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Make beautiful teacup candles
Give mismatched china a new life and create a pretty gift or table centre
These candles make unique decorations for a birthday party or wedding. To make candles in containers you'll need to use special container wax that won't pull away from the sides as it cools. Soy wax is kinder to the environment and it's much easier to clean up. Any utensils you use can be washed simply with hot soapy water or put in the dishwasher.
What you'll need
● Teacup, pot or jar
● Flaked soy wax (£6.95 a kilo at Devon Scents)
● Eco wicks (£3.50 for 25)
● Double boiler or two saucepans that fit on top of each other
● Cooking thermometer
● Two pencils (to support wicks)
● Fragrance oils (from £1 a bottle) if you want to scent your candle
How it's done
1 Pour your flaked wax into a double boiler or a pan placed on top of another pan of water. Work out how much wax you'll need by filling the teacup with water and weighing it. Melt the wax, heating to 165°C to 185°C. Add scented oils if using. The ratio of fragrance to wax is eight per cent, but do weigh it as some oils are heavier than others. Mix in the oil using a metal whisk.
2 Place the wick in the centre of the cup. It will come fixed to a metal disc enabling it to stand up. Wicks come in various sizes and the one you need will depend on the width of your container. Most suppliers will have a size guide.
3 Once you've melted the wax, slowly pour it into the teacup, filling it to the top. You should have some wax left over - you'll need this for the second pour. Hold the wick in the centre by placing it between two pencils balanced across the cup.
4 Once the candle is completely cool to the touch, do your second pour. Wax shrinks as it cools so a crevice will develop in the centre. Heat the leftover wax to 10°C hotter than the first time and stir again for a couple of minutes. The wax needs to be hotter when you top up the container as this will give you a nice smooth surface once it's cooled.
5 Leave the candle to cool and harden thoroughly and then trim the wick to 1cm before lighting.
Where to buy: For everything you'll need to make your own soy candles as well as troubleshooting advice, visit www.devonscents.co.uk
Text: Charlotte Boyd. Photo: Mark Scott
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