Here's a nice easy project for cheapskate pack rats that takes hardly any time at all.
On the left, cute little containers that once contained bright and vibrant candles but that are now hollow, useless shells of their former selves.
If you're wondering why that white one is a mess it's because it was a handmade one Rejon gave me that didn't fit into any of my containers, melted more quickly than usual because of the different type of wax she used, spilled over that too-small glass cube, and then got chipped up off the table and tossed back in lol. And that is the story of how I drowned the wick.
On the right, a jar from one of the islands on the Seto Inland Sea (Teshima) that I got because it contained super sweet yuzu-ade, but also because I obviously wanted the container. But then there's that eternal question, what for? I don't live in a trailer and therefore don't drink out of jars (shots fired) so I was going to let it go, until I got the idea to repurpose it this way!
Rejon has a bag of candle wicks and I asked for two.
And Hannes can't get mad at be because look: left equals more clutter than right.
I'm consolidating as well as recycling and crafting.
So, what you do is, just put your candles in a pan on the stove over the lowest heat setting.
I was a little worried about the one in the grey tin because most of the paper label is still
firmly adhered to the bottom, and also the cherry blossom one because it has a metallic
exterior and came from the dollar store, so I stood over them the whole time. But nothing untoward happened.
If a little melted wax finds its way onto the pan and starts smoking, use a dishtowel or rag to wipe it. And if the wax starts to bubble, it doesn't need any more heat, trust me, it's good.
Once a little has melted, use it to stick your new wick to the bottom of your chosen vessel.
Slowly but surely. It's best and safest to heat glass or ceramic, and try to be
sure you're making the new candle in a heat- and flame-proof container. Once you can
get to them, remove the remnants of the old wicks with tweezers or something similar.
Using a towel or oven mitt to pick up the heated containers, carefully pour the melted wax into your new container. I did it over the sink; melted wax is no big deal unless it hits fabric or paper.
As pictured, use a skewer or something (re: Korean chopstick Hannes pocketed
from an all-night kimbap place) to hold the wick in place. Since I poured wax in multiple different times, I found out that the new wick easily comes unstuck from the bottom once
the container is full of hot melted wax, because why wouldn't it. Oh well! If you can't do
it all in one go, just try your best to keep it in place.
Wait until it dries and cools to trim the wick, or you'll end up pulling it through the wax like
a reed or a root in mud. But, viola! I knew that mixing these different scents would end up
creating something earthy, rich, sweet, and autumnal, and this wasn't bad for my first try!
(Oh and thanks Rejon!)
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