When I was little my mom and would make the most amazing candles together. Who knew that a ½ gallon milk carton, crayons, ice cubes and paraffin would do something as wonderful as these candles. The ice cubes melt, leaving caves and holes in the candle. As a young girl I would sit watching the wick go down through the candle and pretend I was making my way through a maze. As the wick melts down the light coming from the inside of the candle is filtered through these holes and crevices.
This project requires adult supervision as it involves hot water and hot wax.
For Ice Cube Candles you will need:
½ gallon or quart size wax milk carton
Old crayons stripped of the their paper
A box of paraffin
Old candles
Ice cubes, square cubes work the best, but I used my ice maker cubes
Coffee can for melting the crayons, paraffin and candles
An old pot for boiling the water for the coffee can
Old wooden spoon
Pencil or other item to hold the wick in place
Heavy string
Wax paper for covering your work surface
Potholders or oven mitt
Depending on the size of the carton you may need 2 boxes of paraffin to complete the project. Other sizes of cartons can be used but the ½ gallon or quart sizes make the best candles.
Wash and clean the milk carton. Carefully cut around the top of the carton, giving it a nice edge. Strip off any paper left on the crayons. Break up the candles and break the bars of paraffin in half, place in the coffee can. The crayons will be added last.
Place the coffee can in the pot and put water in the pan to fill at least half way up the coffee can. Don’t put water in the coffee can! Bring the water to a gentle boil and as the wax melts drop in the desired color of crayon. The wooden spoon will come in handy to distribute the color throughout the wax.
Tie a length of string equal to the height of the carton and tie one end onto the pencil. Dip in the wax a couple of times and lay out on wax paper. After the wick has dried place the pencil on top of the carton in the center.
Once your wax has melted completely, pour an inch of paraffin into the bottom of your carton and let it harden. Then fill your carton up with ice cubes leaving space in the center for the wick. Don’t overload the carton! Square cubes work the best but my icemaker cubes were fine, positioning them where there are 2 together if you can. Make sure there are plenty of spaces for the wax to fill so the candle is sturdy. The object of the ice cubes is to melt and leave holes throughout the candle.
Using a potholder or oven mitt, carefully pour the melted wax over the ice cubes down through the center of the carton. Take your time, make sure that the wax fills the carton all the way to the bottom. After you have filled the carton to the top let it sit for several hours. Once it is hard, tip the carton over and let the water drain out, hopefully you’ll have a hole at the top for some of the water to come out. Since the candle will be full of water, stand over a sink and gently remove the paper. Any paper that sticks can be removed by rubbing a paper towel dipped in very hot water over the surface and the paper should come off easily.
Place your candle on a plate or other flat container to catch the drips. Light and enjoy!
Remeber! All candles should be kept away from children and animals while lit.
