| Making Candles |
| Candles are incredibly easy to make, not to mention inexpensive. Here is a list of things you will need: Candle wax - Scraps from melted candles, or old candles you cant burn anymore, or you can buy wax at craft stores Wicks - Can be bought from any craft store, or in the craft department of any department store. If you are making tapers, then buy the ones without the little metal things on the bottom, but if are making tea lights and reg. candles, then get the little metal tabs (at any crafts store) Coffee can Pot of water Candle molds - you can buy glass candle holders and just pour the wax in them, or buy molds from the store. You can also make molds out of plastic containers you have around the house, but make sure you lightly oil the inside of it so that the candle will come out when its hard. First you need to gather up your wax. When you get it, break it into small pieces so it melts faster. Then take a pot of water and put it on the stove to boil. When it starts boiling, place the coffee can (with the wax in it) right into the pot of water. You may need to hold the coffee can in the water or it may tip over. Also, watch the wax so it doesn't catch on fire. Keep stirring the wax untill its liquid (stir with a plastic spoon or knife if you have one, or something else you can find that you can throw away). Then, pour the wax into a holder or mold. Now, you can put the wicks in two different ways. First way, you can let the candles get hard (place them in the freezer till its cold and hard) and when its hard, take a metal wire (a stiff thick one, or a thick needle) and shove it through the candle, from top to bottom, and place the wick inside the tunnel you made. Or, you can take a toothpick, place it along the edge of the holder and wrap the top of the wick around it, and let the rest of the wick hang in the wax, and set it to harden. This keeps the wick staying up in the wax. You will need to cut the wick to fit the holder. If the holder is only 4 inches high, you will want a wick about 5 inches long. If your making taper candles, then you need to melt the wax, and then take a long wick and dip it into the wax, then dip it into a cup of cold water to get hard, then dip it back into the wax, and then into the water. If you keep doing this, the wax will start to build up on the wick and you will have a taper candle. When its done, roll the candle on the counter so its all nice and even, and has no bumps. |
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