How to Make Tallow Candles: A Simple DIY

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Tallow candles are a clean and cost-effective alternative to store-bought candles. Made from rendered animal fat and beeswax, they burn cleanly and last a long time. I will show you step-by-step how to make tallow candles using just two simple ingredients: tallow and beeswax.

Why Choose Tallow Candles?

Tallow has been used for centuries as a natural candle-making material. It’s sustainable, biodegradable, and provides a warm, steady glow. Combining tallow with beeswax enhances the candle’s durability, increases the burn time, and gives it a subtle, pleasant aroma.

These candles burn beautifully. If you use these jars and place 3 wicks in a triangle shape, the candle doesn’t tunnel at all and has a long burn time.

What You’ll Need for DIY Tallow Candles

**A note about tallow and this recipe. When I render my own tallow it is very hard. Hard enough that you could honestly skip the beeswax in this recipe. However, I have found that if I purchase tallow it is often not as hard and I need to add some beeswax to firm up the candles. I don’t have an answer for the difference between tallow rendered at home and purchased tallow, I only know that it is different! So the following recipe is for softer tallow that I have purchased. If your tallow is home-rendered and very hard, skip the beeswax.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of tallow (rendered beef, lamb, or deer works best). Learn to render your own here.
• 1 cup of beeswax (pellets or grated for easy melting) Learn to render your own here.
• 2.5 oz of essential oils for fragrance. The rule of thumb is .5 oz of fragrance or essential oil per pound of wax. Since this recipe is around two pounds of ingredients I used 2.5 oz of fragrance.

Supplies:

• Double boiler or a heat-safe bowl or jar and pot
• Stirring utensil (preferably wooden or silicone)
• Candle wicks (cotton or hemp, pre-tabbed for convenience)
• Containers or molds (glass jars, metal tins, old pottery). I love these glass jars
• Clothespins, skewers, or wick holders or these wick holders
• Thermometer

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Your Workspace Cover your work area with newspaper or a drop cloth to catch any spills. Set up your containers or molds and secure the wicks in place using clothespins or wick holders. I don’t cover my workspace but it is a butcher block and both tallow and beeswax are good to rub into it. So I don’t worry about drips or spills.
2. Melt the Tallow and Beeswax
   • Place the tallow and beeswax in a double boiler or a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water.
   • Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until both ingredients are completely melted. Beeswax fully melts at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, so monitor the temperature closely with the thermometer to avoid overheating.
3. Cool the Mixture Slightly
   • Remove the melted mixture from heat and allow it to cool slightly, ideally to about 160°F this is the right temperature to add the fragrance oil.
   • Let it cool a bit more to about 150 F before pouring, this will ensure the candles don’t crack.
4. Pour the Candle Mixture
   • Carefully pour the melted tallow and beeswax mixture into your prepared containers or molds.
   • Ensure the wicks stay centered as you pour.
5. Secure the Wicks Use clothespins or wick holders to keep the wicks upright and centered while the candles cool and set.
6. Let the Candles Harden Allow the candles to cool undisturbed for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Once fully hardened, trim the wicks to about ¼ inch. Burn after that.

Tips for Success

• Add Essential Oils: For a subtle fragrance, add 10-20 drops of essential oil (I used cloves, cedarwood and bergamot for a masculine fragrance) to the melted mixture before pouring make sure the wax and tallow is at 160 degrees f
• Experiment with Containers: Glass jars are classic, but metal tins or silicone molds can create unique shapes and styles.
• Store Properly: Keep your tallow candles in a cool, dry place to prevent melting or softening.
• Trim the wick to 1/4″ each time you burn the candle

Love Making Candles? Try these other tutorials!

• How to Make Natural Soy Wax Candles
• How to Make Lard Candles | Crafting Lard and Beeswax Candles
• DIY Beeswax Candles: Making and Pouring Beeswax Candles
• How to Make Rolled Beeswax Candles: A Simple Project
• Candle Dipping | Handmade Beeswax Taper Candles