For a while now I have been wanting to make candles with the kids. We have been reading the Little House series and studying pioneers in school so they shared my excitement about candle making. So today became the day that we made our first candles. It was fun to do but due to the nature of the hot wax there were limited ways that small children could help. However, that did not deter them from watching and helping where they could.
wicks cooling on wax paper
First we made wicks using cotton yarn with a washer tied to the end of it. We dipped each of these wicks into the wax as soon as there was some melted. Then we laid each of them on a piece of waxed paper to cool. After the wicks were cool we placed them in the terracotta pots (these pots did not have holes in the bottom.)
wicks in terracotta pots
We used Gulf paraffin wax and an old Home Interiors candle that I liked the smell of. We melted the paraffin and old candle together in a pan on the stove top. (I was surprised how fast it melted.) After removing the pan of hot wax from the stove we let it cool for a few minutes then proceeded to put a little at a time in each of the pots. To keep the wicks straight we put two toothpicks together with putty and laid them across the top of the pots. Using an old measuring cup I poured the wax into each pot.
After allowing the wax time to cool and harden we had to do a test run of the smallest candle. I’m not sure why I waited so long to try this project. It was fun to do and cost very little. The only problem I had was failing to have enough containers available to make candles. 🙂 So I put the remaining wax into a ball jar and will melt it later when I have more containers available.
What about you, have you made candles before? I am hoping to do the traditional dipped candles later.
Blessings,
Jennifer
How fun!
I’m reading the Little House series too. Can you believe I never read them with my kids and we homeschooled! Now as an adult I’m reading them and enjoying them so much… I missing two books (Little House on the prairie and Farm Boy) and haven’t seen if they made candles or not, though I assumed they must have.
I should give this a try! I use all of my old candles and any that I purchase at yard sales to make java logs for my wood stove. The work great to start a fire in the morning!
Happy candle making- Pat (from the FGblog hop
I don’t remember if it specifically says that they made candles but some of the other stories we have read to talk about homemade candles. They kids are really interested in all things pioneer at this point. 🙂
I love the idea of the java logs! In the house we live now we don’t have wood heat but in a previous house we had an outdoor wood furnace that I loved. Hopefully someday we will once again have wood heat and I will have to remember about making my own fire starters.
Looks great! It’s been such a long time since I’ve made candles. I just can’t seem to find time to do all the things that I enjoy. I’d like to try dipped candles, but I haven’t gotten there yet.
We would make several hundred dipped candles every year when I was growing up. (I grew up on a homestead with no electricity so we used the candles for light). We would have this whole production line going. It was a lot of fun and something I miss. When I left my parents home I spent a winter in a craft shop making molded candles for the shop to sell. It was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had!
I love the little clay candle pots. So cute!