No-Mess Candle Making

I went to Target the other day with the intention of buying some candles. I was surprised to discover new candles were so expensive–$5-$15, depending on size.
On the other hand, I’ve been thinking about making my own candles for awhile now. In fact, I just so happened to have several used candles lying around, with enough wax to recycle into a new candle.

What stopped me? The mess.
I’m notorious for getting candle wax all over the place, so trying to make candles sounded like an experiment in ruining my kitchen.
Then I realized that all I had to do was melt the wax in something I could throw out afterward. I decided to use a milk jug.
I cut the milk jug in half, cleaned it with soap, then melted the wax by floating it in a pot of simmering water. Next, I poured the melted wax into the tin and let it set. Voila! A brand new candle that cost me nothing to make.
Not one drop of wax spilled.

NO-MESS CANDLE MAKING
Equipment:

Tin
Old Candles
Embroidery Floss
Paperclip
Milk Jug
Pot
Plastic Fork
Paper Towel Or Newspaper
Scissors
Magnet Or Clothespin

Directions:

Gather your old candles.
Make the wick. I used cotton embroidery floss, but you could use any kind of cotton string. I took three pieces of floss, tied them to a paperclip, and braided them. When it was done, it looked like this:

Clean out the milk jug with soap and cut it in half so you have a plastic tub to hold the wax. Put the old candles inside the jug.
Fill a pot with water and float the jug in it. Turn the heat on medium, bring the water to a bare simmer, and let the wax slowly melt. It takes about 10 minutes.

When the wax begins to run, dip the wick in the wax so that it is thoroughly coated. Fish the wick out with the plastic fork and lay on a paper towel or newspaper to dry.
When the wax is completely melted, it’s time to make the candle. Set the wick in the middle of the tin. I secured it in place by putting a magnet on the underside of the tin. Alternately, you can secure the wick to a clothespin or stick and lay it across the tin, as the below image demonstrates:

Now it’s time to make the candle. Remove the jug from the water, and carefully pour in the hot wax. I used the plastic fork to keep the old wicks from the other candles from pouring into my new candle.
Let the candle sit undisturbed for 24 hours until the wax has set up. Trim the wick with scissors. Enjoy your new candle.

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