How to Make Pioneer Candles

Hand-dipped pioneer candles are a great way for kids to get a chance to try some of the handicrafts of their ancestors. Most old crafts require a great deal of skill and practice, but anyone can make candles with a little bit of supervision. Use one pot of wax for a basic candle-making workshop or have a few different colors going at the same time to get creative.

Things You'll Need

• Paraffin wax
• Knife
• Tin cans
• Pot
• Water
• Wick
• Essential oils
• Color chips
• Spoon
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Break or cut plain paraffin wax into chunks and put it in a coffee can or other tin can. Put the tin can into a pot filled with water that covers at least 1/3 of the can.

2. Fill another can with cold water and set it beside the stove.

3. Heat the pot until the wax is at about 160 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, then heat it until all of the wax is melted. Turn down the heat once you get the wax up to temperature; add color chips for color or essential oils for fragrance and stir the wax until everything is thoroughly mixed. Alternately, you could make plain white candles.

4. Cut several lengths of wick until they are about 4 inches longer than you want your candle to be (do this while the water is heating).

5. Pinch a wick between your fingers and dip it into the wax. Pull it out and let it cool for several seconds. Then, while the wax is still soft, pull the wick straight.

6. Dip the wick in the wax again and pull it out. If you want to quickly cool it so you can add more wax, dip it in the cold water. If you want to smooth it out, let it cool on its own for a few seconds, then roll it on a flat surface to get rid of any bumps.

7. Continue dipping the candle until you reach the desired width. Even out the bottom, either by pushing the candle against a flat surface or by cutting the end of the candle off. Cut the wick to about 1 inch long at the top.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful not to spill!