Ultimate recycling part 1 - Paper Roll Candlemaking

We had occaision to have a snow day here recently which included rain, snow and freezing temperatures.  This caused the roads to be so slick that school was closed and work was cancelled for all but the most necessary professions!  So we had an indoor crafts day.  Paper roll candle making uses empty toilet paper rolls and burned candles and lets you recycle them into new candles!  It had always bothered me that toilet paper rolls weren't being recycled into something really useful and it also torqued me to throw away old candles, or the leftover wax that there is nothing wrong with!  So here is a fun, easy idea for putting both to good use.

 

PAPER ROLL CANDLE MAKING

You will need:  two or more empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls, a number of burned candles, candle wicking, masking tape or scotch tape, a pan to be used for wax only, chopsticks or pencils and a stiff paintbrush.

To start place your wax pan on the stove burner and  turn on to warm only—no higher.

Take your toiler paper roll and cut one end of it four times making “tabs” as shown below.

Take the wicking and cut a piece about 2 inches longer than the size of your paper roll.  Hook it into the tabs and close them around it.  Tape the end tabs securely down. 

Turn the roll right side up and roll the top part of the wicking around a chopstick or pencil.  Your wax should be almost melted in your pan.  If not turn it up slightly and stir to melt it, then turn it back down to low.  Once the wax is melted dip the taped end of the roll into it and set aside to let it harden for a few minutes.

 Using your paintbrush dip into the wax pan and paint the bottom inside of the roll sealing any holes in the corners of the tabs.

Fill the  tubes half way up with the wax and let set until nearly solid. Once mostly solid fill the rest of the way up and let sit for two hours. Save a little of the wax in the pan to use for filling the settling wells that may appear in your candles after they harden. Let set for 24 hours, then peel the toilet paper  roll away from your candle.  Trim  off the excess wick from top and bottom of the candle and burn safely.  Enjoy!

P.S. The unrolled tube that you take off the candle makes great fireplace, woodstove, and campfire starter.  The ultimate recycle x3!