How to Make Recycled Candles

Mar 3, 2008

Arts & Crafts

Making your own candles can be very rewarding and easy to do. You can make them from recycled materials for fast, easy, economical, and earth friendly options!

Making your own candles can be fun and easy. However, when you make them from recycled wax you are saving the earth some trouble and making a beautiful new creation. If you are an avid candle lover this can be done very quickly and can help mother earth since you won't be tossing out your old wax anymore.

You will need:

-Candle mold or a jar or tin you wish to have a candle in.

-Wicks, either pre-prepared complete with metal tabs on the bottom, or a roll of wicks and metal tabs for the bottoms.

-Left over wax, seperated by colors. If you have jars or tins that have left over wax in them, you can gently warm them with a flame or in hot water and get the wax out that way.

-A spoon you are willing to ruin (I prefer wooden ones).

-One medium to large pot you are willing to ruin. Then either a second smaller pot, or a clean empty coffee can.

Prepare the wicks. If you didn't buy prepared wicks you will want to cut wicks of appropriate length (about 1-2" longer then you will need) for each of your projects. Then attach them to the metal tabs. Depending on your tabs you may have to use pliers to pinch them shut.
Heat water in the largest pot. You will be creating a double boiler with your pots (or your pot and coffee can). To do this start the water heating while you prepare your wax.
Prepare wax, place in inner part of the "double boiler". You will want to start with your lightest colors. You can mix colors, but they should be like colors so that you don't end up with gross colors of brown and muddy black. Your lightest colors should be done first. If you are mixing colors add them in orders that make new colors. Such as mixing blue and green for blue-greens. Be careful mixing blue and red because it will most likely be a very dark color. Once you have your colors divided, stick the lightest ones in the smallest pot or the coffee can.
Heat and melt wax. Place your small pan or coffee can of wax into the boiling water and let melt. You will want to keep the wax moving so that the largest chunks can melt well.
Pour into mold or jar. Once all your wax is melted, carefully pour it into your mold or jar. If it isn't enough to fill the mold or jar, melt your next group of colors and add more, once your first layer is hardened.
Remove from mold. Once your candles have had 24 hours or so to harden you can remove them from the mold (if you used one). This sometimes take a little work depending on the type of mold you have. You may need to warm the bottom to get the mold to release.

You now have your very own recycled candle. Because most candles are heavily scented, you don't want to add additional fragrances to this batch. You will have plenty of aroma coming from the candles you used to make the recycled candles. You have helped out mother earth, while creating your very own candles!

What did you think of this tutorial?