Boasting a gorgeous olive green tint and earthy-sweet taste, bayberry of wax is commonly used for extracting candles. If you want to attract wealth and prosperity to your home, follow our guide.

What’s so Special About Bayberry Candles

Myrica faya is native to the east coast. The earliest settlers of these areas collected bayberries and melted them once they gather 15 pounds of berries or more to produce 1 pound of wax.

Back in the 18^th century, people mostly used tallow and lard to make candles. These ingredients were cheaper and easier to work with, but candles made of lard burnt with an unpleasant smell and uncleanly. Usually, they would become rancid as well.

Bayberry candles required more time to be made and they were expensive. Thus, these candles were used for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and other special occasions. They were believed to bring wealth, prosperity, and family health.

If you are into a festive mood, then it is the right time to light a bayberry candle and start a new tradition in your home.

Vegans may prefer carnauba and candelilla waxes but candles made of either lack the staying power as they are too gloss and smooth. Bayberry even better than beeswax as it breaks down to crumbly parts easily when melting and it cuts seamlessly.

How to Make Bayberry Candles

When making bayberry candles, you want to use unrefined wax. Be prepared for a good couple of hours of work, as that’s how much it takes to burn a 10-inch wax taper. It would be great to do this on the weekend and start by at least high noon.

You will need:

· 12-16 pounds of bayberries,

· Large pot,

· Large heat-proof bowl,

· Heat-proof container,

· Tin can,

· Chopsticks,

· Beeswax,

· Water,

· Cotton wick,

· Cheesecloth.

We would recommend a 2:1 ratio of bayberry and beeswax for making candles. This will ensure they are more easily spread out, long-lasting, and lighter-tinted.

Add clean, twig-free berries to a pot and add about 2 inches of water. Once the water is boiling, leave it to simmer for half an hour.

Cover a bowl with two or three cheesecloth layers, then filter berries. Leave the liquid cool down and harden for a couple of hours. Eventually, you will be able to separate the solid wax.

Now, weigh this amount you have so you know how much beeswax you need. Melt both waxes in a heat-proof container and add a few inches of the wick. Just make sure the wick length is doubled than the length of the candle you are making.

Dip it nicely and use a skewer to secure. Note that hot wax is a bit dangerous to work with. Protect your hands when laying it. You can also use kraft paper or newspapers when dipping your candles.

You will see some wax dripping down as it cools but you can remove it once your candles are completely cool.

Soft, tacky, and plant-based, bayberry wax is made of the Myrica faya berries and leaves. We hope you love how your bayberry candles turned out!