Uses for beeswax
This list has been compiled from visitors to the Conwy Honey Fair.
Household and practical uses
- Strengthening button thread
- Stopping shoelaces fraying
- Helping drawers open and close smoothly
- Lubricating saws and screws
- Waterproofing and strengthening garden string
- Lubricating zips (e.g. wetsuits)
- Strengthening sash window cords
Woodworking and craft
- Polishing turned wooden bowls
- Making furniture polish (with turpentine)
- Finishing pine frames
- Burnishing ironwork
- Encaustic art
- Batik (mixed with paraffin wax)
Outdoor and specialist uses
- Tying fishing flies
- Strengthening bow strings
- Lubricating muzzle-loading bullets (with tallow)
- Waxing surfboards
- Sealing didgeridoo mouthpieces
- Stiffening bagpipe cords
Food and cosmetic
- Making candles
- Making lip balm
- Making hand cream
- Making beeswax food wraps
Do you know of any other uses? Please let us know.
Compiled by Peter McFadden
Updated December 2025