Make your own wonderful candle

Were you at WonderWeekend and did you make your own candle there? Then the steps below will surely be familiar to you! We really enjoyed the Wonderonsje and making the candles with Spaas, but why should the fun stop there?

With the steps below, we will help you to start making your own wonderful candle at home.

Supplies

To get off to a good start, it is important that you get all the necessary supplies first. To make your own candle, you need it:

  • A nice pot to put the candle in

  • Wick or taper

  • Glue

  • Paraffin wax or leftover candles

  • Cooking pot and fire

Step 1: Place your wick

Choose a nice glass or jar that you will use for your candle. This could be anything, from a normal glass, a cup, or a tin to an old jar that has been in your cupboard for some time. Let your creativity run free! As long as the paraffin can’t run out, it can tolerate some heat, and the glass or jar isn’t too tall, you’re fine.

Tip: a transparent jar ensures that you can see the paraffin melt nicely and it also gives off more light when you light the candle later on.

Place the wick in the middle at the bottom of the pot. Use a little glue on the bottom to ensure that the wick won’t move when you pour the paraffin into the jar.

Tip: you can keep the top of your wick straight by wrapping it around a stick and placing this stick on top of your pot. This way, the wick will sit nicely in the middle of the candle.

Step 2: Melt the paraffin

You will first have to melt the paraffin, which is still solid. Do you have leftover candles? Cut these into smaller pieces before you melt them down. Slowly melt the paraffin in a pot or pan in a bain-marie over low heat.

Tip: use a liquid dye to add a nice colour to the melted paraffin. You can mix the dye with the paraffin just before pouring the paraffin into your glass or jar.

Step 3: Pour your candle

Once the paraffin has melted, you can pour it into your glass or jar. Make sure that the wick is as straight as possible in the candle wax. This way, your candle will burn nicely. Wait until the candle has completely solidified and then cut the wick down to 1 cm above the candle wax.

Would you like different layers of colours? Pour your first layer and let it solidify before pouring the next layer on it. It’s that simple!

Tip: to make the paraffin solidify faster, you can put it in the fridge for a while or keep it in a cold bucket of water.

Step 4: Add a wish

To make your candle your own, you can attach a label with your own wish or a wish for someone else. Use a small card and hang it on your candle with a string or elastic. And who knows, your wish might come true soon!

Tip: This is the perfect gift for someone you’d like to give a candle to!

Step 5: Burn, baby, burn!

Voila, your own candle is ready to use during a pleasant evening. Please note: for safety reasons, do not burn your own candle all the way down. This way, your glass will not overheat and shatter. 

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