Many people love having candles on hand around the house. Scented ones make the air smell wonderful and certain types, such as citronella ones, help to keep the bugs away. Whether you use them to add a little warm ambiance to a room, or keep some close by in case the power goes out, it’s always a good idea to have several extra on hand. A major downside to candles is that they can be quite expensive especially if you want a quality one that burns for many hours.
Instead of buying them, save yourself a bunch of money and get creative by making your own custom colored and scented candles. In this YouTube video Lisa Pullano gives a step by step tutorial on how to make candles at home using Crisco and a few other supplies you may already have on hand or that you can pick up at any craft store for a few dollars.
The main item these candles require is Crisco, or vegetable shortening, plus canning jars with lids, cotton candle wicks, oil soluble dyes, oil pastel crayons, fragrance or citronella oils, and various things that can be used to decorate them. Take a fire-safe container, like a glass canning jar or bottle, and hot glue a candle wick to the bottom of it.
If the jar is tall slip the wick through a straw to help keep it in place later, and if the jar is large use 2-3 wicks. Using a double boiler method, melt some Crisco in a glass container over low to medium heat, then allow it to cool for 10-20 minutes. Be very careful melting Crisco since it’s highly flammable and if you ever have the misfortune of a grease fire extinguish it by smothering the flames with a pot lid, salt, or baking soda (never use water!).
Take a lollipop stick, or any similar object, and tie the glued wick to it, then lay it across the jar opening. Melt in either candle wax, crayons, oil pastels, or makeup with mica in it to add color. If you want them scented use candle fragrance oil or essential oil, and for bug repellent ones use about 5-10 drops of citronella oil. Pour the colored and/or scented oil into the candle holder jars and wait about 5 hours for them to solidify before using. To speed the process up you can place them in the fridge for 35 minutes.
These candles make wonderful gifts and can be easily decorated to your liking. The video shows jars spruced up with lace appliques, seashells, ornaments, spray paint, ribbons, and more. Check out the video for more details and further instructions.
Please Share this fun, inexpensive, crafty idea with friends and family! 🙂
