How to Make Candles for Kwanzaa

If you want to make your own candles for Kwanzaa, you will be keeping the traditional roots of the holiday. Keep in mind that homemade candles will most likely not look the same as store-bought ones, but they can be a great way to explore the Kuumba (creativity) principle of the holiday and a nice way to get the whole family involved in decorating the home for Kwanzaa.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bowl with cold water
• Essential oils (optional)
• Green, red and black coloring
• Old towels
• Double boiler (can consist of two metal cans of different size that fit one into the other)
• Wick
• Beeswax or paraffin wax
• Aluminum paper

Make Great Kwanzaa Candles

1. Cover the work surface with aluminum paper to avoid having the paraffin stick everywhere. Keep old towels nearby to clean up splatters quickly.

2. Fill a large bowl (a rectangular baking pan is even better) with cold water.

3. Place the wax (or the broken candles) in a metal pot. Place this pot into a larger one that has been partially filled with water. Heat on top of the stove until the water boils and the wax starts to melt.

4. Once the wax is completely liquid, add coloring. You can use products created especially for candle making or experiment with food coloring (but keep in mind that this can result in uneven tinting). Don't use paint or other materials, as these can be toxic when burned.

5. Take a long piece of wick (at least 6 inches) and dip into the wax. Hold onto one of the ends and make sure there's at least 1 inch that doesn't touch the wax at all. This will be the part where you light the candle once it's finished.

6. Hold the wick into the wax for about 20 seconds. Then, take it out and immediately dip it into the cold water until you see the wax harden. Repeat several times to form layers.

7. Repeat the whole procedure three times to produce candles in all the Kwanzaa colors.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a hard time finding paraffin, you can simply collect broken candles from around the house and melt them to provide you with the basic material.
• You can add some essential oil (just a few drops) to the candles to make them smell better when burning. This may not be a good idea if you plan on using the candles on the dinner table. Otherwise, scented candles can be a great way to improve the mood of the room.
• Protect yourself from splatters by wearing long sleeves when making candles.
• Use steady containers that will not tip or boil over when melting the wax.