With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of good home made gift ideas. Soy wax candles might be one of the easiest crafts to make, with the most satisfying results, and they make really pretty presents! So please enjoy my amateur how-to guide on making these glowing little gems!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Wax (I bought ten pounds of this wax, but really you can go with any container wax – my first 5lb bag yielded about 18-20 medium          sized  candles)

•  Wicks & Wick pins (I opted for longer wicks in case I wanted to make candles in larger containers. They’re easy to cut if you use them in a shorter container too. The wicks I used came with wick pins attached, but most wax supplier websites offer a few options for wicks and wick pins depending on what you are making)

• Any container that can handle heat (my favourite ones are teacups and mason jars, but it can be really fun to go to thrift stores and see what other cool receptacles you find!)

• A double boiler (Make sure you use a pot that you don’t intend on using for cooking again, because the wax is next to impossible to completely clean out)

• Any kind of crazy glue (for glueing the wick tabs to the bottom of the containers)

    ADDITIONAL/OPTIONAL SUPPLIES

• Essential Oil (I won’t lie, I didn’t make it to the store before writing up this post, and instead of essential oil I just used vanilla extract – like the kind you use for baking – and it made this cool sort of speckled effect, but it didn’t really make for a scented candle)

• Dye (I didn’t use any, but dyed candles can look really cool!)

STEP ONE:

Make sure the receptacle you are using is clean and dry. For these candles I used teacups that I bought at Salvation Army for about fifty cents.

STEP TWO:

Crazy glue your wick tab (with the wick attached) to the bottom of the container you are using.

Note: crazy glue is CRAZY and will stick to your fingers and make your skin feel like it’s falling off, so we used pens and pencils to stick them down.

STEP THREE:

Set up your double boiler and scoop your wax in. I wish I could offer you a measurement, but I don’t actually know. I always kind of play it by ear and start out with a cup or two of wax and make more if I need to. It’s always easier to add more wax than to have a bunch of wax that is melted and nowhere to pour it!

STEP FOUR:

Pour your melted wax into your clean receptacles (the ones with the wicks glued down) and use any long straight objects (pens, pencils, chopsticks, etc.) to hold the wick straight and in place. (if the wick sags in the wax, the candle won’t burn evenly)

STEP FIVE (FINAL STEP):

Let the wax solidify fully, then cut the wicks, and enjoy your new candles, or, wrap them pretty and give them to your favourite people!

Posted by: Meaghan