For the Love of Candles

                                                                                    

mmm. love these.

I love good candles.  I think they are essential to every house that wants to be a home.  And, yes, I am the girl standing behind you in the check-out line at Anthropologie with 5 candles when they go on sale.  And why shouldn't I?  When I invite friends into my home I want them to be greeted with the smell of Baltic Amber as I serve them a hot cup of coffee with a splash of Bailey's--perfect for secrets among friends.

And I'm not the only one.  While looking through articles on smell I found this from sensingarchitecture.com:

"Perhaps you can be more proactive as you design. Instead of letting the scent within your space just sort of happen as a by-product of all your other design decisions, you can instead think about what effect you want to have with your space....did you know that some hospitals are beginning to design for the olfactory sense? Patients in some facilities are already benefiting from aromas (circulated through the air systems) that are more soothing, anxiety reducing and calming....Think of what you want your occupants to experience within your architectural space, how you want them to navigate though it and where you may want them to stop and engage in activity. As a designer, think about ways to tap into the olfactory sense — use it to spark occupant behavior, thought, emotion and intellect."

Now! The moment you've been waiting for; the moment where I tell you where to find amazing candles at amazing prices!  Nope.  Sorry.  I don't think you can buy amazing candles for amazing prices.   This is why we upcycle what is left of them.  Follow these simple steps for a full, prolonged, and resuscitated life out of your hard-earned candles.

You'll need the following: Candles with no more wick to burn them, a darling glass or metal container in which to contain your new candle (and you can get creative.  Use an old candy tin, tea cup, anything metal or glass), a wick, which can be purchased online or at Michael's, and a pot of water on a stove.

candles in water

1. place the candles in a pot of water and turn on low/med.  If you have pillar candles you can put the remains into an aluminum can. Be careful not to let any water get into the candles (and if it does, pour it out in the trashcan, not the sink--trust me).

2. Place wicks into your container.  If you buy a spool of wick, make sure you dip it into the wax so it can stand upright on it's own.  Also, attach an anchor to it (like a nut or bolt).  Then wrap the top of the wick around a pencil and let the pencil lie on the top of your candle container.  However, you don't need to do this if you buy the wicks to the right. (if you only have a tiny bit left, take a tea candle, remove the wick from the wax, and use it for the little remains of your beloved candle)

3. Dip the anchor into the wax and attach to the bottom of your container.

candle wicks

4. Pour the hot wax into your container with the wick and allow to sit until hardened.

Voila!  More candle!