Homemade Candles and Fire Starters

Last year, I got a homemade candle making kit at a white elephant gift party. Then my MIL, gave me another candle making kit that she found, with a bunch of different molds. We finally put the kits to use and had fun making candles with the kids out of paraffin wax. I don't like scents or dyes, but the kids just insisted on doing one candle with a lavender scent and blue dye. It was really easy. I did a bit of research to see how you would make candles out of tallow or lard before paraffin wax was readily available and I found this website if you are interested:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7687178_make-fat-candles.html 

We used our basic pillar mold for this candle. We have a cheapy pan we bought at a yard sale that we use exclusively for melting wax, just so we don't have to clean the pan.  

1.) You melt the paraffin wax on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until all the way melted. Then add essential oils, dye or whatever you want. I'm pretty basic and don't like that fancy stuff.

2.) In the meantime, take a length of wicking, and wrap it around a pencil a few times then tape it to the pencil, letting the wick hang straight down. 

3.) Pull the wick through the small hole in the bottom of the mold and use a small chunk of modeling clay to secure it to the bottom, outside of the mold, to keep the melted wax from seeping through the hole.  Make sure the wick is center to the mold.

3.) Carefully pour the wax into the mold.

Keep melting the wax and pouring into mold until you have the size of candle you want.

The candle on the left is the one that was in the mold shown above. The candle on the right is from a different mold that comes in two pieces that you tape together, then pour the wax in. If you let the candle cool in the fridge, it comes out of the mold easier.

We had melted a some extra paraffin wax and Michael wanted to try making fire starters to give away as gifts. You used an egg carton, filled each "cup" with some sawdust shavings and pour the wax over it. Let it cool, then break them apart. We used one when we went winter camping and it worked great!

Had to sneak in this pic of Michael wearing Hailey's pink chef's hat while they were making candles. Gotta love a man who is tough enough to wear pink for his baby girl :)

God Bless,

Jackie