Making Your Own Candles - a Tutorial

Making your own candles with remnants of wax

You need:

• small glass jars, for instance jam jars

• candlewicks that are a bit longer than the height of the jars

• small cardboard stripes

• leftover wax

• a pot for melting

• a pot with water
  
  

  Preparation
  Cut a hole into the cardboard stripes which is large enough for the candlewick. Put the candlewick through it. This is for steadying the candlewick inside the glass and keeping it in an upright position. You can lay the cardboard stripe on the rim of the glass jar.
  Fill the wax pieces into the pot for melting and cautiously melt them in the pot with hot water. Do not let the water boil, and there should be no bubbles, it would be too hot. Be careful not to drop wax pieces into the hot water.
  
  If there are parts of candlewicks left in the melting wax (from the old candles), remove these, for instance with tweezers. Pour the melted wax very carefully into the prepared glass jar. You can also add essential oils, if you‘d like to have scented candles. Put drops of oil into the jar and let it roll around the jar wall for a bit.
  
  The wax will start getting firm soon. Best let the jars stand where they are. The wax needs approximately one day to fully dry (depending also on the hight of the jar and the amount of wax). To get remnants of wax out of the melting pot, put it into the freezer for a while.
  

  © Andrea Grünbaum