How to Make Easy Tallow Candles

Ah tallow. Is there anything you can’t do? Since rendering my first batch of tallow, I have fallen in love with all the possibilities it brings.

Cooking? Of course!

Skincare? Absolutely.

Candles? Surprisingly yes!

Today we are going to learn how to make tallow candles that burn beautifully and are so simple to make.

If you are like me and are always searching for ways to use tallow, this will be a new favourite. This tallow candle recipe is easy to make and is great for emergencies or whenever the candle mood strikes.

A flickering candle offers such a cozy vibe and these candles burn clean. You don’t have to worry about the toxic load from these bad boys so let’s head into the recipe!

This post is all about tallow candles.

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What materials do you need for these tallow candles?

The base of these candles is of course tallow. The next section will show you how to source tallow.

The second ingredient is beeswax. I like to buy local beeswax whenever I can but beeswax pellets also work very well!

Next, you will need a candle container or jar. I love using little 125 ml mason jars as they are easy to find, cheap and looks so rustic on my counter!

Finally you will need wicks. I get short wicks so I have to trim less. This set I linked has a wick holder as well as glue dots to be able to hold the wick in place.

You can add candle colours. These are optional though!

Aside from this, always ensure you follow proper candle burning advice and never leave it unattended, using it away from anything flammable. Ensure you keep it away from children and pets as well.

Where can I source tallow?

The best (and cheapest) way I have found to source out tallow, is to render it myself. If you want to learn how to render your own tallow, click here for that post.

To render your own tallow, you will first need to source suet. Suet is the fat from around the kidneys of an animal versus the fat that we think of in our meat. This suet leads to a harder finished project and is way less smelly than the fat around the muscles.

To source suet, you will likely need to call around to a few local butchers. They usually sell it in bulk for a decent price. My butcher pre grinds the suet so it melts pretty fast!

The other option is to buy pre rendered tallow from a soap supply store. Steer clear of smoked tallow as that will put off a strong smoky smell when you try to burn it.

What is the tallow candle recipe?

This candle recipe is enough to fill one, 125 ml mason jar or candle holder.

The basic recipe is only 2 ingredients so you can whip this up super fast!

1/2 cup rendered tallow

1 tsp beeswax (grated or pellets)

How to make the candle

To begin, place a pot of water on the stove and turn the heat to medium low.
In a heat safe bowl or container (I use a mug for small batches) add the tallow and grated beeswax. If you are adding candle colour, add it in this step (most candle colour is in wax form.)
Place in the double boiler and allow the tallow and beeswax to melt together until fully combined.
While the wax is melting, get your mason jar set up. Some people like to warm their mason jar in the oven at the lowest temperature as they find the wax doesn’t pull away from the edges this way. I have never found it necessary to do this step but play around with it and see what works best for you. The nice thing about tallow candles is you can easily melt it back down and try again if you need.
Next, cut the wick down to size. You want to make it slightly taller than you need to be able to wrap it around a chopstick or pencil to keep it in place. Some wicks packs come with a holder to keep the wick in place. I have found the easiest method to stick the wick to the bottom is by dipping it in a little bit of wax and sticking it to the bottom of the container, allowing the wax to harden in place.
When the wax is melted, carefully take the pan off the stove and let it cool down until the mug is handleable but still melted. If you are using scent, add it now.
Once everything is combined, carefully pour the wax into the prepared candle container and allow it to cool. Trim the wick to size.
Technically the candle is ready to burn now but the longer it sits, the better it will burn. I like to let my candles sit for 2 weeks or so before I burn them but I have burned them the next day with good results as well.

F.A.Q

How long does this candle burn?

While I have never sat down and timed it (I should!) I would guess that a candle this size (125 ml) would burn for around 8 hours.

How long does this candle store?

As long as you have followed proper rendering procedure and not allowed any water to enter the tallow, it should last at least a year. If you store your candle in the freezer (which sounds weird) you could store it indefinitely.

Can I make larger candles?

Yes! You will just have to scale the recipe up. If you are using a 250 ml mason jar, you will double the recipe. If you want to make a 500 ml mason jar, 4 X the recipe. If you choose to make a candle with a large surface area, feel free to add extra wicks!

What if my candle starts to cave in around the wick or has random spots on the top?

This can happen randomly. You have 2 options. You can either use a hairdryer to melt the top layer of wax, smoothing it out or you can melt extra tallow and pour it on top of your candle for a smooth top layer.