Render beeswax

What can we use instead of cheesecloth or silicone molds if they're hard to find?

Use a fine-mesh kitchen strainer or a clean cotton T-shirt to strain the melted wax into the glass jar when you pour, and use ice cube trays or paper muffin cups instead of silicone molds when you pour the hot wax.

My wax still has dark bits or smells, what should I check or do differently?

If the wax still looks dirty or smells, repeat the melting-and-straining process by warming the wax in the heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring with the wooden spoon as it melts, pouring through the cheesecloth/strainer into the glass jar, and then carefully pouring off the water from the bottom of the jar.

How can we adapt this activity for younger kids or older kids who want more challenge?

For young children have them spread the newspaper, break honeycomb into pieces, and pop cooled blocks out of the molds while an adult handles the double boiler and pouring, and for older kids let them supervise heating with an adult, repeat purification, design custom molds, and trim edges with the blunt knife.

How can we personalize or extend the beeswax blocks once we have clean poured wax?

Before the final pour when the clean wax is warm and pourable, stir in a little coconut oil or a drop of food-grade essential oil and add dried herbs or stamped names in the silicone molds to make personalized balms or blocks.