How to Make Tallow Candles: A Simple DIY
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. I like to use more fragrance; feel free to use up to 2.5 oz of fragrance for this recipe.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Secure the Wicks Use clothespins or wick holders to keep the wicks upright and centered while the candles cool and set.
- 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
Glad to have come across your site. Can it be melted in a pot, directly over heat, or do you find it necessary to use the double boiler method to melt? I would think it unnecessary to render from suet, if not used for skincare. Is that correct? Also, do you find tallow molds well, with a smooth finish?
Looking forward to your insight.
Definitely use a double boiler because of the beeswax. Yes, I find that tallow molds very well, nice an smooth and it burns so evenly.
How many does this make?
I made my first candles in some unused tea cups. They are way cute, and easy to make… however I get tunneling when burning. I used a waxed wick, the cups are small. Should I be using the wood wicks? I don’t really see the cups being able to handle 2 of the string wicks. I’m all about using my tallow in different applications and your instructions were easy to follow. thanks!
Interesting, I find that tallow melts to liquid almost completely when it burns. You could certainly try the wood wicks and see if it helps.