Buongiorno!
Coming atcha today with a super fun (and easy!) DIY project: teacup candles! If you’ve never made your own candles before, it’s way easier than you may think and if you have, filling up teacups is a really cute idea for a gift or a little home decor. I’ve given these as gifts a couple times and people always think they’re adorable! I’m breaking down the steps in today’s post so you can get candle making too.
I’ve made candles in a couple different ways, so there are a variety of methods out there, this is just the one I prefer.
What you’ll need
- Teacup :: The best part is finding a beautiful teacup to fill. I find a lot of cute ones at HomeGoods, but if you’re into vintage/antique shopping, there are tons of beautiful pieces out there!
- Wax :: I like soy wax, it’s better for you to breathe (less chemicals) and it burns slower so the candles last longer. Find a 10lb. bag of soy wax here
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- Wicks :: Make sure your wicks come with the little metal weight attached at the bottom. I’ve seen the metal pieces sold separately and you don’t need to do that unnecessary step. Find a 100 pack of wicks here
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- Sticky squares :: Not sure if this is their official name, but it’s what we’re going with. I use the 3M brand squares. You can find these in just about any convenient store or supermarket and online here
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- Clothespins :: I use these to hold the wicks in place. I’ve also used wooden skewers taped together around the wick to hold it in place. Grab a 50 pack of pins here
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- Materials for double boiling (or a double boiler pot) :: I have always just used my own system for double boiling of a big pot of boiling water and a smaller pot or heat resistant bowl filled with the wax above the water. But there are candle making pitchers available that are maybe a little easier to use for melting wax. Find a candle making pitcher here
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- Scent :: (optional) I’m actually really sensitive to scents and prefer to make unscented candles or to add some natural essential oils. If you’re interested in using candle scents, I recommend starting with a basic set of scents like this
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.Step 1
The very first thing to do is make sure that your teacup is clean. If it has some dirt or any residue in there, your sticky square won’t adhere well.
Next, stick your sticky square to the base of the wick and then center it at the bottom of the teacup. It’s important that you try and center the wick as best as possible, otherwise your candle with burn down crookedly. Not a huge deal, but if you want to refill the teacup again after you burn it down, it will be an extra step to scoop out that lopsided wax you’ll be left with.
Step 2
Set up your wax melting station. Mine looked something like a little chemist’s lab, ha! Again, there are a number of tools you can use to do this, but most of us already have a large and small pot that will work fine for melting the wax. In your large pot, fill about two thirds with water and bring to a boil. Next lay your small pot over the water (this works best when the base of the small pot is touching the boiling water, so adjust water level accordingly) and transfer your wax chips into the small pot. You will see the wax chips start to melt.
Wait until all the wax is fully melted before adding scent if you choose to. Be careful here, because you can always add more scent, but you can’t take really take it away if you make it too strong!
Step 3
To prepare your candle for the wax, we want to make sure we hold the wick in the center. For this, we’ll use our clothespin. Clip it right onto the wick and rest it against the edge of the teacup to keep it stable. You can also use the two wooden skewers taped together for this.
Step 4
Pour the wax in carefully and leave a few centimeters of the teacup unfilled at the top. You don’t want to overfill any cup or glass that you make a candle in. That very top section, especially if you have a tapered cup like a teacup, will most likely not melt down evenly if overfilled.
Step 5
Let your wax harden. If you have a window or area outside where you can set your teacup, the wax will harden faster. Make sure again that your wick is centered after pouring the wax, to ensure that it dries straight.
Once your candle is completely dry, clip the excess wick with a pair of scissors and voila!
What do you guys think? Would you give it a try? I’m even toying around with the idea of getting some cute labels made from my illustrations and adding some candles to the Etsy shop! Thoughts??
A presto,
Amanda ❤️
My grandmother has so many of these she left to me that I’ve been super tempted to actually do this. I might still need to do this.
Author
Omg what a great way to enjoy all your grandmother’s teacups! I love teacups but often find them too small to actually drink out of (I guess I like drinking huge cups of tea haha) so when I came across the candle idea, I thought it was a cool way to still enjoy them and have them around the house. 😊
I buy these tea cup candles all the time! Such a brilliant idea. Great post! Anna (one half of the Cinnamon Buns and Roses blog)
Author
Omg funny! Now you could make your own or refill yours when they burn out. 😊 Thank you, and thanks for stopping by, Anna!
I’ve done this before as gifts and I love it! It’s a unique twist to a candle ☺️❣️
Author
I think it’s an awesome gift too! People always love them since it’s different like you said! xo
Yes ☺️
This is a fun idea!
Author
Thank you! xo
K this is so cute! I need to try this!
Author
Thank you girl! It’s so easy. I’m hooked on making my own candles haha
I saw this on your insta story, and it looks so cool! I’ll probably end up doing some art and crafts like this when it gets warmer outside! Great step by step post on how to do it 🙂 xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Author
Aw thanks love! Sorry I’m just seeing this. Candle making is so much fun and so easy if you’ve never done it. I don’t even want to buy them anymore, ha! xo
My best friend is knowledgeable about making candles and I believe she’s using soy wax too 🙂 it makes sense that they’re a healthier alternative! She is in the midst of setting up her online candle shop actually where she sells locally handmade and crafted candles. 🙂
Author
Oh awesome! Yeah I only use soy wax too. That’s amazing, they’re so much fun to make, I can see wanting to open a shop!
This is lovely and a great mother’s day gift!
Author
For sure a great gift idea!
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing.
I also wanted to say thank you for liking my post. I hope I inspire you enough to want to follow. 🙂 have a perfect day!! 😁
Author
Thank you! Best of luck with your blog!!
Such a splendid and creative idea. I hope to try this sometime!! 🙂
Author
Yeah! It’s a lot of fun and pretty easy!