Eggshell beeswax candles DIY

I recently made some eggshell beeswax candles for our Easter lunch table. Making these sweet candles is so easy, and they make the perfect addition to a Spring nature table, or as a centrepiece for an Easter lunch.

I should stress that this isn’t a craft for a young child; I made these with Frida around, but she was watching me and playing with water in the sink rather than getting actively involved (although there were some parts she could have helped with – see below). I quite enjoy using my hands to make things and would like to do more craft and handiwork, so for me this struck the perfect balance of being easy, quick, and producing an end product we could all enjoy as a family.

What you will need:

• Empty egg shells, carefully rinsed out (we used ours for scrambled eggs)
• Beeswax pellets
• Candle wicks
• Essential oils – optional, I used lavender and ylang ylang
• Egg cups, modelling clay, or playdough
• Matches or a stick to keep your wick up, depending on the length of the wick

Method

1. To make the candles, first make sure your clean egg shells are in egg cups or fixed to a flat surface or dish with modelling clay or playdough.
2. Melt your wax in a pan, adding a few drops of essential oil if you like.
3. When the wax is melted, pour into the shells carefully, holding the wick in place.
4. Once you’ve filled your eggshell, use matches or a stick to keep your wick in place.
5. Leave them to set, trim your wick, and ta-da! Sweet little eggshell candles.

You can also use leftover wax to make yourself a bigger candle by filling an empty jar; I tend to save jars as I always seem to be able to find a use for them. I did this and felt so thrifty!

Although this isn’t a suitable craft for young children due to the hot wax, they can help to pour the beeswax pellets, add the oils, carefully rinse the eggshells, trim the wick -depending on how confident they are with scissors, and of course decorate around the finished candles. Older children however will love the responsibility of carefully watching over the melting wax, and it makes for a good science lesson too.

You can find more ideas for celebrating Easter here, and Spring here.