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Thursday, May 12, 2011

All Aglow: Made with Love [DIY]

This post is pretty much top-secret. So I'll give you a hint and meet you after the jump.




BRIDESMAIDS:  IT'S TIME TO SKEEDADDLE!
STOP READING!  
-  XO



After some thought, I decided that I wanted to make at least part of the gift for my bridesmaids.  I tossed around making clutch purses, but I quickly realized that time was flying by and I wasn't going to be able to make them happen.  But then it dawned on me one day: soy candles!  If I could get the fragrance and the packaging right I could make a gift that everyone would love and be able to use!  


For inspiration, I turned to my beloved Chloe perfume.  I remembered reading somewhere that a reviewer thought it smelled more like soap (I don't think so but I like it, so ok).  And that's what I wanted; something light, feminine, clean and balanced--magnolia, peony, pink grapefruit, pink peppercorn and cedar.     


Here's how my soy mason jar candles came to be.

Supplies:


- 2 5lb bags of soy 464 wax flakes (Amazon.com)
- Fragrance Oil, Manufactures Quality (Wellington Fragrance)

  • 1 8oz. Bottle of Magnolia
  • 1 8oz. Bottle of Peony 
  • 3 1/2oz. Bottles of Cedar
  • 3 1/2oz. Bottles of Pink Peppercorn
  • 3 1/2oz. Bottles of Pink Grapefruit
- A box of Ball Mason Jars, Pint/16oz (from Wal-Mart)
- 2 Packages of Pre-Assembled Wicks (from Michaels)
- 1 Candle Thermometer, though a candy thermometer will work fine (from Michaels)
- 1 Can Spray Paint, Gold (already owned)
- 1 Spool of Bakers Twine (already owned)
- Cardstock and stamp for the hang tags(already owned)




I can say that first off, I bought much more fragrance oil and candle wax than I needed. 


*Tip #1 - It takes about 2 cups of wax flakes to make 1 cup of liquid wax.  Don't learn the hard way, like me. 

Step 1 - Melt your wax down using a double boiler. I grabbed an old Pyrex bowl and a pot I didn't mind scrubbing if wax got on it.   No need to buy any fancy tools!


The double boiler helps the wax melt evenly.  


Step 2 - Make sure to keep track of the wax's temperature.  When the melted wax reaches about 175-185 degrees, you can add your fragrance.  


*Tip #2 - Don't go crazy on the fragrance.  Too much fragrance oil in a candle can actually make it flammable!  A good ratio is one  fluid ounce of fragrance oil per 16 ounces of melted wax.



Step 3 - Allow your wax to cool to 125 degrees and then pour into your container.  Prior to pouring the wax, I went ahead and used a bit of hot glue to attach the wick to the bottom of the mason jar--there are markings in the center of the jar that make it really easy to center the wick.



I wrapped the end of the wicks around a pencil, some chopsticks, a set of knitting needles, and a failed ribbon wand to make sure they stayed in place while the wax cooled.  Very scientific and exact. 

*Tip #3 - It's best to keep your containers warm, if possible!  This helps prevent the wax pulling away from the side of the container.  I washed the jars in warm water and dried them thoroughly.  It helped reduce the pull-away a bit.  


While that was going on, I worked on the jar lids.  After a little hot glue and some gold spray paint, I came up with this:




Cute, feminine, and yet still modern.  And who doesn't love an environmentally friendly candle, am I right?


Here they are from another angle. 


I loved being able to make something from the heart that I really think everyone will like.  And don't let my instructions scare you.  It really is easy!  In fact, you could skip the entire double boiler and use a Pyrex bowl in the microwave to melt the wax.  Instead of mason jars, you could hit up a thrift shop and use some eclectic cups or containers.  The possibilities are endless! Or reuse your old candle containers to make new ones.  The possibilities are endless!



What do you think?  Are you making anything for your bridesmaids?     










1 comment:

  1. this is totally random - but i found your blog via pinterest.
    anyway - i had a friend who blew glass pendants - and i gave all the females (bridesmaids, musicisians, etc) a glass pendant necklace...they loved it!

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