BRISTOL, Vt. -
The saying, 'mind your own beeswax,' has been around for years -- and so has beeswax. It's is a completely renewable product that one company shines the light on in their Made in Vermont products.
When you walk into Vermont Honey Lights in Bristol, it's like you're stepping back in time. "We're not mechanized as you can see -- in any way," said Bonita Bedard.
Bedard and her daughter Shawna Sherwin make unique beeswax candles the old fashion way. They started 13 years ago. There's antiques and collectibles, and in the back of the store there's something new being made with a very traditional process. "In order for bee keepers to make a living they have to use every little thing they're able to use," Bedard said.
Each different shape candle starts with a mold. A cotton wick is threaded through and then the wax poured in. The mother daughter duo hand carve the molds or mold around real life items like fruits and veggies. Asparagus is a customer favorite. "People love to burn asparagus because they love it or they hate it and they want to burn it," Bedard said.
Honey Lights uses beeswax because it's natural, helps honey bee farmers and it's strong, which allows them to make intricate designs. Traditional Paraffin wax doesn't hold its shape as well. Beeswax also burns longer and cleaner and has a mild natural scent.
"Some candles you light and they go all over. These are great, they're free standing so you don't have to have them in a container when they burn," Shawna Sherwin said.
"It actually cleans the air when you burn it. It creates negative ions and dust particles drop to the ground rather than floating around," Bedard said.
"They have to travel to 10-million flowers to make a pound of beeswax, so you're going to smell all those flower," Sherwin said.
From pine cones to pigs, they have limitless designs, including some bunnies and eggs just in time for Easter. The taper candles are their best seller. Sherwin says they burn for 22 hours and are drip-less.
Each pair is made with half-a-pound of beeswax. Vermont Honey Lights goes through almost 25-thousand pounds of wax a year. "Wear it up, use it out and you will never do without," Bedard said.
Burning up a bi-product made by busy bees.
