Country Living Handmade Candles

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Votive Candles MAKES SIX 2 X 1-1/2 INCH VOTIVES Ordinary votive candles may be inexpensive and easily obtained, but there's nothing ordinary about these one hundred percent beeswax votives. They're a little taller than store-bought votives, and the beeswax makes them soft and aromatic. If you use candles to heat essential oils in a burner to release their fragrance, these are the votives for you. True votive molds are readily available and create a candle that is slightly narrower at the bottom than at the top. This pleasing profile is difficult to attain using found objects as molds -- try tomato paste cans or small juice glasses. If you use found molds, you may need a little more beeswax than this recipe calls for. Six 3-inch lengths wire core wick 6 wick holders 0.5 pound of beeswax Prepare the molds -- you will need 6 small votive molds. Insert the wicks into the wick holders and place one in each mold. Give each mold a spritz of silicon spray. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the beeswax and heat to 160 degrees F. Transfer the wax to a pouring jug and fill the molds. Allow to cool overnight, then release the candles from the molds. Trim the wicks to 1/4 inch, set in your favorite votive holders, and they are ready to light. Copyright 1998 by Hearst Books