DIY Soy Wax Candles

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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

Carven A/W ’12

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I’m not normally a huge fan of big labels, they can sometimes seem overwhelming and I can never picture how they would be wearable on a day-to-day basis. Which is generally not the point of them, but I can’t truly appreciate anything unless I feel I can wear it in real life. That being said, Carven could be my one and only exception. Guillaume Henry never seems to disappoint, and his A/W ’12 upholds this right. He designs clothes with subtle yet beautiful detail and are also totally wearable. I could see myself in anyone of these pieces, maybe with the exception of the peplum-style sweater. The whole collection is full of rich colors, which could brighten any dreary day. Structured dresses in celadone, mini skirt and jacket sets, beautiful cotton lace, multicolored striped wool, big collars, shorts in mossy green, cut-out suede, bright silk dresses and the wedge t-strap shoes!! The whole collection is actually pretty simple (which i love), but the fabrics and styling make it so fun (I sound like an old lady). I’m a huge fan of wearing dresses and skirts all year round, so this whole collection is pretty much my ideal for fall/winter wear.

 

Posted by Alex

Dundurn Castle

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Photos by Matt!

Navy Shift Dress: H&M
Mustard Orange Collared Silk Blouse: vintage DKNY
Navy Trapeze Swing Wool Coat: vintage
Black Thigh High Socks: Target
Cork Heeled T-strap Sandals: Bass
Brown Leather Bag: thrifted (in the hallway of my old apartment building)

Recently my boyfriend Matt and I took a day trip to Dundurn Castle in Hamilton. We were passing through on our way back to Toronto from a wonderful time in Niagara Falls (which deserves it’s own post). Matt grew up in Hamilton and told me about this beautiful Castle that he thought would be fun to take a look at.

It was such a strange day. Sunny blue skies, and then down pours on and off all day. Fortunately for us, it immediately stopped raining when we got to the Castle. Just enough time for us to take a peek around before the rain started up again. The Castle was not open to take a look inside, which did slightly disappoint me. But the grounds were beautiful, so it did not bother me too much.

Dundurn Castle built in 1835, belonged to Sir Allan McNab, a lawyer, landowner, railway magnate and Premier of the United Canadas from 1854-1856. The Estate was built around the brick shell of Col. Richard Beasley’s colonial home.The land it is located on is known as Burlington Heights. The British Army, during the War of 1812, established a military post at the site. Sir Allan MacNab later used elements of the post into the construction of Dundurn Castle during the 1830’s. There are some old forts that have now been turned into pretty little gardens. Unfortunately they were locked, so I only got to peek over some fences (which were the same height as me). Had I been a little more adventurous (or wearing different shoes and maybe pants) I would have hopped over.

There was a pretty little back house behind the Castle which interested me the most. Again, it was locked so I could only peer through windows to take a look inside. It looked a little more touristy than I had hoped. You could tell it had been restored from its original condition. It did look old, but not the old I was hoping for.There were more people roaming the grounds than I would have liked. It was difficult to get a nice picture of any of the buildings without having a family, wedding party, or small child in the shot. The rain didn’t keep anyone away that day.


As soon as we got back into the car the rain came pouring down. Matt said it was fate, the sun had been shining just for us.

On the way home Matt and I went to pick up some bagels and pastries to bring home with us. And I had to stop myself from visiting any vintage stores along the way. Which wasn’t too difficult, because I had no intention of being in the rain any longer than was necessary. Once we picked up Gus (my pup) from Meaghan’s, we spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching Reservoir Dogs and eating homemade pizza.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Bye all!

Posted by Alex