Introduction: Emergency Candle in a Jar
I'm new to instructables, although this isn't my first 'ible. This one is, however, inspired by some of the other instructables on here that I have made. Pocket sized latern for one. I have made several of these from but adding a gift twist, painting the outside with glass paint and picking jars with patterns and interesting shapes.
Anyway it seems the fav is to use altoid tins, but I am going for a jar, the jar I used is an Asda's own peanut butter jar.
So things you need....
a jar with lid
a small box of matches
couple of magnets (or like me a magnetic bookmark thingy)
a wick
a little metal base bit {I reused from a tea light}
candle wax - recycled or new ( i had a bag of paraffin wax)
scissors
something to melt the wax - I bought a really cheap sauce pan for this purpose
Optional
Decoration - I have some liquid lead or relief outliner & some glass paints. Im also toying with the idea of maybe some chalk board paint - there are 'ibles on them, I have yet to make some as I had a small jar still to use..
Anyway it seems the fav is to use altoid tins, but I am going for a jar, the jar I used is an Asda's own peanut butter jar.
So things you need....
a jar with lid
a small box of matches
couple of magnets (or like me a magnetic bookmark thingy)
a wick
a little metal base bit {I reused from a tea light}
candle wax - recycled or new ( i had a bag of paraffin wax)
scissors
something to melt the wax - I bought a really cheap sauce pan for this purpose
Optional
Decoration - I have some liquid lead or relief outliner & some glass paints. Im also toying with the idea of maybe some chalk board paint - there are 'ibles on them, I have yet to make some as I had a small jar still to use..
Step 1: Preparation
Gather all your materials finish off the peanut butter (mmm peanut butter) I know a recipe for Peanut butter fudge from Sophie Dahl - Very Nice.
Remove all the labels from the jar and lid - soak the jar and lid in boiling water (from the kettle) for a few minutes, this will melt the glue holding the label and it should peal straight off. Give it a scrub to remove the glue too!
Attach your wick to the little metal bit at the bottom of a tea light, I used a pair of scissors to squeeze it apart, remove the old wick ( I used the tea light first) and insert the new one. TOP TIP: keep the wick as long as possible, it makes it easier to position whilst the wax sets afterwards
you can decorate first or last its up to you.
Measure out your wax, if using bought wax for candle making fill the jar to the brim this should be a nicely filled candle ( I didn't fill it to the brim so my candle is a little short)
Separate your magnets and glue one to the inside of the lid and one to the box of matches - look out for the position of the box in the lid - make sure it will still screw on to the jar.
Get your pan or other method of melting wax ready.
We should be ready to go...
Remove all the labels from the jar and lid - soak the jar and lid in boiling water (from the kettle) for a few minutes, this will melt the glue holding the label and it should peal straight off. Give it a scrub to remove the glue too!
Attach your wick to the little metal bit at the bottom of a tea light, I used a pair of scissors to squeeze it apart, remove the old wick ( I used the tea light first) and insert the new one. TOP TIP: keep the wick as long as possible, it makes it easier to position whilst the wax sets afterwards
you can decorate first or last its up to you.
Measure out your wax, if using bought wax for candle making fill the jar to the brim this should be a nicely filled candle ( I didn't fill it to the brim so my candle is a little short)
Separate your magnets and glue one to the inside of the lid and one to the box of matches - look out for the position of the box in the lid - make sure it will still screw on to the jar.
Get your pan or other method of melting wax ready.
We should be ready to go...
Step 2: Melt the Wax
fairly simple task - on a lowish heat melt your wax.
Step 3: Assemble
pour the wax in to the jar
Drop in your base and wick (should sink to the bottom)
Wrap the top of the wick around something that will sit across the top of the jar until the wax sets - I used a kebab skewer
Once the wax sets snip off the wick
Screw on your already preped lid
Decorate if you haven't already and as the Farmer guy from scrap heap challenge would say "jobs a goodun"
Drop in your base and wick (should sink to the bottom)
Wrap the top of the wick around something that will sit across the top of the jar until the wax sets - I used a kebab skewer
Once the wax sets snip off the wick
Screw on your already preped lid
Decorate if you haven't already and as the Farmer guy from scrap heap challenge would say "jobs a goodun"
Step 4: DONE
Give as a gift, take camping, leave in the cupboard for power outages the choice of uses is many.