DIY Striped Candles Are The Perfect Summer Craft!
Remember making candles at summer camp? I sure do, especially the ones we made at the beach in milk cartons! Candle making can be on the messy side, but is a perfect craft to do especially when you have a few hours on a lazy summer afternoon, and a bunch of kids (or kids at heart) in need of some creative fun! The candles you see here were actually made by some of my students in a candle making workshop for which I was the substitute teacher. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take photos of all the projects as my students stayed for two hours rather than one, and then needed to hurry off to their bus, so be it! Now I’m hoping to find some time to make some striped candles myself. I’m thinking that a remake of my remember Jerusalem sand jars would be perfect with striped candles, just in time for the Three Weeks.
Ah yes, and best of all, making candles has never been simpler, so lets get started!
You’ll Need:
- crayons
- wicks with little metal bases
- candle making wax, ours came in a block, you can buy shavings that are easier to work with
- recycled jars or drinking glasses or large shot glasses
- a cold water or ice bath to speed hardening time
- wooden popsicle sticks for stirring
How To:
- Melt wax either in Dixie cups in the microwave, or in little pots with handles on burners (which is what we did). Use about 1 crayon per 1/2 cup wax shavings, and adjust color intensity by using more crayons or more wax depending on your preference.
- Pour the first layer into the cup, let it harden a bit and then place the wick into the cup. Your can place 2 skewers over the mouth of the cup to keep the wick standing up. A cold water or ice bath would be helpful to speed up the hardening of the layers, which otherwise takes at least ten minutes per layer or more.
- Once your first layer is dry, pour another layer, and so on and so on! Enjoy!
