I have a number of tired, half-burned candles that need a refresh. Sharon & I decided to melt one down and make pine cone fire starters. Neither of us had melted wax before, so we got instructions from Melinda, who is a pro at candle making, and gave it a try. Overall, this was a pretty easy craft, and we had a great time making it!
The first thing we did was break an old candle into smaller pieces for easier melting. We tried a few methods, but using a hammer seemed to be the most effective.
The next step is to put the broken pieces of candle into a pot and melt over low heat. Be sure to remove any pieces of wick before placing into the pot. Use an old pot designated for wax only. We used an old piece of wood to stir the wax.
Once the wax is liquified, dip the pinecones in about halfway. (We used leftover pinecones from Sharon’s Holiday Centerpiece that had already been baked. Read more about baking pinecones.) Then set on a wax paper covered tray to cool. We were concerned that we weren’t getting enough wax to stick on the pinecones, but we found that as they cool, the wax hardens and appears much thicker.
After dipping the pinecones, we inserted a salvaged wick into a mason jar and poured the remaining wax into it, making an easy jar candle. Packaged in a small wicker basket, this would make a great holiday gift for anyone with a fireplace!