DIY | Teacup Candles (Oh, Martha Stewart!)

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Me oh my. Martha Stewart, you've done it again. "Done what?" Oh, nothing, really... you've just made my life a bit more colorful. A few months back, I hit up a thrift store and walked out with a few random teacups for $.99 each. I had visions of teacup candles dancing in my head... and there I was, thinking I had come up with this incredibly genius concept. 

Enter Martha Stewart. Apparently she was the genius. I must have unknowingly absorbed her incredibly genius concept by some undiscovered form of osmosis. Sure enough, there I was, googling around about teacups, when there it was: Martha's teacup candles.  You know what, Martha Stewart? I hate you. But I love you. 

Got a thrift store or Goodwill around town? There are always shelves full of various cups and teacups. This tutorial will work with just about any container. Teacups? Milk saucers? Glass jars? Check. Please, pretty please, will somebody put this in an elephant tea pot? You would make my day...

How To Make Teacup Candles

1. Melt old candles in nested pans

Gather ye, gather ye, ye old candles. Or something like that. All of the old, distorted, warped, half-burned candles you've been saving in a disorganized cabinet... grab them! They have a use now! Melt them down in nested pans. 

What are nested pans? The bottom pot has water in it, which is brought to a boil. The top pot is empty but for the candle wax. The heat from the boiling water underneath the wax will cause it to melt. It's pretty fun to watch! You might get impatient like me and begin to stir it around...

2. Make a wick

If you have wicks already, skip this step. Otherwise, there are a few options. The simplest option is to take a long (5ish feet) string and fold it in half over and over again until it is only 6-8 inches long. Then, twist it and dip it in melted wax, then smooth down with your fingers. Repeat this a few times. 

3. Hold wick in place and pour in wax

Tie one end of the wick to a washer to weigh down the bottom of the wick. 

Wrap the other end to a pencil or chopstick and continue to wrap it until the pencil/chopstick can rest easily on top of the cup. 

The wick should be standing up straight, held down by the weight of a washer, and held taught by the pencil/chopstick its other end is wrapped around.

Then, pour in the wax!

4. Wait! 
I waited overnight for these to harden. In the morning, trim the wick and remove the pencil or chopstick! Then burn, baby, burn!