Candle Flame
Burian, André
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Making candles using soft drink cans
By Elizabeth Palmer
Making candles is
simple, can be inexpensive and is a whole lot of fun. And it’s also a good way to put some old soft drink cans to work.
Before you start,
you need at least wax beads, wick and dye.
These can be purchased from any good craft store. Alternatively, you can use old candle
stubs. You can also uses pieces of
cheap candles to colour the wax. Food
dye can also be used to colour the wax.
Or if you are using old candle stubs, you may not need to colour them at
all.
Next, you need at
least three old soft drink cans. Cut
off the top of each one and rinsed them out well. Make sure they are completely dry before you start.
You will also need
some way to melt the wax. I use a very
old electric frying pan that is no good for cooking any more. Search for old saucepans or frying
pans. If you don’t have one in the
cupboard buy a second hand one from an op shop.
Put the wax beads
into one of the cans and heat over medium heat. If you are using old candle, cut them into tiny pieces and make
sure you remove the old wick. Add the
dye.
Cut a long piece of
wick and tie it to a pencil (or any other long thin thing that can be placed
over a can). Place it over the can so
that the length of wick falls down into the centre of the coke can. Ensure the end of the wick reaches the end
of the can.
When the wax has
melted, pour it into the other soft drink can and wait for it to harden. If you place it in the fridge, it will
harden more quickly. After it has
hardened remove the pencil, and cut the wick to an appropriate length. Cut the coke can away from the candle.
This is a simple
one colour candle. Once you get the
hang of it, you can try other variations.
Multi-coloured
candles. Put one colour in to the depth
you want it to be. Add the next colour
when the first colour is almost (but not quite hard). Experiment with adding the next colour at different times. If you add it when it is a little bit
softer, the colours will mix where they meet.
Or push a pencil down the side to make interesting patterns.
The other thing you
can do is add things to the candle once it is made. Heat up some wax and pour it on a plastic plate. Cut out patterns and put them on the candle. (The place where you are putting them may
need to be slightly heated first). Or
pour the wax over the candle and cut out intricate patterns. Try dipping the candle into some wax or
rolling it in wax. Try rolling it in
two different colours to create an interesting effect.
The great thing
about candles is there are so many wonderful things you can do. All you need is a bit of imagination.
Country Living Handmade Candles: Recipes for Crafting Candles at Home