How to Make a Balloon Candle

Water balloons aren't just for kids anymore. You can use them to make interesting candle shapes. You can make a balloon candle and fill it with wax, or you can use the balloon candle as a votive holder that allows the glow of a tea light candle to shine through. Read on to learn how to make balloon candles.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water balloon
• Candle wax
• Large pot
• Twist ties
• Color or fragrance
• Melt pot and burner
• Protective goggles

1. Gather all of your materials. Use a wax with a high melting point, such as IGI 1014 or one with a crystal additive.

2. Fill your balloon to the desired shape and size. For larger balloons, hold onto the bottom of the balloon as it fills to prevent dropping or breaking the balloon.

3. Melt the wax in your melting pot. Leave room at the top for displacement when you dip the balloon into the wax. An inch or two is usually fine, but with larger balloons you will need to increase the room left at the top.

4. Cool the wax to 150 degrees.

5. Dip the balloon into the wax using a twist tie as your handle. Be sure to dip very slowly. Allow it to sit in the wax for a few seconds and then remove it. After 30 second intervals, dip the balloon into the wax repeatedly until the wax is a quarter inch thick.

6. Pop the balloon using a pin or knife and release the water. Once the water has come out, the balloon should slip easily out of the balloon candle shell.

7. Add wax to the inside of the balloon shell. If you wish to use the shell as a mold for an entire candle, pour warm wax into the shell and roll it around to coat the inside. Once the candle is almost full, place a wick the opening. Press the wick through the soft wax and hold the end of the wick while you finish filling the shell.