Candle Making for the Simple Crafter
I am not a DIY expert. I am a novice in all things "homemaking" and am not ashamed to admit it. Although, sometimes I get hit with these certain moods and all of a sudden I want to get crafty. My dilemma is that these moods come on so erraticly that I never have a good craft bin stowed away- like my mom always had- so I always have to resort to DIY-ing my DIY, if that makes sense? I'm saying I have to get craft-y about my craft-ing. This can either go superbly or horribly, but it has become part of the fun to find out!
Since I don't have to pretend I am really an expert on this I am going to tell you what I did, then tell you what other options you have for making whatever stuff you have lying around work.
Candle-making, either really complex or really, really simple depending on how "Pinterest" you want to get. I started off with a little Beeswax I scored from local Beekepers in Pocatello, Macy's Apples & Hives. If you live in Pocatello, Elwen Cottage in Old Town sells their wax as well, or you can order it online. A 1 lb bag was $10, and it seems like I will get 4, 8oz candles out of it. I think this is the best way to go, but I saw other people use soy wax as another alternative. Upon my search of how much Beeswax to use I came across a suggestion to mix in coconut oil for a more even melt when the candle is actually finished. I think it really helped, and it allows the Beeswax to go a little further as well.
You will need a non-flammable container. Mason Jars work great. If you're extra resourceful and don't throw away salsa jars, tomato sauce jars, or even your curry containers you can use one of those, although I recommend keeping it 8 oz or less in size, or at least needs a wide rim.
Using a "double boiler" aka a glass measuring cup and a big pan with water to fill the bottom I started to melt the beeswax. Beeswx in the measuring container, handle hanging out the side of my pot, fill pot at least above the beeswax line with water. Too close to the top of the pot and the water bubbles over the pot, or worse, into the wax. I kept the temp to medium heat and let it warm slowly. This keeps it from getting too hot and burning the wax, and from burning up the essential oils when you add them. When it was almost all melted I added my coconut oil (about 1 cup per 1 lb bag of Beeswax, but feel free to play with this amount in your own candle-making).
While it's melting you should prep your candle holders. I don't go out of my way to buy too many things because I am a minimalist at heart, so instead of buying actual candle wicks I used some Jute Cord and dipped it in the wax as it was melting- cotton string works as well. I tied one end to a colored pencil and dangled it over the glass jar making sure the end touched the glass. I centered it as best I could and for the most part it held pretty well.
Once the wax is melted along with the oil I take it off the stove for about 3-5 minutes, stirring about every 30 secs to keep it from solidifying but finding that sweet spot for when it would be a good time to add the Essential Oils. I poured the contents into each of the four mason jars I had (8 oz each), and quickly added my oils. It helps if you already have a plan for what kind of scent combinations you want to do.
Here is the fun part! I chose Pine Needles with Fir Needles for one, Lemongrass & Ylang Ylang mix for another, Lavender & Bergamot for another, and since we live in the mountains I made a Juniper Berry and Cedarwood mix for one more mountain themed. There are seriously so many combos to do and you can definitely make some fun themed ones, which I will be doing for Christmas 2019- lookout friends and family!
List below for specific recipe amounts and follow the directions above for all the fun details! You can find any of the Essential Oils from us here: https://www.shoptimelabs.com/category-s/103.htm
Sweet Summertime
1 Cup Beeswax
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
40 Drops Lemongrass
50 Drops Ylang Ylang
PocaMello Muse
1 Cup Beeswax
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
40 Drops Cedarwood
40 Drops Juniper Berries
Scents of Appalachia
1 Cup Beeswax
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
40 Drops Pine Needles
40 Drops Fir Needles
Mom's Choice
1 Cup Beeswax
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
50 Drops Bergamot
40 Drops Lavender
If you're in Pocatello we would love to see you at the Farmers market, May 11th! We will be there with a booth and you can come get special deals on last minute gifts for MOM.
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