Homemade Candles

 

I found these fabulously easy instructions on making homemade candles in the book I Can Make a Rainbow, and I have been itching to make some. So the girls and I decided we would make them as Christmas gifts this year for the Grandparents and miscellaneous friends. We made Layered Candles and Sand Candles.

Here is what you will need to get started:

Paraffin Wax ( I bought a 5 lb. block at Hobby Lobby)

Crayons

Tin Can

Cheese Grater

Wicks

Fragrance

Containers to put your wax in (We used Dixie cups but you could also use yogurt cups or small milk cartons)

Sand

Box

For the Layered Candles

Step 1: Chop up your wax into small pieces and place in the can. You only need to fill it up 1/4 of the way.

Step 2: Grate up 1 tsp. crayon. This will be your color.

Step 3: Boil some water in a pan on the stove. When boiling, place the can of wax in the pan. When the wax starts to melt, add the crayon and a couple of drops of fragrance.

Step 4: While the wax is melting, prepare your mold. We used Dixie cups. Place your wick in the bottom. To hold it in place you can put a little warm wax on the bottom of the wick to hold it to your mold, or you can wrap the top part of the wick around a pencil and let the pencil rest on the rim of a cup that you have placed your mold inside of.

Step 4: When the wax mixture has liquified, pour in into your molds about 1/4 – 1/3 full. This is your first layer. We made 4 layers but you can obviously do as many as you want.

Let the wax set up and then repeat steps 1 – 4. Allow to cool for about 2 – 3 hours and then remove mold. Trim your wick and admire your homemade candle!

Sand Candles

For these you will need a box of wet sand. Not sopping wet sand but wet enough you could make a sand castle out of it.

Step 1: Form a mold in the sand using either your hands or cookie cutters. We used both.

Step 2: Repeat steps 1 – 3 for the layered candle. Stick your wick in the sand, and then pour the wax into your sand mold. Unfortunately with these you have to hold the wick in place until your wax sets. Otherwise it will flop over.

When the wax has cooled your candles are done. Just pop them out of the sand.

We had a lot of fun making these and can’t wait to give them as gifts. We hope you try making some too. Enjoy!