This DIY is a super enjoyable, easy and fun activity to do with kids or friends. It’s also super eco friendly as you are making the candle yourself with items that would go to landfill otherwise.
Making the candle
Equipment & ingredients
- Soy wax
- Scent or essential oils
- Candle wicks with metal stands
- Metal cans
- A small piece of foil
Optional
- Stickers or glue – helps securing wicks to the bottom of your candle container.
- Candle wick centre device or sticks/ knives – helps keep candle wicks centered in your candle container.
Method
1. Measure the soy wax flakes using your candle containers. For one candle, fill the container twice with soy wax to have the right amount once it’s melted.
2. Melt the soy wax at medium heat, you can use the double-boiled method or just make sure that the wax does not bubble. It takes about 5-10 minutes to melt. Turn off the heat once it’s almost melted.
3. If you use a waxed scent, you can add it now as you need it to melt just like the soy flakes
4. If you use essential oils, wait for the wax to cool down a bit otherwise they would lose their potency.
5. While the wax is cooling down a little, cut the wicks to your container length. Drop the wicks into the wax so they get filled with it, removing all the air inside. Then straighten them with your hand on a foil, so they stay in place. You can place them in the freezer for a couple of minutes to fasten the hardening process.
6. Once they are hard, you can fix the metal stands at the end securing it by pinching with scissors.
7. There are several methods to combine the wicks and wax into a candle, here are two of them:
Pouring with stickers/ glue
If you use this method, you can just add glue or a sicker at the back of the metal stand and stick/ glue it at the bottom of your can.
You will need to secure the wick at the top with a centre device, pens, knives or stick so tit stays centred.
You can then pour the melted soy wax around it. Note that the soy wax makes the soy wick become soft, this is why you need to secure it.
Pouring without stickers or glue
If you choose this method, you will pour the soy wax first. Then you will wait for it to harden a bit. Be mindful that the top and side will harden first, leaving the middle more soft or liquid. Once it’s hardened, you will push the wick inside. As the wax is still soft, you may want to secure it at the top with knives or sticks so it stays centred.
8. Now you have to wait for the wax to be completely hard before you start decorating. I would usually not do it on the same day to avoid breaking my candle!
Decorating the candle
Painting
If you like painting or/and are good at it, you can create really cute candles with faces of animals or humans. If you are more of an abstract art amateur, you could also just create some nice geometric shapes.
I created animals also using material that I upcycled: the scratchy part of a sponge for the kaola ears, polystyrene for the pig noise and leftovers of a non woven recycled tote bag leftover I had after another DIY project.
Collage
If you don’t like painting and you want a quick and neat solution for pretty candles, I would recommend collage. You can find some nice patterns in various magazine that you can use to create very stylish and simple candles.