How to Make a Gift-Worthy Candle in a Vintage Tea Tin

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

I absolutely love candles in my home, but what I don’t love is seeing partially melted candles. Glass candles in particular are so pretty when they are brand new, but as I burn them and the wax goes down, they just don’t look as crisp and clean on the counter.

 

So I started thinking about making my own candles in a pretty tin or container that would still look beautiful on a counter after several uses. As I was making a cup of tea one day, it occurred to me that a beautiful vintage tea tin would be fantastic for homemade candles! I could burn the candle as usual and when not in use just put the lid back on and it would still look pretty on the counter. This is a simple DIY project that doubles as a unique gift — especially when tied off with a satin ribbon!

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

Materials

Soy wax chips

Candle wick

Essential oils for fragrance

Assorted vintage tea tins

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

Step 1

Find pretty tea tins — either from your local grocery store or antique shop. To start, you will want to thoroughly wash and dry the tin.

 

Step 2

Use a drop of hot glue on the bottom of your wick to adhere and center the wick in the middle of the tin. To keep the candle wick upright and centered as you pour in the melted wax, you might twist the end of the wick onto a straw, skewer or pencil. 

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

Step 3

Melt your soy wax chips in the microwave. You will need approximately double the size of your container in wax chips. (So for example, a 4 oz. tin would require about 8 oz. in wax chips.) Using a microwave-safe container, melt the wax in 30 second intervals in the microwave.

 

Step 4

Once the wax is completely melted, carefully add your essential oils for fragrance. I added about 30 drops of lemon and about 30 drops of rosemary for the larger tin candle. You will want to adjust the fragrance according to personal preference and the size of your tins. Choose any fragrance you like — lemon, citrus, lavender, peppermint, spearmint, floral aromas — the options are endless! 

 

Step 5

Slowly pour the wax directly into your prepared container, careful to keep the wick centered.

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

Step 6

Gently pound your container onto the counter to remove any small air bubbles. Otherwise, set candle aside to cool for several hours or pop it in the fridge and it will set in about 30 minutes. Once set, trim the wick to your desired length and enjoy!

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Photography by: My Frugal Adventures

This would be a lovely gift for Mother’s Day!

SOURCE:http://www.marthastewart.com/1503073/how-make-vintage-tea-tin-candle