Vintage Teacup Candles

The results of my weekend venture into candle-making. Aren't they pretty? I'm really pleased with them.

Candle-making has been on my list of creative things I'd love to try for a long time. But I've put it off and put it off because I thought it would be messy, fiddly and time-consuming. And although I don't mind fiddly, I don't like mess. Nor do I have a lot of free time. But I was very surprised. They weren't actually any of these things and were surprisingly simple to make.

As a beginner, I did a little bit of research into different candle-making techniques and equipment before I spent any money and bought any supplies. And I applied the KISS principle - Keep It Sweet and Simple - and made the whole process as simple as possible for myself for my first attempt.

So ... I decided I would make container candles rather than trying to use moulds or dipping techniques to make shaped or pillar candles.

I also decided to use wax chips rather than blocks of wax. I though this would be simpler to measure and use. And create less waste.

And I decided I wasn't going to use any fragrance or colour. For my first attempt I was keeping the whole creative process very simple.

So I bought a kit. From *here* on eBay. This shop seems quite good to me in that they have different kits available depending on the type of candle you want to make. Container candles require a different type of wax to pillar candles. So the kit I chose was *this* one. They also have a lot of tips and tricks available around their shop : )

I found my three, pretty little vintage teacups in a charity shop. They were a bargain at £3.75 for all 3.

And armed with everything I needed ...

... this is a step-by-step guide to how I made my Teacup Candles.

1. Using your teacup as a measuring guide, put your wax chips into a glass jug. I needed 1 1/2 teacups of chips to make a single teacup candle.
2. Cut your wick to length, allowing enough to wrap around your pin whilst the wax is setting.
3. Thread your wick through a sustainer and secure it to the bottom of your cup using a small amount of melted wax. Let it set - it takes only a few minutes.

3. Wrap, or tie, your wick around a wick pin. Make sure to fasten it securely enough so the wick is well supported and remains upright whilst the wax sets.
5. Melt your wax and pour it into your container. And let it set.
6. Once completely set, trim the wick. And your pretty candle is finished!

Does that sound quick and very simple, and non-messy? Well that's because it was : )

And I was personally, very happy about that. But I was more happy with my finished candles. They looked so professional. Equally as good as any you could find in a shop. And definitely good enough to give as a gift or add to your craft stall.

And the wax was such a lovely soft, opaque creamy white when it was set.

I have used about 1/3 of my bag of wax chips. So I still have enough left to make some more.

And I will be making more. Because I've thoroughly enjoyed making these : )

I will need to invest in some more sustainers & wicks though. And some extra support pins. I only had one so could only make one candle at a time. The whole process would have been even quicker if I had been able to melt and pour the wax for all three at the same time.

And I will be a little more adventurous next time - adding some fragrance oil and colour to the wax. Maybe even some dried flower petals ... I'm looking for some different containers too.

In fact, at the moment, for everything I look at, I'm wondering if it would make a lovely candle!