How-to: Hand-Dipped Wax Candles

Hand-dipping candles is no longer a labor-intensive pioneer chore. Using an old crock pot or a DIY stovetop bain-marie,  a hand-dipped candle becomes an easy, kid-friendly craft project, one that can stock an entire season of candlelit dinners in a single afternoon.

Although I’m using beeswax for these candles, you can use any non-petroleum-based wax–check out Becky’s article on vegan beeswax alternatives for specific tips.

Melt your solid wax in a crock pot.

1. Melt your solid wax in a crock pot. Score a cheap old crock pot at a thrift store, or purchase a second bowl for your current crock pot to use with crafts. Drop the solid chunks of wax into the crock pot (here I’m using a ton of beeswax bought in bulk a few months ago), turn it on low, and wait for it to melt.

If you’re using a DIY stovetop bain-marie the process is the same, but you’ll want to keep a closer eye on your work.

2. Cut wicking. You can find cotton candlewicking at any crafts store; after your wax has melted, eyeball a measurement that’s roughly double the depth of wax in the pot plus another inch or so for your fingers to hold.  Don’t worry about being too fussy with the measurements, since you’ll be able to simply trim off any excess wicking later.

Prime the wick with wax, then straighten it to prepare it for dipping.

3. Prime the wick with wax. While this isn’t completely necessary, I find that it makes dipping the candle much easier. Next to your crock pot, set up an old cup filled with cold water. Holding the wicking by two fingers in the middle, dip both ends of the wick into the wax to the depth you’d like your candle to be, then immediately lift it up and dip it into and out of the cold water. Use your fingers to straighten the wick so that there won’t be any kinks or curves in your candle. Repeat one or two more times, until the wick comes out of the wax nice and straight. Now it’s ready to dip!

To make hand-dipping even more kid-friendly, increase the length of the wicking by another inch or so and wrap the middle around a pencil, stick, or popsicle stick to give your kids a better grip. When my kids were younger, I marked both ends of the wick with a marker at a spot a safe distance from their fingers, and instructed them to dip their candles no further than that mark.

Dip the wicks into cold water after dipping them into melted wax.

4. Hand-dip your candles. Go back and forth, quickly dipping your wicks into the pot of melted wax, then quickly dipping them into the cup of cold water, and then back into the wax. The candles will increase in size pretty quickly, since the dips into cold water will decrease wax loss and allow the candles to take up a greater amount of wax each time.

If you have a particular candleholder in mind, you can periodically measure your candles so that you’ll know when to stop. Otherwise, whenever your candles have reached a pleasing diameter, give them one last dip in cold water, then hang them to cool. A towel bar is fine in a pinch, although a portable indoor drying rack will allow you to set your drying station up right next to where you’re hand-dipping.

To use your candles, cut them apart and trim the wicks down. They store indefinitely, and they make excellent holiday gifts.

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How-to: Poured Wax Candles in Repurposed Glass Containers

Poured candles are even simpler to make than hand-dipped candles or rolled candles–all they require are wicking, melted wax, and a heat-resistant repurposed container.

You can also have just as much variety with your homemade poured candles as you can with fancy, store-bought container candles, since you can vary the shape of your jar, change the color of your wax, and even add essential oils for a healthy scent.

To make your own poured wax candle, you’ll need the following:

repurposed glass container: This should be a container that you’re confident is heat-resistant, and it should be in perfect condition, with absolutely no chips or cracks. I usually upcycle food storage jars, such as Mason jars, small pesto or tapenade jars, or other glass food storage containers that can withstand high temperatures.eco-friendly natural wax: Choose beeswax, which is the wax that I’m using for this project, or a vegan beeswax alternative. Do not use paraffin or similar petroleum-derived waxes.natural fabric wicking: Depending on the wax that you use, cotton and hemp wicking can both be both good options. Measure the wicking so that it will just touch the bottom of the glass, then wrap the excess around a pencil.

1. Prime the wicking. Just as you do when making hand-dipped candles, prime the wicking by dipping it melted wax, allowing it to cool, and then straightening it with your fingers. This will make the wicking easier to work with, since now it will be stiff but malleable.

