How to Grunge Candles

Complement your rustic decor with a grungy candle and holder.

The perfect touch for a rustic, country decor, primitive candles have a grungy, homemade appearance. While you can buy these candles ready-made, you can save money by purchasing inexpensive plain white candles of different sizes and making them appear dirty and lumpy. Add a romantic touch to your cozy, country decor with grungy-looking candles that you can customize yourself. Use these candles as rustic accents for your home or give them as unique gifts to friends and family.

Things You'll Need

• Double boiler
• 1 lb. paraffin wax
• Brown candle dye
• Cinnamon fragrance oil
• Coffee can
• 1/2 cup whole cloves
• 1/4 cup dried potpourri
• Whisk
• Wax paper
• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
• White pillar, votive or taper candles
• Tongs
• Spatula
• Homespun ribbon

Instructions

1. Heat the water in the double boiler until it boils, then lower the temperature to keep the water at a simmer.

2. Add 1 lb. paraffin wax to the top of the double boiler and heat it until it melts, stirring occasionally.

3. Add brown candle coloring to the melted wax and stir in enough to darken the wax to the shade you wish. If you are using liquid candle dye, use about seven drops of the dye and stir it into the wax. Add three to four drops of cinnamon oil to scent the wax, if desired.

4. Pour the wax into an old coffee can and put it aside to cool until a skin forms upon the surface. Whisk the wax until it becomes frothy. Mix in 1/2 cup dried potpourri and 1/4 cup whole cloves.

5. Line a flat work surface or counter top with wax paper.

6. Spread 1/4 cup ground cinnamon onto the wax paper.

7. Pick up a white taper, pillar or votive candle and use tongs to hold it by the top and dip it into the wax. Let the candle sit in the wax for 30 seconds.

8. Place the candle on the wax paper and roll it in the cinnamon. Wait one minute, then re-dip the candle in the wax for 10 seconds.

9. Place the candle on a clean sheet of wax paper and use a spatula to drizzle the lumpy wax on the candle. Drip the wax down the candle to give it the appearance of lumpy pudding. Continue to coat the candle until you get the appearance you desire. Allow it to dry completely.

10. Add a decorative homespun ribbon around the base of the candle and display it in a rustic candle holder or alone for large, pillar candles.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute brown crayons for the candle coloring and melt them into the hot wax.

• Add a decorative touch to your candle wax mixture by adding glitter to the mix.

• Substitute scraps of wax from old candles for the paraffin wax. Remove the wicks before melting.

• Heat wax in a double boiler, not over direct heat. The wax can catch fire if not heated in a double boiler.

References

• Pineridge Scents Candle & Sign Co.: Tips, Tricks, & Blessings
• Candles and Supplies.com: Clumpy Candles
• Starla's Candle Making: Beginning Candle Making Instructions Recipes and Techniques
• The Candle Cauldron: How to Make Primitive/Grunge Candles