Tea Tin Candle

You've heard me talk about the dangers of conventional candles a few times. Nasty chemicals lurking in wax and wicks, turning a perfectly lovely candle into an environmental disaster. Benzene? Zinc? Lead? No thank you! My kids and I made some rolled beeswax candles not too long ago and it left me wanting to learn more about candle making at home. I finally gathered my supplies and made my first eco-friendly container candle and I thought I'd share the process!

You will need:

A container (Thanks for the tea tins Momma!)

Beeswax or Soywax

100% cotton wicking

Essential Oils (optional)

Step One-Set The Wick. I used prepared cotton wicks meaning they were tabbed and waxed which helps them to stand upright. You can use regular old cotton wicking if that's what you have, but know that your process might be a bit different. To set a prepared wick, you can either dip the tab in a little wax and stick it to the bottom of your container or you can use hot glue. I used hot glue since my glue gun was still sitting on the counter from my adventures with Vinny the Valentine horse.

Step Two-Melt Your Wax. This being my first go round with container candles, I wasn't quite sure how to measure my wax beads to ensure I had enough. I filled each of my containers with beeswax pastilles and dumped them into my waxpot. THIS IS NOT ENOUGH WAX. I ended up only being able to make one votive. Next time, I plan to measure out twice as many pastilles as I will need to fill one container. That's a ratio of roughly 2 to 1.

Step Three-Scent and Pour. Scenting your candle is completely optional. Beeswax gives off it's own sweet smell but I like things fragrant so I added some bergamont essential oil to my melted wax. Carefully pour your wax into your container, taking care not to drown your wick. I poured with one hand and held my wick up with the other.

Step Four- Secure and Support. There are many methods for keeping your wick upright and centered while your wax hardens. Because I used a prepared wick, it was already quite stiff and only needed a little help to stay in place.I gently wedged my wick between two pencils placed horizontally on the container and that seemed to do the trick.

Step Five- Trim and Burn. Once your wax has hardened and your container has cooled, you may find that the top of your candle appears sunken. This is normal. Top off with another layer of wax and your candle will be smooth and even. Once your top layer is set, remove your wick support and trim your wick to about a 1/4 inch. Light and enjoy!