Evening star., 1946-01-10
MELTING CANDLES.


(From Mrs. w. S. w., Arlington.)
May I help with the query re-
using leftover candle ends? Like
every one else, I feel that when
candles have burned down to or 5
inches, they are too short for COM
pany" candles, new ones being in
order for the next guests, so I keep
a box to put discarded ends into.
However, we use candles on our
dinner table every night and so, in
order to get maximum use of the
ends, use them for every day in
tall candlesticks or candlelabras,
without regard to color or length.
AS fast as one candle burns down
to one-half inch, I replace it with
another stub. I found that the
different colored drippings gave a
very pretty effect on the conven-
tional candle holders. Every one
probably knows the old trick of de-
liberately letting candles drip down
the sides of unusual looking bottles,
OF letting great masses of wax &C
cumulate for very striking effect.
Use OF pretty conventional candle
holders this way is not so bohemian
looking and yet is very pretty.
This system still leaves many one
half-inch stubs to be used in an
other way. Place large tomato
juice can filled with candle ends
inside your double boiler or other
pan, and melt the candle ends over
the hot water in the lower pan, very
slowly. CAUTION: Never melt can
die wax directly over open flame.
Always set can of wax in boiling
water over a low flame to melt.
If you desire special colors, keep
stubs separated, according to color
Always remember that even a small
piece of red candle in an otherwise
large collection of light ones will
give definite reddish caste. Wax
crayons from the children's supply,
when cut up and added to the wax,
will color white or light wakes. Al
ways keep in mind that the original
color of the candle, if not white,
must be taken into consideration if
change of color is desired.
Next, place several thicknesses of
paper on the floor in an out-of the
way place. Next, place two straight
chairs back to back about a foot
apart on the paper. Now take two
sticks about "a inches long and
from them suspend several soft type
pieces of string, about "a inches
long. About three to each stick is
right, and they should be tied to
the middle of the sticks, about
inches apart. Then place your can
of melted wax, still in it's hot-water
container (and from which you have
SKINNED out leftover pieces of old
wicking) on the floor between the
two chairs. Then take each stick
one in each hand, and dip strings
into can of wax, being careful that
you do not dip so far that the
strings buckle, and hang sticks
across the backs of the chairs to
allow the wax on the strings to
harden, and to let the surplus wax
drip back into the can. In a few
minutes, when the wax on the strings
has set, dip again and let harden
Repeat this process until you have
a candle the size you desire. Oc-
casionally smooth out any Jumps or
the outside of the candle to insure
a smooth-finished appearance. Yol
may have to remelt the wax in the
can several times during the process:
if it begins to set or harden. Cut
surplus string off top of candles
when they are finished and even ur
bottoms. Thus you have genuine
handicapped candles. This job car
be done in the kitchen if there are
no small children about, while the
housewife is going to be in the
kitchen for baking or other long
jobs. 1t can also be done in the
basement while either the washing
or ironing is going on.
Another popular method of max.
ing candles from stubs is to poul
melted wax into containers thai
can be broken and the candl,
freed. Tall green olive bottles make
nice size candles, although many
people prefer larger sizes. Three
candles made in tamale jars set ir
a row in the middle of the table
and surrounded by ivy or othel
greenery is very pretty decoration
Still another way is to pour differ.
ent colored wax into each of severa
gelatin molds provided with wicks
These, when hardened, can be re-
moved from the molds by pouring
very hot water over the outsides ane
are used bottom side up in bowl o
water decorated with greenery. The.
look like illuminated water lilies.
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