I have wonderful memories of when my mom and sister and I would spend a day making scented candles back in the late 1960′s and early 70′s. Our method was simplicity itself: we used milk cartons for molds and crayons for color. The only things we needed to buy were the paraffin wax, the scent, and the wicks, which we would get at craft stores.
I remember how we would have several pots heating up wax on the stove, and would drop in crayons when the wax was melted and stir until they were dissolved. We made a lot of candles at the same time, and we would make them in layers of different colors by carefully pouring on some more melted wax of a new color when the layer below was hardening but still soft. We made some layers slanted by tilting the mold at various angles, and we varied the thickness of the layers. The most exciting time for us children was when the wax had dried completely and we could peel off the cardboard and see how our colors and layering had turned out.
Our candles from those days always looked at least interesting and sometimes great, but because the molds were usually too wide, many of the candles did not burn well. As a result most of the wax would remain unmelted with the burning wax forming a puddle just around the wick. We had to throw away a lot of candles that had not used most of the wax, but that didn’t matter much to us kids because the important thing was that they looked cool. If you are interested in making scented candles with your kids, here are some tips to ensure that the process is safe and that your candles burn well in addition to looking good.
The main thing to keep in mind in order to be safe is that candle wax bursts into flame at just 375 degrees Fahrenheit. So you should heat the wax at a low heat with the help of a thermometer, and always have a fire extinguisher available. If there is a fire, it’s very important to use the extinguisher rather than throwing water on the fire. Use narrow items for molds, such as Styrofoam coffee cups, a quart milk carton instead of a half gallon, or a toilet paper roll, so that the candles will burn well.
Also, make sure to trim the wick when needed, and use a thick one. Making scented candles is a lot of fun, and homemade candles are perfect gifts!