#candle recycling
An easy way to reuse old candles or create your own herb-infused candles.
Ingredients:
- Potholders / oven mitts
- Newspapers
- Wax
- Wicks and wick holders
- Cardboard rolls
- Dyes (optional)
- Fragrance (optional)
- Toothpicks / chopsticks / cotton swabs
To Begin:
- Ensure that your workspace is covered entirely in newspapers, so the wax will come off easier. Take the cardboard tubes and hot glue them to a flat cardboard surface. Ensure there are no gaps between the roll and the flat part when you glue them, otherwise the wax will run everywhere.
- Fill a pot about ¼ way with water and set it on to boil. In the pot, place a disposable container that you will use only for wax. Keep an eye on the wax to ensure that it does not get too hot and catch fire. Once the wax is melted, you can add dye and mix it and add fragrance as well. Let the wax cool for a few minutes and pour a bit into the bottom of your cardboard mold to place the wick in the center. Allow it to cool completely before you pour more wax in to make sure the wick is set in the center of the candle. If it is not centered, the candle will burn strangely or not burn at all.
- Once the wick is set, use two toothpicks tape together to make the wick stand up straight while you pour the rest of the wax into the mold. Then, add whatever herbs you’d like and leave it to set overnight. The next day, peel off the cardboard and you’re done – you have homemade candles.
