. Once set, trim the wick to around 1/4 inch before lighting.
For best results, let your candles cure for at least 24–48 hours before burning. This gives the wax time to settle properly.
Candle Making Tips For Beginners
If your candle cracks slightly on top as it cools, do not panic. Beeswax can shrink a little as it sets. You can gently re-melt a small amount of wax and top up the candle if you want a smoother finish.
Always choose the correct wick size for your jar. A wick that is too small may tunnel down the middle, while a wick that is too large may burn too hot.
If you want a stronger scent, use candle-safe fragrance oils rather than relying only on essential oils. Essential oils can be lovely, but they do not always perform strongly in candles.
Avoid overheating the wax. Slow and steady melting is best.
Always test burn one candle before gifting or selling a batch. This helps you check how the wick performs and whether the candle burns evenly.
Natural Gift Ideas
These beeswax and coconut oil candles make lovely handmade gifts. You can dress them up with kraft labels, cotton ribbon, dried flowers, pressed leaves, twine, or small handwritten tags.
They are especially nice for:
Mother’s Day gifts
Christmas hampers
Teacher gifts
Hostess gifts
Self-care baskets
Bathroom decor
Market stall products
Natural home fragrance gifts
You could also make a small set of three candles with different scents, such as lavender, vanilla, orange, or cinnamon, depending on the season.
Safety Notes
As with all candle making projects, safety matters. Only use heat-safe containers, never leave melting wax unattended, and keep wax away from open flames. When burning your finished candle, place it on a heat-safe surface and never leave it burning unattended.
If you are making these candles with children or teens, an adult should handle the melting and pouring of the hot wax.
Helpful Supplies
For this project, you can use beeswax pellets, coconut oil, candle jars, wick stickers, and cotton or hemp candle wicks. Amazon is a handy place to find beginner candle making supplies in small quantities, especially if you are just testing the project before buying in bulk.
If you want a more polished gift finish, look for simple kraft candle labels, amber jars, or handmade gift tags. Etsy can be useful for printable candle labels or small-batch packaging supplies, especially if you want your finished candles to look more boutique.
More Candle Making Ideas
If you enjoy this project, you may also like browsing more candle making ideas on CraftGossip, including DIY wax melts, citrus candles, fall scented candles, mason jar candles, and handmade candle gift ideas. These projects are a lovely way to build confidence with wax, wicks, fragrance, and simple homemade gifts.
A Simple Natural Candle Worth Trying
Beeswax and coconut oil candles are a beautiful place to start if you want to make your own natural candles at home. They are simple, warm, practical, and easy to customise with different jars, labels, scents, and gift packaging.
Whether you make them for your own home, add them to handmade hampers, or create a small batch for gifts, this is one of those satisfying DIY projects that feels both useful and beautiful.
These organic beeswax candles are made with Coconut oil and Hemp wick. 
This is blended wax/oil but you can also purchase ready-made blends of Coconut wax
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I have not used hemp wick, but I love the idea of adding it to organic candles, it really finishes off the candle with a natural look. I think it would make a great seller too for anyone looking for natural organic candles. You can see the full tutorial here.