Recycling Candle Wax

Have you ever had a candle finish burning only to find that there's actually a lot of wax left over?

Whilst most candles I've used are very good burners, one I finished recently seemed to have more left over than had burnt! As it seemed such a waste to throw it away, I started thinking about recycling the wax - something I had heard of previously, but had put off as I worried that it would require a lot of specialist equipment and a time consuming process. However, in the spirit of trying to consume less,  I decided to try and reuse the wax in a way which required hardly any new costs, and a fairly simple process. The results? I'm kind of impressed, if I do say so myself! Some of you may have seen my Instagram stories from when I decided to make it up as I went along give it a go, and these are the details. The only new purchase I made was a couple of wood candle wicks from eBay (which came in at under £2 with free postage for the pair), and it only took me half an hour at the most!

So, here's the process and everything I used, yadda yadda...

- A container for your candle - 
This should be two things - watertight (or the melted wax will run through it) and heatproof (open flames + materials with a low melting point = bad accidents). Other than that, you can be pretty creative. I've seen images of old food containers - syrup tins and marmite or jam jars being used, and I also love the idea of using shells. One thing to remember is the ease at which you can light the candle - I was originally going to use a vintage milk bottle I usually use for plant cuttings, but the narrow opening would have made it difficult to light the candle once it had burnt further down. Instead I used this ceramic dish I picked up second hand, although you can of course always reuse the original candle container (just be sure to remove the old wick before pouring in the new candle).

-An old glass jug -
Specifically one you don't plan on using for food preparation. This will be used to melt the candle wax in, bain marie style. The process I used was this: place any loose parts of wax inside the empty jug. Fill a saucepan shallowly with boiling water, and place on the heat. Stand the jug in the water, and keep an eye on the wax as it melts. For the wax still in the original candle container, I placed the container in the water (again, in a bain marie style), and when enough of the wax had melted for it to become loose, I poured it into the main jug. I had a few candles I needed to do this with, and this was the most time consuming part, but it honestly wasn't that tedious. And my kitchen smelt like a Lush store, which was an added bonus ;)

- Candle Construction - 
When all the wax had melted down in the jug, I carefully removed anything left in the melted wax - e.g. burnt wicks - that I did not want in my 'new' candle. I then removed the jug from the bain marie, to let it cool a little before pouring (mainly because I was nervous about spilling it when it was piping hot). To keep the new wick stable, I dipped the wick base in the melted wax to act as a glue, and then positioned it in the centre of my new candle container. I left this to cool for a couple of minutes, just so that it was set before I poured in the rest of my candle wax. This meant that the wick stayed in place whilst I poured in the wax. It is worth having a second container ready, just in case you have more wax than you can fit in one candle! I'm not sure on the exact cooling times for candle wax, but I left mine at room temperature for 24 hours before I lit it.

- Considerations - 
One thing I haven't mentioned above is perhaps the most important - smell! When mixing different scented waxes together, things may get... interesting to say the least! I used two different scents in my candle, and whilst I was initially unsure about whether I needed to add more through essential oils, I would advise against it. There's already probably enough scent going on without any other additions! I hadn't though about it prior to this, and whilst the candle I ended up with smelt rather delicate and relaxing, I think it would be worth thinking about which scents should be combined. After all, there are bound to be certain combinations that are not going to be a good match. FYI, in this candle I also mixed wax types - soya and paraffin - and as far as I can tell it didn't make much of an impact on the burning process. Although, maybe in some circumstances it would?

Considering this is just an experiment I decided to do to see whether it could be worth while, I would 100% do this again. I'm still not entirely sure whether making candles from scratch is something that I want to do yet, however this was simple and means I can get more mileage from some of my favourite candles. Seeing as how I still have one of my two wicks left, there will definitely be a time in the near future where I repeat (and maybe improve upon!) this process.

So, do any of you make candles? I have to admit, I'm certainly curious about it now!

Last Minute DIY Gift: Nutella Fudge

No intention to panic anyone, but Christmas is this Friday and I find myself thinking about a few last minute gifts I need to get. As much as I love making presents for people, this year I feel I've lacked enough time in order to plan what I'm going to make (and make it of course!). Which is where this recipe for fudge comes in. It's really simple, only requiring three ingredients, and takes 45 minutes to make, tops. Last minute gifts don't come as easy or yummy as this!

KNIT: Fairisle Stripe

Hats are definitely my knitting comfort zone. I like the fact that they knit up super quickly, are pretty easy shaping wise, yet there's still enough details to keep me interested. They also require very little wool, so there's also that (however, if I saved up all the wool I used in hats, I think I'd easily have enough for a jumper!). One thing I keep challenging myself with (in both knitting and sewing) is to try new things however, so I find if I am knitting a hat, I do try to stretch myself in some form or another. In this case, it was knitting in the round (you can see this hat in progress on that post), and I have to say that I'm a definite convert. So, here's how this little hat went, and my final thoughts on knitting in the round!

