How to Make Candles out of Cheese Wax

Husband and I had a pile of Mini Babybel Cheese wax wrappers on our kitchen counter. We got them as free samples at a local event.

People passing out free cheese samples

 is Blitzkrieg's idea of heaven.

Sometimes Husband and I accept swag (known in the PR buiz as Stuff We All Get) only if it's something we think will be useful to us. Otherwise, it clutters up our tiny house. Can I interest anyone in a junk drawer full of freebie pens?

In this case, the item was useful because it was food. The wrapper? Not so much until Husband challenged me to find a creative reuse for cheese wax.



Some people garden, we hold Craft Corner Deathmatches  in our kitchen. Hey, at least it keeps us off the streets at night.

I turned that cheese wax into a candle.

Make a Cheese Wax Candle

You will need:

Newspaper
Candle wax (Nubs from burned pillar candles work great for this project. Try to use similar colors of candle and cheese wax if possible.)
Hammer
Cheese wax
Candle wick (try to find a lead free wick)
Wick anchor – optional (I reused one from the spent pillar candle)
Glass candleholder (I reused one from a spent candle)
Microwave oven
Potholders
2 chopsticks/pens/pencils
Scissors

Make it:

1. Spread the newspaper over your work surface and in your microwave oven. This will make clean up easier if you accidentally spill hot wax (and you probably will.)

2. Break the old candle nubs into pieces with the hammer.

3. Wrap the wick around the metal wick holder.

I wrapped my wick around the anchor as best as I could.

4. Place alternating layers of candle wax chunks and cheese wax chunks to fill your microwave safe candleholder.

I started melting the wax before I took the photo.

5. Microwave the wax in one-minute intervals until the wax has fully melted.

6. Use the potholders to remove the candle from the microwave. Caution: The wax may make the candleholder hot! Be careful, take all safety precautions, wear a helmet when biking, look both ways before you cross the street etc.

7. Put the wick into the candle.

8. Place one chopstick/pen/pencil on either side of the wick to keep it in place while the candle cools.  Let the wax solidify over night.

You may wish the tape the chopsticks/pens/pencils

together for added stability.

9. Remove the chopsticks/pens/pencils, trim the wick with a pair of scissors, and light your fire!


Condo Blues Remake Your Swag Party!

I am having a crafty creative reuse link party and you are invited! Have you gotten a free or swag item that you remade into something else because you did not want to be a walking advertisement?

On the other hand, maybe you made it into something more useful to you because you wanted to be walking advertisement.

Maybe you found that swag a new home by donating it  to someone in need – that’s OK too.

Write a post on your blog. On Sunday, August 22, 2010 I’ll put a linky up on Condo Blues and we can share in the clever craftiness, creative reuse or donations. Heck a photo of you or yours enjoying a swag item is OK too.

It doesn’t have to be an item from a blog conference or blogger event. It can be anything, even some silly free gift with purchase item like these free beads I got on St. Patrick’s Day.

OK not so creative on the reuse here

but Blitzkrieg sure looks cute.

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