Whenever I browse thrift stores, I always love looking at the mismatched teacups and china. Unfortunately, buying ten teacups is impractical, so making candles with them is an excellent use!

Step 1: Supplies

First you'll need teacups (with or without saucers, both work). Next, you need wax. I used shaved soy wax because they are container candles. You also need wicks, which I will talk about in the next step. Lastly, you also likely want fragrance oils (I used Gardenia Jasmine). I decided not to color the wax because the teacups were already decorative.

Step 2: Making Wicks

Originally, I bought pre-dipped, ready made wicks, but found them hard to center and balance. Instead, I made some by tying cotton yarn onto sticks and dipping them in melted wax.

Step 3: Melting the Wax

Next, put the wax in a pan. The pan is now a candle-making pan only! Melt the wax over low heat. Most instructions say to use a double boiler, but low heat is just as good. (Please know that wax does not boil, and can catch fire if overheated to the point of smoking.)

Step 4: Scenting the Wax

How much scent to add depends on the strength of the fragrance oil and personal preference. I used about half the bottle for one pound of wax. Also know that fragrance oils are different from essential oils, which are much stronger and more expensive.

Step 5: Pouring

Once scented, pour the wax into the prepared cups (it's a good idea to have newspaper down for this). Place the cups in a spot where they won't be knocked over. My wax took about 3 hours to set, but to be safe, let them harden twenty-four hours before lighting.