DIY Wax Dipped Primitive Window Candle

This DIY wax dipped primitive window candle will have your home looking cozy for winter. Using a battery operated candle you can make your own primitive window candle.

DIY Primitive Window Candle Tutorial

No matter the season, I always want my home to feel welcoming and inviting. On the interior, I do that by creating a warm welcoming scent, having cozy throws, like my personal favorite knitted blanket, and often times I use lamps instead of overhead lighting.

But, what about the outside of my home? How do I make it look warm, cozy and inviting? One excellent way to add warmth to the exterior of my home is to adorn my windows with beautiful wax dipped window candles. A sign of welcome and peace, a candle in the window is a beautiful way to add a welcoming and cozy feel to the outside of the home.

For this tutorial I used battery operated window candles, however, I will be switching to electric window candles like this one or possibly this. It’s so easy to spray paint over the brass color by simply spray painting. This will prevent me from having to change out the batteries in the battery operated candles.

How to Make Wax Dipped Primitive Candles

Supplies

battery operated candle: Mine are from WalMart but you can also find them here.
1 cup beeswax pastilles
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp nutmeg
Old paintbrush
Metal container for melting wax

DIY Primitive Country Candles

Let me first say that this was a trial and error process. There may be a better way to do this but this is the way that I achieved a lovely primitive country look to some rather boring candles that didn’t match my primitive farmhouse style.

• Take the candles apart.
• Spray paint the base of the candle holder in whatever color that you choose. Allow them to dry.
• In a metal container, slowly melt the beeswax pastilles and coconut oil. Beeswax can be difficult to clean up so I have a single metal container that I designate solely for the purpose of using to melt the beeswax.
• Stir the beeswax and coconut oil frequently until they have melted.
• Remove from heat and add the nutmeg. The nutmeg is what adds a bit of the brown color and provides a little bit of grungy textured look. It is best to work with the wax when it is warm. I removed mine from the heat and allowed it to cool just slightly before I began using it. If you use the wax when it is really hot, it will melt the previous layers of wax that you put on the candle.
• Place the batteries in the candlestick and replace the gold piece that goes into the top. Then, dip the paintbrush into the wax and very carefully begin to add a bit of wax to cover the top gold piece of the candle holder. The wax will dry very quickly but this is where it may take a bit of trial and error to achieve the look you want. The best part about working with beeswax is that you can scrap it off using toothpicks if you need to so that you can rework an area that may not look right to you.
• Then, once you have the gold tip covered, put the bulb back in and screw it to where you can hold onto the bulb as you finish the candlestick. Again, use the paintbrush to add layers of wax to the candle. You can add as many layers as you want to achieve the look that you desire.
• Wax will drip onto the part of the candle that sits in the base. You can simply use a knife to scrape that part off. Don’t discard the wax, you can put it back in the metal container to re-melt and re-use.
• Place the candle into the holder and enjoy the beauty of transforming a plain plastic candle holder into something beautiful!

Tips for Wax-Dipped Primitive Window Candles

There are several tips that I learned through trial and error while making these wax dipped primitive candles.

• Don’t use extremely hot wax because it will melt the previous layers of wax that you have put on the candle. Use warm wax but if it starts to cool too much, you can simply reheat the wax just a bit.
  
• You may have a bit of wax build-up on your brush. The wax will melt off once you stick it back in the metal container. Don’t throw away any wax that you scrape off the candle or that falls onto your work area. It can be reheated and reused.
  
• Beeswax can be very messy! Only use utensils that you don’t care to use for future projects.
  
• Don’t give up! It took me a bit to get the hang of putting the wax on and creating the look that I wanted. I had to scrape several areas off and start again.
  
• What will I do when I need to replace the battery? Ideally, I wish I could have found battery operated lights that opened at the bottom. These open at the top and my plan will be to only have them on in the evening hours once it gets dark and then to unscrew the bulb when we go to bed.
  
• Once I need to replace the battery, I will use a knife to cut through the wax to unscrew the top. If I feel the need to add more wax back to the top after I replace the batteries, then I will do so again using the paintbrush and melted wax. In the future I will be switching to plug in window candles to prevent this issue.
  
• Keep the candles away from high heat areas. The wax will melt if the candles get to warm.

More Homemade Christmas Ideas

Christmas Scented Salt Dough Ornaments
Fresh Mini Christmas Trees
Gathered & Foraged Christmas Swag

The Christmas season is a wonderful time of the year to add welcoming wax-dipped primitive window candles to all of your window sills to create a warm and inviting feeling. If you make these, would you let me know? I would love to see yours!