[André]

My children made their own candles this week.

We had my wifes parents living here for a few days and they made a lot of them.

[Tojo]

That's very cool André

Are you expecting a power cut?

I actually like using candles but I never know where to stand them as every surface seems to be full of other stuff all the time. Our house never looks tidy like the rooms in the Ikea catalogues

Usually the kids leave sweet wrappers, yoghurt pots, shoes, school bags etc all over the place & only remove them on pain of being poked with something hot & pointy

[André]

That's very cool André

Are you expecting a power cut?

You know I hate the electrical companies.
It is way to expensive with electricity and when the prices is set by their stockmarket I always feel like they rip me off. I looked at a tv-program about the "fixed" prices in Kalifornia a few years ago. I guess the US-collectors know more about that.

That is why I want solarpanels later so I get my own electricity.

I have never made my own candles before except the smaller ones. But my wifes parents make a few every year before christmas.

But it takes a long time and I think it is cheaper to buy new ones at IKEA.

I really like the homemade look on them though.

[eggie smurf]

Wow, that is a lot of candles they made! I used to make my own candles every winter also...but not that kind - I have all molds that I use - different sizes and shapes and textures. I haven't made any the past couple of years because I actually had too many and still haven't used them all. Plus everyone received them as presents still has way too many as well

I would love solar panels on my house someday too but knowing me, I'd get them put on the house and end up moving Since I haven't, I have been in the same house for over 8 years now and probably will be here another 20 as long as I get no panels

[SmurfingH]

That's a cool idea! Looks messy though. I stopped using candles when I had a long haired cat that liked to put them out with his paw! I had visions of him going up in flames and couldn't bear to use them after that! I use incense instead now but you don't get the light from those.

Tojo - I like the sound of your house! With 4 dogs who absolutely MUST lick every crisp packet etc., my house is very much the same as yours! Mind you, I can't get the dogs to tidy up...

[Ritter_Schlumpfenherz]

That's great Andre.
My very first physics teacher used to make candles of his own as well.

[Gerda]

Andre, Staci,
What do you guys use for the wax (is there some raw material one can buy and then melt yourself?) Staci, the molds you use are they anything special?
I think it would be fun making candles but I would have to be educated ont he how too's first

[Lia]

It looks very nice André!

I`m from Gouda, known in Holland for its candles.
One can buy these jars Gerda
http://www.deverguldekaars.nl/zelf-kaarsen-maken-c-68

Lia

[eggie smurf]

What do you guys use for the wax (is there some raw material one can buy and then melt yourself?) Staci, the molds you use are they anything special?

Just parrafin wax that you can buy in any grocery store (in the canning section) or you can buy HUGE blocks of it at your local craft store. I use anything from actual candle molds (also from craft stores) to any containers that won't melt. The best for those big three wick candles are emtpy Edy's Ice Cream 1/2 gallons since they are the same shape and for pillar candles - I use the empty cake icing canisters (Duncas Hines, Betty Crocker, whichever brand you like!) I can email you some tips and books you may want to pick up that are very informative

[André]

Hi Gerda,

as Staci wrote you can make them in whatever cup or mug you like, depending on what shape you want. I used to do a lot before with different colours on the stearine.

But I had never done like this before. If you do candles like on the picture you just tie the candlewick on a stick, we used 3 on each stick. Then you lower them in the melted stearine, if you don´t have a weight in the end of the candlewick you have to straighten them every time in the beginning otherwise you don´t get straight candles. Then it is just to lower (dip) them in the stearine and every time more stearine gets stuck on the wick. The thing is not to dip it to fast and not to slow in the stearine, because you want as much stearine as possible to stuck on the wick but not melt the stearine that "got stuck to last time". That it why it is good to make many candles at the same time because if you start in one end and dip them in the same order all the time the stearine has time to "stiffen" before you dip it again. And as the stearine get stuck on the wick you can add water in the melted stearine. Because water is heavier than stearine, the stearine is always on the top in the kettle.

And the candles are always nice to give away as gifts, so you can´t get too many.

[stampysmurf]

That looks like so much fun Andre! And I really like that candle holder! Is it an antique? I can remember making candles when I was a kid, we made them out of beeswax.

[André]

the candle holder is not old, but a really nice copy. And it goes very well with the handmade candles.

I remember my mother did some kind of wax-candles that smelled like honey, when I was a kid.

[Syd Smurf]

This sounds very cool André, also looks like fun for the kids. I always preferred candle lit rooms to using lightbulbs anyway. Stace is right....she has a ton of candles here and she just got a lot more from one of the neighbours around here. I think she may start feeding me melted candle wax for dinner soon.

Dyar

[Smurfysmurf]

I remember my mother did some kind of wax-candles that smelled like honey, when I was a kid.

I love those. We would always buy those on the Christmas Market, and I did so again last year...and ended up with so many that just about everybody who got a Christmas gift from me last year got a honey candle as well

[Syd Smurf]

You need to bee extra careful with honey candles Moey

Dyar

[Smurfysmurf]

I'll put some in your next package...maybe Syd can finally beewitch those smurfettes