{ DIY :: make your own candle }

a couple of weeks ago, i spotted a lovely amber vintage glass for 50 cents at a garage sale & i instantly thought it would be the perfect vessel for a homemade candle. so that's what it became. and it was much simpler (and quicker) than you may think. it was just the pick-me-up i needed.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED ::

♥  some kind of vessel.
♥  wax (i used microwaveable soy wax from michael's. don't forget your coupon!)
♥  a candle wick (also bought at michael's. they came in a package of 5 or 6)
♥  candle scent or dye (optional; i used a small amount of vanilla scent)
♥  microwaveable container
♥  hot glue gun
♥  thermometer (i bought a candlemaking one, only because we had no kind of thermometer in our house. you can use a regular one.)

DIRECTIONS ::

1.  clean your vessel & dry thoroughly.
2.  place wick at the center of the vessel & glue the base down with  a dab of hot glue.

3.  heat wax (along with dye & scent) according to package instructions. for me, the heating time ended up being a couple minutes longer than the directions read. this is when you'll need your thermometer - temperature is important.
* note :: i didn't end up using enough wax the first time around. so i did this process twice, waiting for the wax to set in the glass before adding the second batch. i ended up using just over 1/2 the bag in total.

* warning :: do not be deceived by its while-chocolate-like appearance.

4. pour the wax into vessel and let sit until wax is cool & solid.
*note :: my wick would not set up straight, so i used a piece of tape to hold it.

5. cut wick down to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

and voila, you have your very own homemade candle. easy, right? and makes a great gift. let me know if you try it!