Some of my fondest memories of my childhood are of making scented candles at home in the 1960′s and 1970′s. Our method was simplicity itself: we used milk cartons for molds and crayons for color. We would go to a craft store to buy the only other things we needed, which was the paraffin wax, wicks, and the scent.
I remember that we heated the wax in pots on the stove, and dropped in a crayon when the wax was liquid and stirred until it dissolved into the wax. We always had several candles going at once, and we would make them in layers of different colors, pouring in a new layer when the layer below was almost dry but still a little bit soft. We would vary the thickness of the layers, and we would tilt the molds at varying angles to get slanted layers. The time my sister and I looked forward to the most was when it was time to peel off the molds and see how our candles had turned out.
The candles that we made back then often looked great or at least interesting, but they also often did not burn very well, mostly because the molds were too wide. As a result most of the wax would remain unmelted with the burning wax forming a puddle just around the wick. Typically we would need to discard a candle that had not used most of the wax, but as kids we didn’t care because they looked cool and that’s what mattered. For those who have an interest in making scented candles with their kids, here is some advice on how to do it safely and make candles that both look good and work well.
To be safe, the main thing to keep in mind is that melting wax will burst into flame at only 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, you need to use a thermometer, heat the wax at a low heat, and keep a fire extinguisher handy. In case of a fire, always put it out with the fire extinguisher, and never pour water on the fire. For a candle that burns properly, use skinny things for molds, such as a quart rather than a half gallon milk carton, a Styrofoam coffee cup, or a toilet paper roll. Also, make sure to trim the wick when needed, and use a thick one. It’s fun and easy to make scented candles, and they are a wonderful gift!