Old Candles to New

I just lit my last non-holiday candle, so I think I need some more. I almost put them on the weekly shopping list, because I am out of wick to make new ones. Then I opened the junk drawer to find a pen and saw some broken/used birthday candles. Ta-da, problem solved.

Tools:
Knife and cutting board
Pot and stove
Bowl (to melt wax in)
Pot holder
Glass container to pour wax in (or a candle mold)

Materials:
broken/used birthday candles
candle remnants

To Do:
1. Fill the bottom of your pot with about an inch of water. Put the water on to boil.
If using cups that previously had candles, continue. If using new containers, skip to step 3.
2. Place the cups in the water. Wait for the wax to melt. Fish out any old wicks. Pull the cups out of the water and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Using the knife and the cutting board, carefully cut/shave the wax into small chunks. Place the chunks in your melting container. Put the melting container in the pot. Leave until the wax has melted. Pull the container out of the water and set aside about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
4. If necessary, pour a small amount of wax into the bottom of the cup. Once the wax has cooled slightly, place the birthday candle in the center of the cup. Hold the candle in place for about 20 seconds, or until the top layer of wax has solidified.
5. Pour the slightly cooled wax to fill the cup to the top of the candle (do not cover the wick completely). If you didn't melt enough wax, you can drop in chunks of wax, or melt more.
6. Set aside to cool completely. I like to put mine in the freezer.

If you can get a steady source of candle castoffs, you can make all of your candles for a fraction of the price you would buy them for. Thanks, mom, for saving me all your scraps!