I made these as Christmas gifts for all of my grandmas (there are 4 of them now that I’m married!) and they were a hit. I think. They were pretty easy, very inexpensive, and they turn out so pretty that I just had to share!
Start with some inexpensive candles. You can get them by the bagful at Goodwill.
You can find candle scent kits at Michael's or other craft stores. This particular set has Vanilla, Cinammon, Linen, and Apple.
The candle holders. I found these at Goodwill for $0.99 each!
And the saucers I glued them to, also $0.99 each. You don't have to use saucers, but I thought it was the perfect finishing touch. I used a stong epoxy meant for wood/glass/ceramics to secure the cups to the saucers.
Melt a candle over medium heat on the stovetop. The crumbles are where I thought maybe could chop it into smaller pieces with a knife... nope. Too hard!
I was surprised to see that it melted down clear. I was expecting white liquid, for some reason. BE CAREFUL, YOU ARE DEALING WITH HOT WAX. You will have to carefully pull the wick out once you can access it- it's best to use tongs or something. HOT. WAX.
Add a few droplets of your scent of choice. Get creative! I used about ten drops of vanilla and probably as many of cinnamon, because I like a strong-smelling candle. Even with that much the smell wasn't overpowering. It could have used more, in my opinion.
While the wax melts, prepare your wicks. Sometimes it helps to secure the wick to the bottom with a bit of wax, but these ones had bases so I didn't really need to.
Get your wick situated where you want it.
Now carefully... carefully.... I SAID CAREFULLY! pour the hot wax into the cup. It's hard not to spill, and it's not too fun to clean up... but I haven't found a solution for that yet!
If you are impatient like me, stick that sucker in the freezer. If you aren't impatient, let it sit out until the wax is hardened.
When the wax is about halfway solid (5-10 minutes), put some sprinklies on top! I chose cinammon to compliment the look.
And that's it! Once your wax is solid you've got a beautiful, original, handmade candle for someone to enjoy. The possibilities are nearly endless.
