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 Making
candles is one of those things most people think about
but rarely undertake. The Modern Herbalist is not
such a person. As with most things, cost is a factor.
I love to burn candles, but I can't afford too many
at $12 a piece. Rather than cramp my candle burning
style, I decided to make my own out of old candle
wax I had laying around and some simple candle making
equipment.
It helped that I had just indulged in
a snack pack of aromatherapy oils from our local alternative
health store. I had purchased three 5-oil assortments
so I had plenty to experiment with in terms of fragrance.
I chose to make a yellow lavender and lemon balm candle,
and a green lavender and vetivert candle.
:
To be truly fair, it will take you at
least two hours to make a batch of candles (not counting
the time it takes the candles to set). Better reserve
three hours, and plan to make 3-6 candles in that
time. The following recipe is for 4 candles, give
or take.
:
1 lb. parrafin
1/4 - 1/2 lb. bees wax
stearin
molds (I used clean 1 pint half-and-half or cream
cartons)
sticks or pencils to tie the wicks to
wick (buy at craft store)
electrical tape (to secure the bottom of your molds)
essential oils
color chips (buy at craft store)
some 16 oz. aluminum cans, washed, to melt the wax
in
:
 Begin
by hacking up your wax into manageable size. I try
to do everything over a towel, as well, to keep
things from flying all over. About 1 inch chunks
or smaller is good. I use a knife and a steady downward
pressure to break the bricks apart. Bees wax is
more intractible than parrafin. You can also melt
down old bits of candle you have left over. Expect
to have some wax on the floor when this part is
done.
- Start up your double boiler: put about an inch
of water in a large pan, and place the aluminum
cans in it. Remember that one 16 oz. can of melted
wax will make one pint-size candle. Turn the burner
on to medium, and begin adding pieces of wax to
your tin cans. If you're using recycled candles,
mind the colors so you don't turn all your candles
mud green. And be sure not to cook your wax at too
hot a temperature to avoid combustion. Just a gentle
simmer should be fine.
Now is as good a time as any to make your molds.
Get out your dairy cartons, your wicking, scissors,
sticks, and tape.
- Cut your wicks to the proper length. They should
be long enough to reach through the carton, with
a half inch sticking through the hole at the bottom,
and enough slack at the top to tie the wick to the
stick.
- Open the cartons up, and using the pointy end
of your stick or another sharp instrument, poke
a small hole into the very center of the bottom
of the carton. Now, run the wick down into the mold,
and using the same pointy instrument, push the wick
through the hole and out the other side. Pull it
out until you have about half an inch out the bottom.
Get out the electric tape, and tape securely, across
the bottom and up the sides, in both directions.
This will keep wax from running out of the hole
in the bottom, and making a big mess.
 Check
on the wax. Stir with a chopstick and add more as
it melts down. If you're using a lot of parrafin,
you should add a tablespoon per can of stearine
at this point, to make the candles harder.
- Returning to your molds, take the wick at the
top and tie it securely to your stick. Make sure
the wick is taut and centered.
- Continue melting wax until each of the cans is
about full. Then carefully, using tongs or potholders,
grab a jar of wax and move it to a hot pad. Add
the color (about a quarter chip should be fine)
and fragrance (10-15 drops of essential oil). Mix
with a chopstick and pour into the candle mold,
reserving a few ounces of wax to top off the candle
later. Depending on how much parrafin you use, candles
can sink considerably when drying, so you may need
to remelt the wax and fill in the well that's formed
as the candle hardens.
Let candles sit for a few hours and then look to
see how much of a well has formed around the wick.
Remelt some wax and pour into the well, filling
almost to the top.
- Let sit for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then
cut off the wick below the stick, tear off the carton,
and trim the wick to about 1/4 inch. And enjoy your
fragrant new handmade candles!
 It
may take you a while to get the hang of color and
fragrance, not to mention how much beeswax to use.
But the results are worth it. Even the most lame efforts
look magical when lit.
Any inexpensive aromatherapy guide can give you advice
on which oils are best, if you're interested in therapeutic
fragrances. Otherwise, just use the oils you like
best, and bask in the warm glow of herbal candles.
For another herbal project, see Making
Herbal Oil.
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You
will need