Making your own soy candles is one such DIY. Photo / Pony McTate
Making your own soy candles is one such DIY. Photo / Pony McTate
Sometimes you stumble across a real whizzpopper of a craft, one so gorgeous that you wonder why you didn't try it sooner. Making your own soy candles is one such DIY.
They are deceptively easy to whip up and you can personalise them no end with your choice of container and fragrance.
Perfect for those hard-to-buy-for people in your life (bosses, mothers-in-law, neighbours who don't like listening to Slayer as loudly as you do).
I've gone for chunky cut glass for this collection of candles. I gathered the containers in op shops and $2 shops.
You could try using jars, tins, canisters or teacups -- anything that will withstand a bit of heat.
Soy candles do involve a bit of technical know-how about quantities, wick selection and the temperature of the melted wax.
All straightforward stuff but it's worth undertaking a spot of research before you begin -- candlecreations.co.nz has lots of advice and is a good place to start.
• Soy wax flakes (1kg made four candles like these ones)
• Double-boiler saucepan, or a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water
• Ready-made wicks
• Liquid fragrance if you want it
• Containers for your candles
• Chopsticks or pencils
STEP ONE
Photo / Pony McTate
Measure your wax flakes into the top pot of a double-boiler saucepan, with boiling water in the pot below. Using a pot with a spout will make your job a lot easier later on (I speak with the grave voice of experience). Melt the flakes over a medium heat.
STEP TWO
Photo / Pony McTate
Meanwhile, prepare your containers by adhering wicks to the bottom. Some wicks come prepared with a sticky dot under the base of the wick. If yours don't, you can use sticky tape instead, or a glob of the melted wax.
STEP THREE
Photo / Pony McTate
Once your wax has melted, you can add liquid fragrance if you wish. Stir it through over a medium heat and keep stirring for a couple of minutes.
Carefully pour the melted wax into your containers. Pour slowly so as not to disturb the wicks. Keep the wicks straight by bending them over a chopstick placed across the top of the container.
Set the candles aside until the wax has fully cooled (at least 24 hours). Voila! Instantly impressive. When you first light your candle, let it burn until the top layer of wax has melted right to the edges of the container. If you don't, the wax will only melt to that point in subsequent burnings.
