Save your candle stubs.
Sort candle stubs by color/scent into clean coffee cans. Separate the bees wax from the paraffin wax. Cover to keep clean until you have a can full.
MELTING WAX IS HOT AND A VERY REAL FIRE HAZARD. DO NOT LET CHILDREN DO THIS WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION. DO NOT TRY THIS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANYTHING THAT IMPAIRS JUDGEMENT OR TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY.
This is a messy project. Use cut open paper bags or news papers to line the work area. Keep a bowl of ice water handy in case of burns; submerge burned area in ice water for several minutes. Baking soda or salt can be use to extinguish any small fires that might start. Sprinkle liberally on the open flames.
This is an art, not a science. Work with these techniques and develop your own. It may take a few tries before you get the results you want, but it can be worth the time it takes to get what you want out of this recycling project. Besides, the learning failures can always be recycled.
This can be used as a group project, as it can add more variety to colors and fragrances if all involved donate their saved bits of wax. It works great on rainy days for older kids, as long as the above disclaimer and warning is followed.
Wicks:
Wicks are used to transport the liquid fuel (wax) to the flame. When you see a candle burn, it is the wax burning by way of the wick. The wick burns, too, but slowly. Use pre-made wicks (Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby carry them), but do not get wicks with metal wire in them. Some of the wicks imported from third world countries use lead and other heavy metal wires to stiffen the wick material. When this burns, we end up breathing the results. Not good! Or save the rip string off bags. Do a burn test to find fiber content. To do a burn test, snip a 1 cm piece of string and hold securely with tweezers or small pliers. Burn with a match or lighter. Carefully sniff the smoke. If the smoke smells like burning leaves, wood, or paper, then the fiber is a natural fiber (cotton, linen, or hemp, or a blend of these fibers). If the smoke smells like plastic, it is. Throw it away or save for some other use. If it is natural, save the string to braid or chain crochet (very tight crochet) into wicks. The bigger the candle, the thicker the wick needs to be. This may require some experimentation. Pre-dip the prepared wick in wax. Let the wax saturate the wick, then remove and cool. The wick will be slightly stiff, and will be easier to work with.
When you have a coffee can full of candle stubs, place the coffee can in a larger pan. Add water to the large pan until the water is about half way up the level of the large pan. This is called a double boiler, and is a safe way of melting wax, which is a flammable substance. DO NOT MELT WAX OVER OPEN FLAME. ALWAYS USE A DOUBLE BOILER. A crock pot works well, too, just takes a bit of time to heat to the melting temperature of wax. Bring the water in the pan to a simmer, and watch carefully, adding water as necessary to keep it at as safe level. When the wax has melted, the burnt wicks may float or sink. If they float, carefully lift them out with chopsticks. If they sink, don’t worry about them. If anything floats to the top, skim with a spoon and discard the junk. Remove the can of wax from the double boiler, and place on work surface lined with paper.
Dipped candles:
Drape a doubled length of wick over a paint stirring stick or a ruler. Dip the doubled wick quickly into the liquid wax and remove. Let cool a few seconds, then repeat. As the size of the candle increases, so does the cooling time in between the dips. When the candle is the desired diameter, let hang somewhere to cool completely. You can store these candles by hanging them until ready to use, then snip the wick apart. Viola, you have your own hand dipped candle. Trim wick to 0.5 to 1.0 cm before lighting.
Option: alternate every 4th or 5th dips in different colors, two contrasting colors, or two complimentary colors. If enough layers are built up from different colors, the candle may have carvings in it to display those different colors. This can lead to spectacular results.
Poured or molded candles:
Prepare molds ahead of time. Use frozen concentrate juice cans (small and large) for round candles, and ˝ pint milk cartons (can be recycled from schools, etc) for square or rectangular candles. Try a 1 liter/quart cardboard milk or juice carton, laid on its side with the top cut off. You can get 3 or 4 wicks in this “log” candle. Thoroughly clean and dry your molds. Measure the wick length to be 1 ˝ times the height of the mold. Tie an old button or washer on one end of the wick, set that end down in the bottom center of the mold, and tie or drape the top of the wick over the top center of the mold using a pencil or chopstick. Carefully pour melted wax into the mold, using hot pads or oven mitts to handle the can. Let cool. You will notice that as the wax cools, it contracts. You will end up with a well in your candle. Just add more wax carefully. Let the candle cool completely. Cut or peel away the mold, and there you are. Trim the wick to 0.5 to 1.0cm before lighting.
Option: pour 1/3 mold in one color, carefully tip and prop the mold on a pencil or chopstick, let cool, add another 1/3 of another color, tilt the other way, cool, then repeat for the last 1/3 of the candle mold and set level. Let cool completely.
Combine the two techniques, and put a dipped candle of one color into the prepared mold, then pour a different color of wax into the mold. Let cool, and proceed as directed above. This works well for multiple wick pillar candles using round cardboard ice-cream tubs for molds, and 2,3,4,or more dipped candles, depending on the size of the mold.
Another option is to place the dipped candle in the center of the mold, pour in crushed ice, then a contrasting color wax over the ice. When cool, peel the mold off over the sink to let water drain out. Place the candle on a towel to finish drying. This creates interesting effects when lit.
Broken crayons can be used in small pieces to intensify or change the color of the wax. Don’t use too much, as there is more than just pigment and wax in crayons and it may alter the smell of the scented candles.
Some fragrance oils can be added to enrich the fragrance of your candle, or if recycling unscented candles, add your own touch of scent.
Wax cast candle molds:
Get a large coffee can full of clean damp sand. Press your hand down in to the sand, fingers first. Carefully wiggle your hand out of the sand and stick stiffened wick material into each finger and thumb, trying to center the wicks. Bring the wicks together at the ‘wrist’ and support them with a pencil or chopstick. Carefully pour liquid wax into the mold. Do this slowly so as not to disturb the ‘mold’ and the wick placement. When the wax is completely cooled, gently pull your “hand” out of the sand. The candle will have a thin coat of sand on it, but that just adds to the fun. Try using children’s blocks, model cars, etc. You are only limited by your imagination.
Note: If the sand mold doesn’t hold its shape, it is not damp enough. Sprinkle a bit more water into the sand. Play with it until the sand will hold a mold shape. I have seen some fantastic castle shaped candles done this way using a large wash tub full of clean sand and loads of creativity. Cups and glasses can form the towers, with crenellations added with popsicle sticks, and even moats that can be filled with water once the candle has cooled, set and been inverted. This would be a great way to use up the odd bits of color left over from other projects.
