Skip to main content

Candle Making by Hand-Dipping


You could argue that this post doesn't belong on my kitchen blog...it's more of a Maker Manns thing. Fair enough. But it was done in my kitchen, with my stove, with my pots, with my knives and my kitchen twine, and I sacrificed the Bodom glass out of my French press. So, I'm still calling it a culinary adventure!

Two of our best friends had mentioned wanting to come over and make candles. They had the wax and the wicks. So, on the first full day of Christmas break from school (last night), Jake picked them up and I rushed home from work to make dinner - jasmine rice, beetroot and pumpkin curry, and mekaral salad. That's for another post. Back to candle making....

After our Sri Lankan-themed dinner, we cranked up the Christmas tunes and went to work.

Materials

  • wax
  • wicks (at first we used some pre-fabricated wicks they brought, then we moved to my 100% cotton kitchen twine)
  • knife for chipping the wax into small pieces
  • tall canister, either tempered glass or metal ,that will fit inside another pot
  • pot
  • water
  • bucket

Procedure
Place your wax chips in a tall container that can withstand heat. As I mentioned, I used my Bodum glass. Place that container in a pot of water where the water comes up about half way on the canister. Heat gently until the wax chips melt.

Have a bucket of water near your work area.

Hold the wick by one end and dip it in the hot wax. Dip it into the cold water. Repeat.



That's all there is to it...


Then hang them somewhere to harden completely.


D and I made small candles to put on his birthday cake next week. And, I think, everyone had a good time. We'll definitely do it again soon.



Have you ever hand-dipped candles? Would love some tips on how to add color and fragrance.

Comments

  1. I didn't realize you had another blog. I don't know where you find the time.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige #ItalianFWT on CulinaryCam.Com

I am in the process of migrating over to my new domain. Come on over to read " A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige " for December's #ItalianFWT.

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t...

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an...