Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candle Making w/ Jess Kaufman - Asheville, NC

On the longest nights of the year, we’ll come together in warmth and good company for this age-old Solstice tradition: hand-dipping beeswax candles, a timeless practice that invites patience, presence and a quiet resilience.

In the 5th Annual cozy, hands-on workshop, you’ll gather around the “fire” of gently simmering cauldrons of golden beeswax, the earthy-sweet smell filling the air. Settle into the calming rhythm of dip, cool, and repeat as your tapers slowly take shape. Jess Kaufman, local batik artist and founder of WAXON, will guide you through the candle-making process while sharing the deeper story of beeswax—an increasingly rare and precious gift from our pollinator kin.

You’ll also learn how WAXON’s zero-waste batik studio reclaims and reuses every drop of wax, honoring this sacred material through careful stewardship and creative reuse. The result is a practice rooted not only in craft, but in sustainability and care.

Participants will leave with:

• Two pairs of hand-dipped beeswax taper candles (four total, with the option to make more)
• Practical candle-making skills, from wick selection to tapering, trimming, and shaping, along with tricks learned over time
• A shared sense of connection and joy as we honor the darkness and welcome the returning light in the 5th Annual Solstice Beeswax Candle Dipping Workshop
  

Jess says her favorite part of the class is “watching the joy on people’s faces as their candles grow.” Come celebrate the Solstice, kindle your own light, and take part in a tradition that weaves together community, craft, and reverence for the natural world.

This class will be held indoors on Saturday, December 19th, 2026, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm in Asheville, NC.

All Firefly Gathering workshops are hosted in the greater Asheville area, sometimes at private venues. For that reason, the actual venue address will be included in your Welcome email, approximately one week before the workshop. Please note that classes are not actually held at Westgate Parkway.

This class is suitable both for experienced crafters and beginners alike! The minimum age is 10 accompanied by an adult or 16 unaccompanied. Please be prepared for long periods of standing.

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Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candle Making w/ Jess Kaufman

Jessica Kaufman (she/her) has an MA in crafts education and is the owner of WAXON Batik & Dye Studio in Asheville, NC.  With over 22 years of teaching experience, Jess has taught a wide variety of fiber and textile arts to summer campers, school children, high schoolers, and adult workshops up and down the East Coast.  Her enthusiasm for teaching is apparent in every class she leads.  Jess maintains over 80 free knitting videos at HappyGoCrafty.com.

Find out more about Jess and her offerings at waxonstudio.com.

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