Crafts Mother's Day Tea-Cup Candles
By Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
May 11, 2007, 22:57
Gather Together
Tea cup and saucer Paraffin wax An old crayon Wick (available at craft stores) Pencil Low melt glue gun Double boiler or A clean and dry empty tin can and medium sized pot Newspaper
Directions
1. Find the perfect tea cup. You can use one from a favorite collection or search local thrift stores for a pattern and color that remind you of your mother.
2. To prepare them for wax, make sure the cup and saucer are clean and dry.
3. Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with 1-2 inches of water. Heat on medium low.
4. Cut the paraffin wax into pieces and place in the top of the double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, place the wax in a tin can set inside a medium sized pot with water. (The tin can makes for fast clean up. It can simply be thrown away when the project is complete.)
5. To add color, use a cheese grater or vegetable peeler to shred part of a crayon onto a piece of wax paper. Add the crayon shavings to the top of the double boiler.
6. The melted wax should be between 180 and 200 F (85 and 95 degrees C). Paraffin will burn if it gets too hot. Keep an eye on it.
7. Cover the work space with newspaper. While the wax is melting, prepare the wick. Cut the wick so it is long enough to wrap around a pencil. Measure the depth of your tea cup and add about 3 inches. This should give you plenty of length to tie around the pencil.
8. Lay the pencil across the top of the tea cup, centering the wick in the middle.
9. Have a grown-up pour the wax into the tea cup. The wax may shrink a little as it begins to harden. Top off the candle with additional wax and let it set.
10. Trim the wick.
11. Once the candle has completely cooled, hot glue the saucer to the cup.
A beautiful Mother's Day keepsake!
While you're at it, make one for yourself and several to give as girl friend gifts, teachers' presents and shower gifts.
About
the Author(s) : Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit www.togetherparenting.com
