My 12 Days of Thriftmas - Day 5 - Soy Wax Candle DIY

Wow... the days are just flying by... we're already at DAY 5 in my 12 Days of Thriftmas! 
(oh... did you think I meant advent..?!)
Here's my latest video, on how to make your own soy wax candles - it's another easy one, this time in the kitchen...

So, why would you make your own candle..? To me, it's the same as when you make your own rose spray, and you start to compare it with what's available on the high street, you realise how many chemicals are added to shop-bought products, to make things smell better, or to mask the smell of other ingredients, or to make them last longer... All of these reasons disappear when you take it all back to basics. All you need is wax, essential oil, wicks, and something to pour the wax into. I found quaint little tea cups with matching saucers in charity shops, but obviously you can reuse candle containers you already own, or old jam jars, which gave it more of a 'rustic' look. The key here is to make it how YOU want to make it... I think my favourite was the tiny milk jug I found in Fara, it shone beautifully - and lasted a surprisingly long time too.

Remember to leave the melted wax for about 5 minutes before adding the scent, otherwise the heat of the wax will burn off the oil (and won't smell of anything when it burns).
 
If you're interested in getting any of the supplies I used in this video, here are a few Amazon affiliate links; 
- to the soy wax (the bigger the bag, the better value the wax, obviously - so it depends on how many you'll be making) 
- for the wicks (notice they are the small ones, as I've only made small candles - there's very little waste this way, as there's hardly any wick to cut back)
- here are the essential oils I used (my favourite smell in this pack is the clementine, followed closely by the bergamot...)
- and here's the double boiler. I used a small pan, as I was only making small candles, one at a time - you may prefer to get a bigger pan, and make a batch of candles all at once.

If you thought the stencil was a strange thing to use, to make the wick stand up straight, well yes... it was. I don't expect everyone will have one of those! An easy work-around is to use a couple of pencils, or a few drink stirrers, like so;

Don't be shy with the oil - I added at least half a tablespoon to my relatively-small candles - and make sure to stir it in well, so it distributes evenly through the wax.

I think that's covered everything - but please, ask me anything! And have fun with it... I look forward to hearing how you get on. I'll be announcing a giveaway around the same time as the next video release, coming soon..........!!!

Hugs x
Gema

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