Candle Making

         Candles were a common source of light in many colonial and pioneering era homes. While oil burning lamps burned cleaner and with less odor, oil was expensive and could be hard to get. Candles, on the other hand were made at home.  People usually set aside one day per year, in the autumn, for making the year’s supply of about 400 candles. 

 

We were good listener to hear about how candles were made a long time ago. We learned they kept the candles in lanterns to keep the wind from blowing them out. 

Tallow  

We learned that candles were made from many things like beeswax, oils, animal fat, and whale blubber. Beeswax was expensive so most farmers used tallow to make candles which is made from the fat of animals. These candles burned with a nice smell and were a lot of work to make. 

The best wax for making candles is beeswax. Paraffin wax candles are cheaper to make, but beeswax burns slower, so the candles last longer. Of course, making beeswax candles  requires having a large enough beekeeping operation to have enough wax for the bees and for the candles.  

We learned that bees find flowers and return to the hive to tell the other bees by doing the waggle dance.

 Traditional candle dipping using beeswax creates special memories at Aullwood. We will remember the wonderful aroma of the candles, the glow of a dipped candle that makes you feel warm inside, and all the facts we learned about this early way to add light to the night. 

In order to dip candles, the wax has to be melted, but not too hot to melt the layer underneath. 

 You dip a layer and let it dry. Then you have to dip it again and again.

The cotton wick is trimmed off at the end so the candle can sit flat in the holder. 

We were lucky to have time to visit the barn and pet the goat, cow, horse and pig.