Teacup Candles

I love candles in the fall and winter months. While the temperatures drop, I like to mirror the warmth of the flavors that enter the kitchen in the candles I use around my house. Scents like Coffee Shop, Pumpkin Pie, Oatmeal Cookies, and Apple Cinnamon, to name just a few, create an aroma of holiday ambience that I love love love. Plus, having a glowing candle by your side is a pretty calming thing in itself.

So instead of spending all my money on over-priced store bought candles, I tried my hand at making my. And it really is not so difficult as you may think. All you need is wax and a wick, an old tin coffee can, a large soup pan, and then something to put the candle in. I had lots of fun scouring the shelves at Goodwill for colorful small bowls, dainty teacups, and interesting glasses. Once I found my candle receptacles, I headed over to the craft store for the rest of my supplies.


Candle wax is actually readily available in most craft stores and, in the very same aisle, you should be able to find your wicks and even some scented oils. I used oils as well as scented votive candles as aromatics for my candles.

And once you have all your supplies together, the process is really quite simple. Just fill the pot up with water so it is less than 1/4 full. Too much water will take too long to boil, but too little water won't provide sufficient heat for melting. Once the water is boiling, you can put the tin can in with your wax and aromatics. Try to break the wax up as best you can because the smaller the wax pieces, the easier they will melt. Then it's just a matter of waiting for your wax and scented candle pieces or aromatic oils to all melt and come together in a smooth and liquid wax.

Once the wax is really hot and fluid, you'll need to pour it into your cups. I find that it is easiest to have the wick in place when pouring the wax in. You can either recruit a friend to hold the wick or find a long and skinny item (like a pencil or wooden skewer) to tie the wick to so it hangs down into the cup. Once your wick is in place, pour away. You will want to leave a bit of melted wax in the can for touch ups because after the initial setting, the wax will sink in the middle and will need to be topped off. Once the wax in the candleholder is completely solid (this will take at least a few hours), you can re-melt the left over wax and pour it over the set candle for a smooth and level finish.

These candles make great gifts, whether to your friends and family or to yourself. You can personalize the scents and candleholders based on your preferences and you can get super creative here too. Make coffee-scented candles out of coffee mugs, make candles in champagne flutes for newly-weds, or find antique cups at the thrift store for your most artsy friend. The options are endless and the process, extremely fun!