$9 Wood Wick Candles

I’ve wanted to do this project for THE longest time! I had bought the container (which is really a small planter I found on clearance at Target) back in the end of summer, but just never got around to doing it. Finally, while Billy and I were strolling the aisles at A.C. Moore, I saw a row of candle making items and went to town.

Now, if you have been over my house, you know that every time I have guests over, I light my WoodWickÓ candle. In fact, it is the sign that the house is finally ready after most likely hours of tidying. (I’m a little of a clean freak.) Anyways, those wood wicked candles are my ABSOLUTE favorite, because they give me a very tiny glimpse of what a fireplace would sound like in my home…one day… They crackle oh so nicely and flicker brilliantly. The only problem is, they are so very expensive. Full price, the regular sized WoodWickÓ candles I buy at stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and JC Penney range anywhere from $24.99 and up. So what do I do when I can’t afford to keep spending that much for the things I like? I see if I can make it myself.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• A container you would like your candle to be inside of. I actually used a small planter I had found on sale at the end of the summer, but you can go to any dollar store or crafts store and grab a glass container for much cheaper.
• Wax, preferably soy. Apparently it is made of natural ingredients (soy beans) and burns for a longer amount of time.
• A wick. Now, this project was made purely for the reason that I wanted a wood wicked candle, but it can be to your preference. We picked up some basswood strips that we cut down to size. You can get regular pre tabbed wicks at the craft store, along with the rest of the supplies for this project.
• Fragrance oil, we chose Christmas tree scented! How fun!
• Dye chips to make the candle the color you prefer. Because our candle was going to smell like a fir tree, we chose green.

Altogether, this project cost us around $4.50 for the candle supplies, and $4.50 for the stone container we used, totaling $9.00!! Take that, Bed Bath and Beyond!

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Measure how much wax you will need based on your container. There weren’t any ounce capacities listed on my container, so I simply measured by filling the container with water to my desired height and poured that water into a measuring cup. The end product was a 40oz candle. Pretty big. That size WoodWickÓ candle would have cost me over $30.
• Prepare your wicks. Since I had to improvise, I had to make my own wood wicks. I cut my basswood strips down to size using an Exacto knife. The length will vary according to your container, but prepare to cut the wood into
• If you are going with wood wicks, find a way to secure the wicks onto the bottom of your container. We used a hot glue gun.
• Melt the wax. You can do this two different ways. Either you use the microwave or a double boiler. I chose the easier of the two, the microwave. Place your wax in a microwave safe container and melt in 30-second increments.
• Once your wax is almost fully melted, add your color chips. The more you add, the darker the color. Be aware, the soy wax ended up drying with a whiter hue than what we expected, so take that into consideration. We actually wanted a darker green, but even using all our color chips, it still dried almost with more of a pastel look. (We still love the color though!)
• After your color chips are completely melted, add your fragrance and stir.
• Pour your wax into your container.
• Cool! Allow your candle to cool completely before you use it.

How do you like your results?! Is the color just as you had wanted? Once you have lit your candle, is the fragrance to your liking? If this is the first time you are lighting a wood wicked candle in your home, what do you think? I have recommended one to everyone, my brother and best friend have fallen  in love with them and are practically obsessed. They really are different and add a sort of a homey atmosphere to your home.