2. Measure out the wicking for one candle. Now that the wick is stiff, it’s easy to measure it out so that one end will just touch the bottom of your glass container. Wrap the other end around a pencil that’s balanced across the rim of your container. I often don’t cut the wicking at all at this point–if you wait to cut the wicking until you’re finished with the candle, then you’ll have zero wasted wick.

When the wick is measured and set up, remove it from the glass container and set it aside.

Pour in a thin layer of melted wax, then re-insert the wick and let harden.

3. Pour a thin layer of melted wax into the container. If you poured the entire container full, you’d melt the wax that’s stiffening your wick, and it would float off-center. Instead, pour just a thin layer–a half-inch or so–of melted wax into the bottom of the container.

4. Insert wick. NOW put the wick back into the container, centering it evenly from bottom to top. Let the entire container rest until that bottom layer of wax is completely hardened.

Adding crayon bits to the container, then pouring melted wax on top of them, will color the wax.

5. Pour the candle. When the bottom layer of wax is hardened, so that you’re sure that the wick will stay put, you may pour the rest of your candle. You can simply fill the container with melted wax to about 1/4? from the rim, or:

Add color. On top of the hardened layer of wax, drop a few chunks of soy or beeswax crayon. Pour a new layer of hot melted wax to cover the crayon, and watch as the crayon melts and dyes that layer. Let harden and repeat.
Add scent. Add several drops of your favorite essential oils, just before or as you’re pouring the wax. Add more than you think you want, since some of the scent will burn off as it’s put into contact with the hot wax. Let harden.

A candle made this way will last for a LONG time, and when it’s finally burned out, fill it back up for a whole new candle!

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How-to: Transform Classic Christmas “Candles”

Después de leer el bricolaje: puesto de falda de árbol de Navidad de reliquia de familia, estaba inspirado en el espíritu de Navidad! Quería tomar un tema clásico de Navidad y convertirlo en algo diferente y hermoso igual que Karen. ¿Tienes estos?

Siempre he pensado que estas falsas Navidad "velas" eran algo raro, especialmente aquellas con bombillas rojas. Aun así, definitivamente son un símbolo de la Navidad! Quería hacer una cobertura para las velas hacerlos bastante, pero aún mantenerlos festiva. Algo que todos debe saber acerca de mí es que soy un poco adicto al uso de rollos de papel higiénico en mis proyectos de naves. Naturalmente, había usado en este proyecto así!

1. Papel higiénico rollos (utilicé 4-5 rollos para 1 cubierta)

2. Pistola de pegamento hot

3. Pintura en aerosol: usé rojo para ir con el tema de la Navidad.

4. Tijeras

5. Papel encerado

6. Velas de Navidad

1. Cortar los rollos de papel higiénico en trozos de ½ pulgada.

2. Establecen el patrón de su elección. Esto es lo mío parecía:

3. Pegue las piezas de papel higiénico juntos usando una pistola de pegamento caliente. Inicio por les pegado en formas de flor como tal:

4. A continuación, pegue las flores para hacer a un lado todo. Hará que cuatro de estos lados. Básicamente lo que hará es cuadro en la vela.

5. Pintar los cuatro lados. Asegúrese de que obtener todas las grietas! Pintura en aerosol no es la oferta de artesanía más verde, tan optar por la pintura en aerosol bajo-VOC, si se puede.

6. Una vez que las secciones se han secado, usted será caliente pegue les juntos. Esto es algo complicado, pero ser paciente (y no quemar los dedos!). Pegados de minas en el borde para que no se superpongan demasiado.

7. A continuación, tomar su papel de cera y cortar lo suficiente para cubrir el interior de su "caja". Para hacer el papel de cera permanecer en el lugar, puse un dab de pegamento caliente en la parte superior e inferior de cada rincón de la "caja".

8. Una vez que tienes tu papel encerado en su lugar, se puede cortar alrededor de la parte superior del diseño como lo hice, o puede mantenerla cuadrados. (Sugerencia: Si decide mantener cuadrada en la parte superior, asegúrese de colocar el borde recto del papel cera en la parte superior y cortar el exceso papel desde la parte inferior.)

Este es mi producto terminado:

Me encanta cómo es todavía festivo de Navidad, pero hemos añadido un destello moderno a algo clásico.

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