Using Crayons and Ice as a Cool Way to Create Homemade Candles

Tools and Materials

• Pillar wax
• Crayons
• Pan
• Spoon
• Jug
• Juice carton
• Scissors
• Candle wick
• Straw
• Ice cubes

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

I started by collecting everything I would need to make my homemade candles. The main component is the pillar wax, which I broke easily into three smaller pieces to help the melting process later on. I opted for the Crayola brand of crayon, as I like the range of colors in a pack. Knowing how to make a homemade candle with this method is great for artistic minds, as you can experiment with lots of different mixes of colors. For example, I brought together a blue and a green crayon to produce a lovely shade of turquoise. Before getting started I raided my recycling box for juice cartons, and I also filled up the ice tray in my freezer. 

Step 2: Melt the Wax and Crayons

I placed my pillar wax pieces into a shallow baking tray. I removed the paper labels from the crayons, snapped my crayons in half, then added them to the wax in the tray. You will need to use a separate tray for each shade of candle - if you have plenty of space on your hob, you could melt several wax and crayon mixtures at once. I heated a pan of water until it began to boil, then placed my tray on top of the pan. I used a spoon to nudge the wax blocks around the pan and aid the melting process, although it will take a bit of time for both the wax and crayons to melt completely. 

Step 3: Create Your Mold

You may prefer to do this step before you melt the wax and crayons, just so your mold is ready to go once the mixture has become liquid. I chose to use a small carton of Tropicana juice as my mold - other brands of juice are available and will work just as well! You could even experiment with different shapes and sizes of carton, depending on what type of homemade candles you want to create. I opened up the top of the carton, being careful not to rip any of the sides. I used scissors to make a small cut into one of the carton flaps, then made the same size of cut in the opposite flap. 

Step 4: Insert Wick and Stabilize

Once your mold is made, it's time to insert the wicks for your homemade candles. I used ArtMinds 9-inch wicks, but the ideal wick will depend on the size of your mold. Place the wick into the center of the mold, then grab your straw. The notches made in two of the flaps of the carton provide a place to rest the straw across the top of the mold. I wrapped the wick around the middle of the straw, which helps to stabilize the wick. It doesn't matter if your wick towers above your mold to begin with, as wrapping it around the straw will cause your wick to lose a lot of its initial height. 

Step 5: Add Ice and Pour Wax Mixture

Take out the ice cubes from the freezer and drop a few into each of your candle molds. If your ice doesn't fit around the straw in your mold, then you may need to create smaller pieces of ice - you won't want to upset your nicely stabilized straw and candle wick. A few ice cubes in each mold should be enough before you pour in the wax mixture. I transferred the melted wax and crayons from a pan into a jug, just to make the pouring process easier. As I filled up the mold, I added more ice cubes into the carton. This way, the ice and the wax mixture is more evenly distributed. 

Step 6: Let Cool and Enjoy

I took my newly filled molds and left them on top of a towel to begin cooling. I decided to make three homemade candles at once - you may be comfortable making a larger batch, or you may want to make them one at a time. I gave the wax mixture plenty of time to cool, as I didn't want to start removing the mold before my homemade candles were ready. Once completely cooled, I took off the straw from the mold. I then removed the carton from the now solid wax mixture. I kept my cartons on towels in case of leakage, then removed the cardboard bit by bit. With the mold gone, I cut the wick to size. 

The Completed Project

If you know how to make homemade candles with this method, then you don't have to traipse through shop after shop looking for the right shape or shade - you can use crayons and cartons to make your perfect candle. I love the way that the mixture cools in the mold, leaving little cracks and holes on the brightly colored wax. This means that no two DIY candles look the same, so these are sure to be fun conversation starters if you bring them out at a dinner party. If you find a combination of crayon colors that really works for you, then why not share your inspiration with your fellow Hometalkers in the comments below?