REMNANT 101: A Simple Camisole

A realisation that I have come to recently is that I am horrifically bad at underestimating the amount of fabric I need for a sewing project. Not when I'm buying fabric off the bolt - if anything I almost buy far too much, but then I like to be on the safe side. Instead, I mean when I'm buying fabric remnants. With one look at a piece of fabric a little over a metre squared, I convince myself that it's plenty to make myself a short-sleeved summery top. As you'd expect, it isn't nearly enough.

After a sort out of my fabric stash lately, I rediscovered this lovely navy spotty floral remnant (a synthetic of some kind) that I'd bought in this frame of mind. I really do love this fabric, it has a lovely drape to it (aahh, I wish I was better at identifying fabrics!), and navy features heavily in my wardrobe, so I knew I wanted to turn it into something wearable. As we'd been having a spate of boiling hot weather, I made something I don't think I would have considered otherwise - a halter-neck camisole.

DIY: How To Make a Ribbon Bow Hair Tie

Whilst there are plenty of options with updo's for those with longer hair, I have to admit that out of sheer laziness and ease, when the temperatures soar, I just tend to stick my hair in a plain old ponytail. Sometimes even a topknot, if I'm feeling like putting a little extra effort in. So, this is why I've come to love the ribbon hair tie that I picked up in H&M lately, even though it was something that I could very easily have made myself. In order to give myself a little more choice, I decided to whip up one of my own, and here's how I did it...

REMNANT 101: DIY Sleep Mask

If there's one thing I've learnt about my fabric hoarding problem, it's this - there's not much of a problem with storing a lot of fabric because at some point it will get used. As my fabric stash depletes thanks to a couple of (as yet unblogged) projects, the real problem is the remnants. I just can't bring myself to throw out a few scraps of a fabric I love, no matter the shape or size, if it's pretty it stays. Which is an issue coming from someone who actually has very little use for remnants (I'm no quilter!). So, in a positive effort to force myself to actually use some of my beloved remnants, I'm starting up a new series on A+M: Remnant 101, where I'll be posting a little project I've sewn up from remnants every once in a little while.

Sewn: Daisy Pistachio Backpack with Hillarys

One of the things that has been an unexpected result of writing Awake + Make for nearly two years now (eek!), is that I have an online journal of my crafting process and makes. It's hard to see an improvement within yourself, but when Hillarys got in contact with me to announce that they were running their craft competition for a second year, I had a little look into the A+M archives at my entry for the year before, and was pleasantly surprised at how far my sewing has come along. It seems hard to believe that this time last year I was becoming acquainted with my sewing machine (no darts! mostly hand stitched!), and now we're on our way to becoming friends (nearly - he can still be an asshat at time).

How to: DIY Colouring Pencil Photo Frame

At the moment, I'm really digging decorating with things that are both practical and pretty - I prefer items that have a purpose rather than endless knick knacks that just collect dust, no matter how adorable they are. This colouring pencil frame is such a simple idea, yet I love how it turned out - I spotted a similar frame whilst shopping in Debenhams (aaaahh, their home section is to. die. for.), and instantly thought 'I could do that.' And do it I did, and I'm pleasantly surprised with the results - it's so bright and cheerful, and yet is such a simple idea!

Whilst the process was super easy, if a little time consuming, I thought I'd share how I did it here for those of you looking to add a statement to your photos...

Experiments with Metallic Spray Paint

So, I realise I'm a little late to the party when it comes to metallic spray paint. And not just 'fashionably-late' late, but more of a 'there's no nibbles left and people are starting to leave' late. I truly don't know what's taken me so long to try out this Pinterest favourite, but it wasn't until I rediscovered a lot of items I'd collected solely for the purpose of spraying them metallic that I finally decided to give it a go. Here are my thoughts about the way it turned out...

Project Planning: Suede Skirt

If there's one thing that's changed of late, it's been the time I take thinking about projects. A busier schedule than last year means that I have less time to dedicate to spontaneous making, and although I still do make time for it, it means that I've been thinking more about how to spend that time. I'm actually quite enjoying this - it means that things are a little more thought out and considered than they used to be, although that's not to say that I'm totally against a completely spontaneous project now and again! So, here's something that I've been planning and working on for the last couple of months (yep, I'm that slow of a sewer!).

