Playing with Fire (Don't)

Before I begin, this is project is not for children, even supervised because it will give them bad ideas.

Years ago we had fired in our basement because our daughter left a candle on her dresser burning. We were on the third floor and had she not awakened by the time the smoke reached the smoke detector, it would have been too late for all of us. So this is cautionary tale is a reminder that candles can be dangerous, so keep careful watch on your children if you decide to do this project.

I'm procrastinating with the San Franciscan. I actually am nearly done with it, but it is such a disappointing build, that some days I can't face it. Jen, however, is excited to take it over and says that the poor workmanship with will add to the character. I hope so.

So now I am obsessed with looking for things to put in a haunted house--just to get her started, you know. I spend over $100 yesterday between JoAnns and Hobby Lobby gathering up doo-dads, which I share later. Miniature candles, however, were not located, so I decided to make some.  I wanted nice drippy pillar candles for the apothecary's work take or desk, so some time ago a watched YouTube on how to make candles and made a couple for the Farm House, so here's how I made them.

Supplies

• Foil to cover your work area; I laid it on top of my cutting board
• Cording for a wick. You can use all kinds of things, but I just grabbed what had. As it turns out this cording works well and burns nicely. Cut to longer than the candle form. Located in jewelry section at Hobby Lobby
• Fat, plastics straws for fat pillar candles. I know. They aren't very popular these days. Perhaps you won't even be able to find them in your area. These were special ones for slurping up thick shakes.
• Or use a designer paper straw for thinner tapers.
• Cute the straw the length that you want your candle to be.
• For wax, I used two candles, one in a jar and a taper. Tea lights work best, but I didn't have any on hand today.
• A dish or something that you want your candle to side in. Optional

I really couldn't photograph while I worked, so here's the process:

• Cut straw the length that you need
• Drip some wax on the foil to create little puddle. Place your candle form in the puddle to hold it in place while you work
• With your candle form secure, pour wax from the tea-light into the form, slowly.
• Let the wax set up a bit, be patient. Fill others forms while you wait.
• Once the wax is set, but not hard insert your wick. 

If you are in a hurry, put your candles in the fridge for a bit.

Trim the wick. I left it long on purpose.

I burned the wick a bit before I added to the candle because I wanted a used candle.

Next, remove the form. I used a sharp blade to slit the plastic, which left a bit of line in the wax on the first candle. I also discovered that if I just slit the straw a short ways, the candle can be pushed out of the straw without cutting all the way down the straw.

Or if you want a colored candle, leave the straw on.

I also wanted a drippy candle, so I used the taper candle to drip wax on the sides of the pillar candle, with fair results. I realized that like real candles, the best way to get a drippy candle is to burn them, so I did and got a nice pool of wax at the bottom of the candle.

 Here are my results. You can purchase the little pie tins at the craft store in the jewelry sections. These have a hole in the rim, but you can also find some without holes and you can find smaller ones, too.

My haunted houses will be during the Victorian period where I don't think they had started tinting or coloring candles. In fact if they were made of bee's wax, they would have been that golden color. I couldn't get the candle out of the pink paper straw, so I just left it with the dripping wax it is waxy on the exterior of the candle, so I will just leave it. Perhaps a plastic straw would come off more easily.

There are more tutorials out there on miniature candle making. Check YouTube. Some make them out of sculpty clay. I don't have any. Never worked with it, but the candles are very nice. Very clean. Very pretty. Jodi over at http://myminiatureworld.blogspot.com has a great tutorial on making a batch of jar candles that are very pretty.

A final note: You probably don't want to light the 

So now it is your turn. See if you can't improve on my method. Again, be careful. Don't burn yourself and please watch the children--perhaps this is a project to do while they are in school.

I love read your comments.

Have a great day. 

Thanks for dropping by.