Making Your Own Halloween Candles

Halloween is a great time to use candles in your decorations, so why not make your own. With a few simple ingredients and a few items that most people have around the house, you can make some unique Halloween candles.

Using cookie cutters with Halloween motifs to create designs in wax is a great way to turn traditional molded candles into spooky Halloween mood lighting. Just make sure that you use a few simple safety rules so that making these candle stays fun and not a disaster.

So gather your supplies and start making some of these fun candles and be ready for the holidays.

For Making Your Own Halloween Candles

2 to 3 pounds (908 to 1,362 g) paraffin wax with a 135 to 145 F (57 to 63 C) melting point (exact amount depends on size of mold)

Candle dye, orange and black (cut into slivers)

3 to 4 ounces (85 to 113 g) stearic acid (use one part stearic acid per 10 parts wax)

1 to 2 feet (.3 to .6 m) of 4- to 5-inch (10- to 2.5-cm) candle wick (use size appropriate for individual candle mold)

Double-boiler setup

Candy thermometer

Ladle

Baking sheet or pie plate

Cookie cutters with Halloween motifs

Vegetable spray

Mold seal

Wick support (can use chopstick or length of sturdy wire)

Pyramid candle mold

Skillet or griddle (optional)

For Making Your Own Halloween Candles

Melt a small amount of wax (approximately 10 ounces) in the double boiler. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and allow the wax to heat until a temperature of about 180 degrees is achieved.

NOTE: Do not leave the pot unattended for any reason while the hot wax is melting. It is very important that the wax not get too hot. The flash point (point at which the wax will ignite) varies for different types of wax; make sure you know what it is for your wax before you begin.

Add several shavings of dye to the wax in the color you wish to make the cut-out shapes. Check the color and add more dye as needed. When the dye is completely melted, and the desired color is achieved, use a ladle to pour wax onto baking sheet or pie plate to a thickness of about 1/3 inch. Allow wax to cool until still soft, but not liquid. Press cookie cutters into wax to create cutouts. Remove shapes from pan and allow to cool and harden.

One caution: Make sure the cookie cutters you choose are not wider than the sides of the candle mold.

Melt remaining wax to same temperature as before and add stearic acid. Prime the wick by dipping it in the melted wax once. Add dye slivers of the color you wish to be the primary candle color to the wax until desired color is achieved.

Spray the inside of the pyramid mold with vegetable spray. Thread primed wick through the hole at the end of the mold, leaving 1/2 inch outside of the hole. Cover hole with mold seal. Invert the pyramid into its holder (or other metal container that will allow it to sit balanced and secure). Tie the other end of the wick to the wick support until taut, and place wire or stick across the width of the mold.

NOTE: Many pyramid candle molds come with a mold holder/balance and a wick support. If yours does not, any metal container that will allow the mold to sit balanced and secure will work for the holder; use a chopstick or length of wire for the wick support.

Pour the melted wax into the pyramid mold until the mold is about half full. Immediately place Halloween cutouts inside mold, upside-down with flat surfaces against the sides of the mold. In order to make the cutouts stick, place at least halfway down into wax first to form a glue to help them stay in place against the sides of the mold. When the cut-outs are in place, ladle more wax into mold until mold is full.

Let the wax cool. As the wax cools, it will shrink, and air pockets will form. You will need to prick the surface of the candle occasionally with a piece of wire, then top off the candle with additional wax. Allow candle to sit overnight or in the refrigerator until completely cool. Remove the mold seal and untie the wick support. Remove candle from mold. (You may need to rap the mold on a hard surface to help release the candle.) Trim the wick.