I’m not an arts and crafts kind of gal. Ask anyone I know, and they can confirm this. I can be creative at times, but it definitely doesn’t come naturally. During the holidays, I always find myself in awe as I scroll through Pinterest looking at all the cool projects, but I rarely actually try out any of them. Well, I figured this year is a good time to take a stab at one. And if I can do it, you can, too! So, get ready to make the cutest candles using pumpkins. That’s right, you read that correctly: You are about to make a candle inside of a pumpkin.
Materials
- Soy wax flakes (I bought 4 pounds of the Simple Serenity brand at Michaels)
- Pumpkins (You can decide the quantity and size!)
- Candlewicks (one for each candle)
- Paper clips or pennies (one for each candle)
- Microwave-safe measuring cup
- Essential oil, such as pumpkin spice (optional)
- Spices, such as cinnamon sticks and/or cardamom pods (optional)
Warning: Dealing with hot melted wax is extremely dangerous and can lead to burns. Please be extremely careful when proceeding with this activity, and maybe throw on an old T-shirt you don’t mind getting a little dirty!
Directions
- Start by covering the area of your kitchen you plan to work in. This makes it a lot easier to clean up the mess at the end, and it will help prevent wax from melting on your countertops.
- Next, cut off the top of each pumpkin, and then scoop out the insides.
- Place a few handfuls of soy wax flakes in your measuring cup.
- Microwave the flakes for two minutes. Take it out and stir. Repeat this process until the wax is completely melted and no solids remain.
- If you’re using essential oils to scent your candles, stir them in with the melted wax.
- Grab a paper clip or penny and a candlewick. Place the paper clip or penny in the middle of the bottom of the pumpkin and situate the wick so that the paper clip or penny weighs it down. In order to keep the candlewick in place when you pour the wax in, tie the top of the wick to a ruler or similar object set across the top of the pumpkin.
- Once you have your candlewick in place, pour the melted wax into your pumpkin and fill it to the top. Depending on how much wax you melted and how big your pumpkin is, you may need to melt more or start pouring the remaining wax into your next pumpkin.
- After about 20 to 30 minutes, the wax will become cloudy. This is when you can add your spices and whatever else you’d like.
- Allow the wax to cool and harden. This takes about two hours, but I recommend leaving your candles to set overnight for the best results.
Voila! You now have the most adorable pumpkins to place all around your living space for the next two weeks!
