Materials
Metal pot –With handle for melting the wax. An old pot works just as well or you can use a glass measuring cup and melt the wax in your microwave.
Tin containers. I chose ones used for sardines, tuna and tea. They have interesting, artistic labels too.
Soy wax-– This my favorite. It melts the easiest and burns the clean and clear so you can see items like seashells and rocks that I like to place at the bottom of my candles. They are nice surprises!
Candle wicks with stickers — A must to hold the wick in place while pouring the wax.
Scented essential oils– I like lavender and lemon verbena. If you are going to use the candles outdoors, you might want to consider citronella, grapefruit and lemongrass.
Candle dyes– (Optional) I chose to not use color because I like the opaque whiteness of the soy wax and I didn’t want the color to compete with the design on the labels of the tins.
How to Make
Thoroughly wash the containers. To remove residual fish odors, drizzle the insides with lemon juice and let sit in the sun for a few days. That should do the trick.
Place wick, with sticky bottom, at the center of the tin. If you are using more than one wick per candle, make sure they are evenly placed.
Melt wax according to package directions and then add a few drops of essential oil. You don’t need a lot of scent. When the candle burns, it will be stronger than you think.
Pour melted wax into the tin and let sit until harden. If you like, you can toss a few seashells or beach pebbles into the mix for the added surprise.
These make excellent gifts year round, but I love to put them in Christmas stockings. Be sure to keep some for yourself!
If you try this project send me some photos and I will post them here.
