home-made vanilla candles

I dunno about you but I absolutely LOVE Vanilla candles! They pretty much just regular candles scented with vanilla oil, which is available at health food stores and even some specialty hardware stores. This is a fun (and messy) project that can show you how to make an entire arsenal of Vanilla candles OR any scented candles as such using old tins and jars from your pantry (which is great for recycling too!)

materials:

1. old wax candles, or any type of safely melt-able wax

2. crayons (for coloring the wax, if you want them in pretty colours)
3. container for melting wax (a sauce pan with another heat safe container inside will be fine, or you can purchase wax containers at a craft store)
4. wicks (available at craft stores)
5. Scented oil - I use Vanilla cos its my fav but you can use Rose, Citronella (to chase away those Summer mozi's), Lemongrass, Lavender, whatever you fancy! 

6. stir stick or spoon (for wax)
7. thermometer
8. old pickle or jam jars or tin cans (look for tins with cute labels, there are a lot once you start looking!)
10. hot glue

instructions:

1. clean out your jars and tin cans. dry completely.

2. put your pot on the stove with some water and your other container inside it.

3. attach your wick bases to the bottom center of your jars and tins with a dab of hot glue.

4. when the water is 140 degrees, put your wax in. stir every once in a while as it starts to melt. add your crayons as well.

5. when all the wax is melted to an even liquid (it will look like the consistency of olive oil), add a few drops of your scented oil and stir (about one drop for a small candle, two to three for larger ones).

6. remove the container and pour into your containers, leaving about a half inch of wick exposed.

7. let cool. if you want to give your jar candles as a gift, cover the lid of the jar with some pretty fabric and screw back on to the jar. wrap the tin can candles with a little kitchen twine and finish with a bow. Possible Mothers Day gift perhaps?

For some more DIY ideas check out Design Sponge HERE