... and a Candle Makeover

Last week I shared how I revamped some candle pots by wrapping them in yarn. Not wanting to waste anything, I gave the old wax a bit of a makeover and made a new candle!

As a reminder, these are the dodgy bits of old candle I started with. They've never actually been burned but managed to melt over time by being left outside in the sun!!

I started by chopping them into pieces and melting in a makeshift double boiler (i.e. old pyrex dish in a saucepan of water).

 Luckily the old wicks were intact, so I used one and stuck in an old jam jar using a blob of wax.

The original wax was a faded yellow, but I wanted to jazz it up, so experimented by using orange food colouring. I added quite a bit (2 capfuls) as I was aiming for a bright final colour. At this stage I also added a few drops of lavender essential oil. (Although I suppose I should have chosen something like citronella to fit with the colour!)

The final step was to carefully pour the melted  wax into the jar. I'd made this a lot more difficult for myself as the wick was shorter than the jar, so I couldn't secure the wick as I poured!

I left it overnight to set and then added a bit of lace ribbon as decoration.

It worked out pretty well and I really like the finished colour. Next time, I think I'll choose a shallower container or longer wick!

I also managed to get a dip in the top, rather than a smooth surface. Anyone know how to avoid this?!

We are linking up to these parties!