Candle making

Last time I made candles was back in 1994. Robie Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Me and my friend Kari. That was my first candle making experience and last...

...until this morning.

Last week I stumbled across a blog with a pretty picture of a candle; homemade candles as wedding gifts. Great idea, I thought, for my son and I. Little homemade gifts for teachers, instructors, grandmas and grandpas.  Naturally the blog had links to everything we would need. Order made and a week for delivery.

I don't remember how my friend and I made the candles but I do recall making stripes and solids. And we poured them into molds and somehow got them out. Freestanding candles.

This time we used an assortment of glass containers that we picked out yesterday at Michael's craft store - if you plan well, collect little jars of emptied dijon mustard, earths best baby food, pesto sauce, prepared chopped ginger or crushed garlic jars, etc. We used a couple washed out yogurt containers for extra wax and molds. (Don't pour hot wax in these, wait til it cools down a bit before pouring out excess!)

Back then we used natural essential oils with names like Lavender and rosemary. And food colouring for dye.

This time we ordered kid and Christmas friendly scents, like Snow Flake, Sweet pea and Coffee in PJ's. And special candle dye with fun names like maple and cinnamon red.

The kit came with wicks and we used pencils for supports. 2 5lb bags of soy wax and instructions (plenty of wax, will be doing this again, on some rainy day).

After one attempt using the stove and a make shift double boiler, I decided the microwave method was much easier.

Sugar cookie scent is my sons favourite. Candy cane lane and cranberry & ivory dye worked well for stripes.

The candles need to sit & set for 12 hours before we can cut the wick and then we will add a fabric cover, string and tag 'em.  And now I must return to the bathroom caulking task, that is taking far too long.