The Sanguin Chalis Inn

Making Your Own Candles

To Make Molded Candles:

You will need:

* 1 - Pound Block of Paraffin
* 1 or 2 crayons or candle dye
* Wick, a few inches taller then your mold
* Clean and dry a one-quart paper milk carton to use as your mold
* A Stick or Wooden Spoon (That you don't mind ruining)
* Pencil, Pen, or handle of said wooden spoon
* Vegetable oil or oil spray (As a mold release)
* Saucepan
* Coffee can or other disposable metal can with no holes
* Oven mitt or Potholders
* Newspaper
* Candy or Wax Thermometer

How to do it:

1 - Cover your work surface with newspaper, lots of them.

2 - Break the paraffin into chunks and place in the coffee can with the thermometer. Pour about 2 inches of water into the saucepan and set the coffee can into the pan. Heat on the stove over low heat until the paraffin is completely melted.
Do not let the water boil away; do not let the wax reach over 140`F; and do not take your eyes off the wax even for a minute.

3 - Peel the paper off the crayons and break them up into the wax. Or drop in a chunk of candle dye. Stir occasionally with the stick or wooden spoon.

4 - While the wax is melting, cut the top of the milk carton off and smear or spray a little veggie oil on the interior as a mold release.

5 - Dip about an inch of your wick in the melted wax, then put it into the milk carton mold, position it on the bottom and hold it in place with your stick or wooden spoon until the wax hardens. Wrap the free end of the wick around the pencil and rest the pencil on top of the mold holding it taut.

6 - When the wax is completely melted, turn off the burner and use the potholders to take the can out of the water, carefully pour the wax into your prepared mold leaving at least 2 inches at the top.
Don't pour all of the wax. Let cool without disturbing for about an hour.

7 - As the wax cools it shrink slightly around the wick. Re-melt the leftover wax as described above and fill the depression around the wick, being careful not to go above the original level of wax. Let cool completely.

8 - When the wax is completely solid tear away the mold and trim the wick to about 1/4 inch.

Variations:

* Make scented candles by adding an essential oil or other oil-based scent. Try soap scents, candle scents, and strong smelling candy flavorings.

* Layered candles are easy just pour one color partway into the mold or container and let it cool till it is semisolid. Pour your second layer and let cool; continue until your mold is filled. You can try tilting them too.

To Make Beeswax Candles:

You will need:

* Several sheets of Beeswax, less for thin taper candles more for a thick candle
* 1 Cotton Wick

How To Do It:

1 - Lay a sheet of beeswax down, place the wick at one end of the sheet, lining up one end even with the side of the sheet.

2 - Roll the beeswax sheet around the wick, don't press to hard or the wax will crack. Make sure to keep the bottom end of the candle even.

3 - When you come to the end of a sheet butt a second sheet into the end and keep rolling. Use a few sheets to make a taper candle or just keep rolling and adding till you get the size you want.

Hints:

- The tighter you roll the candle, the longer it will burn, since there will be less air in the candle to speed the burning process.

- You can use a hair dryer if you need to soften the wax

From the Book: D.I.Y Girl
By: Jennifer Bonnell

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