My Favourite Online Resources for Crafters

Let me tell you something which makes me sound old: I remember life without the internet! This makes me feel all the older when my brother, who is four years younger than I, does not know life without the internet, and does not even know the sound of the dial up. Yes, that's right people, I know the struggle, the struggle of actually going to library for homework research, of having to look up stuff in encyclopaedias, of having to buy Smash Hits Magazine to know the lyrics to Justin's latest song (Timberlake, duh). All this means that I'm still in serious awe of how easy it is to find stuff online, and whilst I'll always love my craft textbooks and guides, I find that the best way to gain new knowledge of a technique is to combine the internet with textbooks. Here's four of my favourite online hangouts for crafters...

How To: Single Pearl Ear Cuff

Yes, I know that ear cuffs are old, old news by now. In fact, I've been sat on the fence about them for so long that I've only recently decided that I actually quite like them (all the blingy styles at the Grammy's persuaded me, I guess). I wanted one that was a little more understated, and far more wearable on a day to day basis - so, what better than to make my own? If you want to make one of your own, read on for the instructions...

Navy Salute

At the moment, all my sewing plans are decidedly season inappropriate (boo, hiss winter), which is why it's been a while since I've been sat behind the pedal of my sewing machine. The main contributing factor to this is that I lack the sewing confidence to make more complicated things like coats, jackets, and items involving bulkier fabric. It's something I definitely want to work on, but right now my main concern is warmth, which I'm definitely not going to get from making day dresses or summer tops. So, when I came across this navy blue faux fur, I knew it would be making its way towards my sewing machine pronto (so soft! so warm!).

The Knitted Turban Beanie: Take 1

Sometimes, I don't get started on a project as soon as I get inspiration, and the idea can be left hanging around for quite a while. If it's one that I keep returning to however, I know that I have to try it out, just for the sake of curiosity. This is one such project. It started off with this pin, which I think I found a good few months ago. The one thing that caught my eye about this turban beanie was the clever construction, as most I've seen just use an extra knitted "knot" to tie at the front. This one intrigued me for a long time, until things came to a head lately and I decided to figure it out. Whilst I'm not completely happy with this first attempt, I've learnt a lot from it, and am itching to give it another go...

Looking Ahead

So here it is - the obligatory post on my hopes and goals for 2015. But no fear - I won't be getting overly soul searchy here, as instead I'll be talking about all of my creative goals for the coming year. So, to find out what it is I'm hoping to be making, the techniques I'm hoping to master, and the lessons I'm hoping to learn, read on!

Knitting Pattern: Arachne Cabled Fingerless Gloves

Okay, confession time - in my three to four years of knitting, I've only ever knit cables once. It was in my early days of knitting, and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed it (I still wear my finished cable beanie), at the time I didn't like the fact that I didn't really fully understand the mechanics behind it. I suppose I'm finickity like that. But I've recently had the desire to become reacquainted with cables for some reason, and I've been loving it. The chunkiness means that they work up really quickly, and once you know the pattern, you get into a rhythm.

3 Ways to Wrap and Package Handmade Gifts

If you've got any handmaking of gifts to do, hopefully you're well on your way. I've still got a couple I need to finish off, but fingers crossed, it should be all under control. One thing I always find tricky about giving handmade gifts, is knowing how to package and wrap them. Shop bought items only require wrapping paper at the most (hurrah for in store gift wrapping services!), so when faced with something you've created yourself, packaging can be puzzling to say the least. Today I'm sharing three different ways I wrap or package handmade gifts, to hopefully give you some inspiration.

How to: Cut Out Jeans

Hello, cold knees!

At the moment, it seems that any crafting time I have is being taken up with a certain project involving crochet flowers. It was therefore very nice to become reacquainted with the sewing machine this week, as I ticked off a project I've been meaning to complete for a while now - a pair of cut out jeans. I'm glad I got around to making these now, as I don't think my knees would be able to survive any cooler temperatures!

Read on for the instructions...

5 of the Best DIY Gift Ideas

Whilst in my mind Christmas seems like a looong way off yet, it's getting close to the time where if  I want to make any presents myself, I need to start. I'm not sure yet if I'll find the time to do it, but I'm hoping to make a couple of things. If you're in the same situation as I am, then I'm hoping to inspire you with this little gift guide I've put together, gathering some of my favourite gift ideas from all over the interwebs. Oh, and all items here are perfect for birthdays too, so if you know someone with a winter birthday, here are some ideas to treat them to...

Upcycled: A Shrunken Scarf to Messenger Bag

Okay, okay. So here I am talking about scarves again. In my defence though, it is winter, and there is nothing better than wrapping oneself up in a scarf on a cold, gloomy morning. I bought this new to me scarf recently (I love me a check pattern), a little doubtful as to how I would wear it as the previous owner had seriously shrank it in the wash. Never one to shy away from a little work, I bought it anyway and knew I would use it somehow...