RE-USING OLD CANDLES

[inishindie]

We have a lot of candles this year. Candles give off a lovely warm glow and add a bit of cosiness to the long winter evenings. Most of them burn fairly well for the first few times bit they can get very messy and irregularly shaped, which makes them a bit dangerous to burn. This year we decided to recycle them into new candles and the result has been very successful. When soap bars get too small to use they can be compressed together to make a new bar, candles can be re-used in much the same way but instead of pressing them together we melted the wax. The whole affair proved to be a bit messier than we thought, but this shouldn’t put you off. We found an old saucepan and popped in all of the old candles then put them on the Parkray to melt slowly. We then used an old Pringles tube as a mould and used old string from a yo-yo as the wick that was held in place by a pencil resting on the top of the tube. I was very careful to tell the children to be careful, as hot wax is both dangerous and messy. As I was doing this I managed to spill the liquid on the cooker and also as I poured out the wax into the mould I spilled it all over the kitchen table. The washing up bowl has a ring of wax around it that I can’t get off and I have wax splats on my jumper and trousers. But I don’t care because we have this great big, tube shaped, red candle taking pride of place on the mantelpiece!
cheers

Ian

http://inishindie.blogspot.com/

[eccentric_emma]

congratulations - it sounds like you've been having fun! any chance of a picture? and did you find it easy to get the finished candle out of the pringles tube at the end? when i was about 13/14ish i used to love making candles (i had a kit) but i always had trouble finding successful moulds other than the ones that came with the kit. has anyone else got any ideas for moulds?

[Mare Owner]

I have wanted to try this with some of my old candles too. I wonder how well it will burn with using a string as the wick? Let us know.

I also need a mold of some kind that it would come out of easily too. Hmmm...

[Thurston Garden]

OH uses terracotta plant pots - candles pop out no bother cos of the shape.

[inishindie]

Hi

There's a bit of an art getting the right thickness of wick for the candle diameter. You could try a bit of trail and error (look at other candles to give you some idea) Don't use nylon!!

Cheers

[Wombat]

String is twined and "authentic" candle wicks are um, something else....not woven, but you get the picture. String will stand straight up and require snuffing (trimming) regularly to maintian good light and stop smoking. The genuine wicks curl over through the side of the candle flame and so are self-snuffing.

Nev

[hmk]

instead of trying to remove the candles form the mould, you could try leaving it in the container- the children and I made some nice candles in Sherry glasses (lilac coloured for MIL) and red and green ones in shot glasses for Christmas. We either used coloured wax or added old bits of wax crayon

largish flat sea shells also look good, though I haven't tried them. I've seen a photo of oyster shell candles.

Our glasses came from charity shops.

The only problem we had was that the top didn't stay flat- the bit around the wick rose up and the bit around that sunk. Not sure why that happened?

Hazel

[the.fee.fairy]

That always happens - its something to do with the temperatures and the way that the candle sets. Someone more scientific might have a more exact reason...

Whenever i've made candles, i've never been able to prevent it, but if you reserve some of the melted wax until a skin has formed on top, then poke holes in the skin and pour the reserved wax on, then you should be able to fill up the pool. You;ve got to have a skin thick enough to make holes in, and thin enough to let wax through, and the wax underneath the skin should still be melted - otherwise you get a layer that pulls off the candle.

Good luck!


Ooh, Ooh, also, try adding some essential oils - either to the melted wax itself, or roll the string/wick in some. It makes the place smell lovely - and its always a better smell when you make it yourself than when you buy it!

[Ranter]

I've had lots of candles in glass holders, which I've saved for making new candles in. For the last few years I've been bought more candles than I've used, but my stock is now reducing. Hence I've saved the glass holders & am saving odds & ends of wax, to make more candles when required.

I've been wondering what to use for wicks, so thanks for the info.

[mrsflibble]

my aunt uses terracotta pots, but she also does "volcano" candles. put a new candle in a terracotta pot, pref one with a single hole at the bottom. make sure the top of the candle is facing the bottom of the pot. fill pot with crushed ice so that it holds the new candle up. take a different colour wax and melt it, pour over the ice in a smooth motion. as the wax hits it the ice melts but not completely so you get a really interesting stringy rocky effect. then once it's all hard and cool, remove your new volcano and light. the centre candle will melt like lava flow, and having used a pot it will be volcano shaped anyway.

i've probably not explained this properly. I'll find out if she has any pics.

[theabsinthefairy]

There are lots of candle making supplies on ebay but most of it is quite pricey - except for rolls of wick - which is really the only bit it is worth buying so that they burn well.

I use sea shells, terracotta pots, various tubes like the pringles, and lately have experimented with parchment paper lined 'holes' in logs that I have dug out myself in various shapes. I was trying to create one of those cyclindrical - ish bowl shaped - ish multi wicked candles.

To prevent the pools, keep some wax aside to infill with after wards, and also if using several coloured waxes, pour in one - i tend to tilt the mould, let it set till it creates a crust, and then pour over another colour and tilt the other way, so that you get a layered pattern - if you follow what I mean.

I also think that glasses etc from the charity shop with candles, and a few dried petals and leaves make great inexpensive gift ideas.

[caithnesscrofter]

candles provide 50% of our lighting in winter so have lots of candle butts. I went to wick to buy some wicks but, no joy. No wicks in wick.

[Amaranth]

Sounds as though you have a wonderful candle there.

One thing I have found to keep it burning evenly is to have the candle inside a glass shield. It helps keep the air from shifting the flame and making it burn irregularly.

If using string for the wick from other than a candle place, check to see that the string is not treated with a fire preventing chemical. One of our neighbours made his whole winter's worth of candles one year from the same kind of cotton string that he had always used. But the company had started coating the string in a fire preventing chemical. So he remelted all the candles, got some new string, and started over.

[Pilsbury]

I used to use these people but you can get wick on Ebay as well
http://www.candlemakingsupplies.co.uk/

when it says 2" wick that meant it will burn a 2" hole in the candle and its best to match up the candle diameter to within 1/2" to make a clean burn so with 2" wick you can make candles from1 1/2" to 2 1/2", if the wick is to narrow it will burn a hole down the middle of the candle and get Drowned in liquid wax as it cant vaporise and burn all it melts and if its to big it will burn the candle away very fast as it tries to get enough fuel

Here is a link to an article I wrote for Downsizer if people are interested
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/A_sus ... ng_Basics/

[Big Al]

candles provide 50% of our lighting in winter so have lots of candle butts. I went to wick to buy some wicks but, no joy. No wicks in wick.

Ah but you are wrong....... Try kiarie candles in wick.....

Only pulling your leg and it's a long story but I'll be forever linked with wick......


For my sins I was a proffessional candle maker up until 2007 when the bloody banks pulled the plug. Apparently there is no money to be made in candles says the "male" bank manager simply because he and his wife don't buy candles.......

I must say that some of the postings on here have made me shudder, well actually all of them did but if i post to correct them it will look a bit naff.

Surfice to say if anyone wants tips or tricks for making candles then post here and I'll help but please don't use a terracotta plantpot unless you have sealed it first.... it was my first and nearly my last candle experience,lol.....

Alan