Cauldron Candles

Cauldron candles are simple to make, a lot of fun and they look great! It’s a wonderful way to recycle left over wax.
What you will need:

Clean Sand

A Box or Container

Heat Source

Cooking Pan

Oven Mitts

Small Cauldron or mayonnaise jar

Wax

Candle Wicking

Scissors

Coffee Can or Heat Proof Jar

For wax, you can use paraffin (found in the canning section of the grocery store), beeswax (can usually be obtained cheaply from people who sell their own honey), or even left over candles.
If you don’t have candle wicking, you can buy them at craft stores or do what I do – use small twine or get the wicks out of broken candles.

Directions

Prepare the mold:  If you are using a box, line it with a plastic bag to keep the moisture from destroying the shape. Moisten the sand with water so that it will keep its shape when pressed. If you have a small cauldron, press it tightly into the wet sand until it comes to the top. You don’t want the sand over the edge, just flush. Make sure that you have at least one inch of packed sand around the top so that it will hold its shape once the wax is poured in. Carefully remove the cauldron, trying to avoid loose sand particles from falling in.  If it doesn’t hold its shape, or you are not happy with the results, redo it! Depending on the size of the container, you can make as many candle molds as you have room. If you don’t have a small cauldron, use a small mayonnaise jar or other container that will give you the basic shape. You can even use your fist for a unique looking cauldron. Kids especially love to do this. You will however need to make legs for the cauldron. Simply use your little finger or a chopsticks and press into the bottom of the mold three times. Try to keep them at the same depth, and spaced evenly around the bottom, otherwise you end up with a lopsided cauldron!
Prepare the wax:  Put the wax into the coffee can or the heatproof container into a pan of water; bring to a boil on the stove. Caution – NEVER leave melting wax unattended and if there are children involved in candle making, always supervise them! Hot wax is highly flammable and can burn skin – so be extremely careful.
If you wish to make black cauldrons, add left over black candles or wax to can. If you don’t have any, you can add black crayon pieces until you are happy with the color. Of course, if you want a different color, use the appropriate wax or crayon.
Prepare the wick:  While the wax is melting, add the wicks to the molds. Press the wicking directly into the sand at the center of the mold. You will need to drape the top of the wick over a pencil or meat skewer that is placed over the top of the mold – preferably resting on the top of the box, to keep the wick from falling into to wax once it is poured.
Pouring the wax: When the wax is completely melted, put your oven mitts on, lift the can from the water and slowly pour the wax into the molds. You don’t want the wax to cool too slowly or it may crack, so don’t put them outside or in the refrigerator to speed the process.
Finishing the candles:  Once the wax has hardened, you can just scoop the candles out of the sand.  Trim off any wick that is sticking out of the bottom with scissors and brush off any excess sand.