You can manufacture a functional candle at home without any wax at all, if you want to make your own candles but don’t have any candle wax on hand. Only a specific kind of fat is needed for waxless candles to replace the wax.
Making candles devoid of wax is simple and may be done using items you likely already have in your home. There is more than one way to make a candle without wax.
How to Make a Candle Without Wax
Candles Using Crisco Shortening
This well-liked do-it-yourself candle is cheap and simple to produce. Other than candle wicks, it doesn’t require any particular equipment or resources for creating candles.
Supplies
- Vegetable shortening, one can (like Crisco).
- Two or three weighted wicks per candle (depending on candle size).
- Jar or candle holder made of tempered glass (non-tempered glass will shatter or crack).
- Scented candle essential oils.
- Liquid dye for manufacturing candles or makeup made of mica.
- A pair of scissors.
- A saucepan (for melting shortening)
- A stirring spoon
- A glue gun or tacky glue.
Instructions
- Shortening must be melted. If using a pot, heat it gently while constantly stirring until the shortening melts. If using a microwave, put the shortening in a bowl and heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted.
- Avoid letting the shortening boil.
- The weighted end of the wick should be adhered to the interior bottom of the candle holder using sticky glue or a glue gun. If using one huge wick, position it in the middle. If using two or three wicks, space them out somewhat. For a thicker wick, you can, if necessary, twist together two smaller wicks.
- If the wick won’t stand straight, wrap it around a stick or pencil to keep it upright while you pour the melted shortening into the holder.
- Add your preferred liquid candle dye to the melted shortening using an eyedropper. Drop one at a time, stirring until combined. Until you get the correct color, add more drops.
- The essential oil(s) should be mixed with the shortening if you want a fragrant candle. Start with two or three drops and whisk them together before adding more to get the aroma strength you want.
- The melted shortening should be added to the glass holder slowly. As soon as you take the shortening off the heat, it will start to solidify, so you need to act quickly. Take caution to avoid burning yourself.
- When the candle holder is full of shortening, leave it alone until it solidifies. This could take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on the size of the candle.
- About half an inch above the candle, trim the wick. The wick will self-extinguish if it is overly long.
Tips for Shortening Candles
You may do a few things to make your shortening candle more original or simpler to manufacture.
- For easier pouring, you might choose to pour the melted shortening into a sizable glass measuring cup with a spout.
- Working with layers, create a candle with multiple colors. Melt shortening in lower quantities while using various liquid candle colors. Up until the candle holder is filled, keep adding colored layers.
- For a coastal candle, hot glue glass beads and seashells to the inside, then color the shortening various shades of blue.
Orange Peel Candle
You get to consume the remaining ingredients, which in this case are the orange, making it by far the nicest one.
Supplies
- A handful of candle wicks.
- Some scented oils.
- A couple oranges.
- A knife .
- A spoon.
- Coconut oil or vegetable oil.
Instructions
- Run the knife carefully along the orange peel’s edge once you have made a cut that completely surrounds the orange. Verify that the dent where it was secured to the tree is on the bottom.
- Avoid cutting the orange too much. To protect the integrity of each peel half, the peel should be carefully peeled off.
- Use a spoon to carefully peel the orange. As you turn the orange, gently and evenly smooth the peel over the sliced edge.
- Once you’ve managed to get the orange peel down about two-thirds of the way, gently pull it away from the fruit. If you think it might split, take a break, twist the orange, and try again from a different part of the fruit until the skin comes away from the fruit.
- If you were patient and meticulous, you should now have half of an orange peel with some pith (the white inner skin) poking up from the bottom. This will be your wick. Coconut, olive, or vegetable oil should be placed within the orange peel.
- As you pour the oil onto the wick, make sure to leave a small portion of the wick protruding above the oil so that you may light it later.
- You can use a few orange fruit segments as wedges to keep the wick in place if it comes off.
Just keep in mind that you are not just limited to oranges; you can also use grapefruits and satsumas.
Candle Made from a Tuna Can
This one sounds nasty and highly odoriferous, but it’s actually remarkably odorless and a great DIY candle.
Supplies
- A can of tuna.
- A screwdriver.
- Some cotton string.
Instructions
- Grab a tuna can and a screwdriver from your cabinet. It is better to use a small head screwdriver for this task because the hole will be tiny and round (the one that resembles a cross rather than the flat one).
- The can needs to be placed on a stable, flat surface. Use the screwdriver to gently pierce a small hole in the top of the can. Be careful not to push too hard because you don’t want to make a hole in the bottom.
- With the use of the screwdriver, insert a short piece of string into the hole you just created.
- Put just enough string inside the can to cover its height plus an additional 1/4 inch.
- You need to cover the additional string in oil so that you can carefully draw that 1/4 inch of oil-soaked string back out. Light the 1/4-inch portion of the string’s end that protrudes from the can.
Since you are only heating the oil in the can, you can actually consume the tuna afterward. After you have poked a hole in the tuna can, I advise against leaving it for too long; it is advisable to consume it right away rather than use it as a candle. Additionally, wash the screwdriver well because it will be placed in the can.
Olive Oil Candle
Supplies
- Some olive oil.
- A glass or glass jar.
- A screwdriver.
- A piece of string.
- Some optional cooking foil.
Instructions
- Take out your empty jar, then screw the lid on. The lid must then be pierced with a screwdriver. It’s recommended to use a tiny head screwdriver.
- Pull some string through the jar’s top hole, leaving enough to extend a further inch over the jar’s bottom.
- Add olive oil to the container, then tighten the lid.
- Make sure the string is well-coated with oil by giving the jar a gentle swirl. Then, carefully pull 1 inch of the thread back through the opening until the oil-covered portion is above the lid. After trimming the excess string, you’re ready to burn your oil candle.
- Cooking foil can be used in small jars or glasses without lids. To get the size you need, cut a piece that is roughly four times larger than what you require and fold it in half twice.
- The added thickness will keep everything in its proper position. With a skewer or knife, make a tiny hole in the center of the foil. You need a little hole, so don’t press too firmly or use a large knife.
- Similar to how you pushed the metal lid through, carefully do the same with the string. You can shape the edges of the foil around the jar to keep the wick in place once the string is in place and the end sticking out has been coated with oil.
The Issue With Using Edible Ingredients
The problem with employing edible food goods is that they could draw some unwanted hungry pests as well, especially after your makeshift candle has burned out. When you are through using your candle, I advise that you clean up the area and throw away any leftovers so that nothing will attract any unwanted visitors.
Conclusion
There are multiple ways to make a candle without wax. I’ve mentioned only a few of the best and easiest ways to make them. Making your own wax-less candle is very common nowadays, and you do not have to put much effort in at all.
