Introduction: Shotgun Shell Candles

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About: I love to sew, as I'm sure you can see from my ibles ;) I also love lawn flamingos, going to the beach, dinosaurs, and doing random stuff.

Shotgun shells. They're EVERYWHERE in the logging roads around here, and I think they're pretty cool. I've wanted to do this for a long time, but never found suitable shotgun shells until now,  because usually the metal part is all rusty.

Step 1: Supplies


You'll need:
 * Used shotgun shells (That's kind of a  given) Make sure that the plastic is intact and the metal isn't completely rusty, because if it is, then it could break.
 * Candle wax. You can use the big blocks of it, or tea lights, or old candles. Whatever you want.
 * Double boiler. I use one that is originally meant for melting chocolate, but I find it more useful for this. You can make one by putting a tin can in water in a pot, or you can buy one.
 * Some kind of colorant. You can use another candle, or crayons, or that coloring stuff that's meant for candles.
 * Candle wick
 * X-acto knife
 * A stirring utensil

Make sure you put something down for when you are pouring the wax, otherwise it could get everywhere.

Step 2: I'm Melting!

Chop up your candle wax  and put it in the double boiler  (not the part of it that the water goes in) along with whatever you are using to color it. I used an old candle  that I made probably over a year ago since I couldn't find any red crayons. Put it on the stove on a medium-ish to low heat. Whatever you do, just don't make it too hot.

Once the wax starts to melt, stir it a bit.

Step 3: Preparing the Shells


Your shotgun shells may be dirty. A couple of mine were. You're going to want to make sure they don't have any dirt or anything in them, because that would look bad on the outside of a candle.

Depending on how long the wick you have is, you can either put it in now or wait until after you pour the wax. I'm waiting until after.

Step 4: Once the Wax Is Melted...


It's time to pour it into the shells! Put them on something like tin foil or newspaper,  because you are bound to spill at least some wax.

So pour the wax into the shell, up to the very top. You can put your candle wick in now if you haven't already, or you could even wait a little bit longer until it's had some time to set up.

Step 5: Removing the Plastic

Once it is completely cooled you can remove the plastic. Removing the plastic is quite simple. Make a cut down the side of the shell, and then around the base of the plastic. Try not to cut into the candle, though it may be difficult not to. Once you've done that you can peel the plastic off. If you want to, you can just leave it as is, but the wax won't be very shiny or anything. Probably partially because of the crayons, and partially because of whatever dirt may have still been in the shell. If you don't like how it is, just dip it in some more wax.

You can see where I accidentally cut into the wax on the first picture :P

Step 6: And You're Done!

Enjoy your new candle :D

I really recommend that you put something under it to catch the wax if/when you burn it, because there's really nothing to keep it from making a mess.

Hmmm... Redneck wedding decorations anyone?

Also, just a couple of tips:

If you use crayons to color it, use Crayola ones, because Roseart ones are kind of weird.

You should put the wick in THEN pour the wax if possible, to avoid any air pockets that may be created when inserting the wick, which is what happened to me :P

  After you remove the plastic casing of the shell, there will be plastic at the bottom still. You may want to dip the candle in wax again to cover it up a bit. Don't let that plastic burn, by the way, because these candles burn down pretty fast.