DIY "Candy Corn" Decorative Candles

Turn the cup upside down. With your knife, a nail or even a drill bit, poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup. The bottom of the cup is where the top of the candle will be.

Cut a piece of candle wick that is at least four inches longer than the height of the cup. Thread the wick through the hole in the cup, leaving about one inch extending above the hole. The remainder of the wick can run out the bottom for now.

To prevent melted wax from seeping out of the hole, plug it up with a piece of adhesive putty. This is the type of putty used to hang posters on the wall without nails. Press down on it to get a good seal.

For additional protection, cut a small piece of duct tape and cover the putty with it. We want to make sure absolutely no wax spills out of that small hole.

Turn the cup right side up. To keep the wick centered and secure, position a piece of duct tape across the diameter of the cup. Cut a slit in the middle of the tape, and thread the other end of the wick through the slit. Pinch the duct tape at the center to hold the wick tightly.

With a knife, shave down the sides of a white pillar candle, and the wax will crumble into small pieces.

Thoroughly wash tin cans and let them dry. Be careful while handling them, as the rim of the cans are sharp. Pour the crumbled wax in a can, and place the can in a pot containing about two inches of water. Heat the water, and the wax will slowly melt.

As a general rule, the colors on candy corn are white on top, orange in the middle and yellow on the bottom. Because the bottom of the cup is the top of the candle, and the top layer of candy corn is white, the first layer we'll pour is the plain wax without any coloring. When the wax is completely melted, pour it into the cup about 20 percent of the way.

To create the orange and yellow sections, you can use either crayons or wax dye. For most people, it's easiest to obtain crayons, and they dye the wax evenly. However, crayons have pigments that can clog the wick, so the candles might not burn as well. If you are using the candles for decorative purposes only and not planning on lighting them, then crayons should be fine. If you do plan on lighting them, then wax dye is a better option. It is pricier, with fewer retail outlets that sell it. For this project, I used wax dye that I purchased online.

Melt the crumbled white wax just as you did for the first layer. When it is completely melted, add the orange dye, stirring with a wood skewer. If you are using crayons, cut them up into small pieces first. Start with about an inch of the crayon, and keep adding more until your desired color is reached. Similarly with the wax dye, start with a few flakes and gradually add more. Keep in mind that when the wax hardens, the color will be lighter than it appears in liquid form, so err on the side of saturation.

Make sure the first layer of white wax is solidified (I waited 24 hours), then pour the orange wax on top of it. About 75 percent of the mold should be filled after the orange wax is added. Let this layer of wax harden overnight.

Melt more crumbled white wax in a tin can as you did with the first two layers. When it is melted, add pieces of either yellow crayon or yellow wax dye, stirring with a wood skewer. Remember that the resulting color will be lighter than it looks melted, so make sure the yellow is very saturated.

Pour the yellow wax into the mold on top of the hardened orange layer, going all the way to the top. Let it harden overnight.

Trim the excess wick from the top of the yellow layer. Since this will actually be the bottom of the candle, there does not need to be any visible wick.

Turn the mold upside down. Take off the duct tape and adhesive putty covering the hole at the bottom of the cup. It's the moment of truth! Squeeze the sides of the paper cup, and the candle will slide right out.

If any colors seeped into another section (e.g., the yellow wax going into the orange), don't fret. It can happen when the wax contracts, leaving gaps that subsequent layers of melted wax will want to fill in. Just shave off any overlapping wax with a knife, and the candle will be perfect.

For a complete set of candy corn candles, use three different sizes of paper cups. I just went to my local coffee house and asked for some free empty cups. I may never think of a Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Vanilla Latte with Soy Milk the same again.