by Roberta Guiotto
Bringing the scent of the sea into your home
Who loves candles at home? The gentleness and warmth of a flickering flame creates a cosy atmosphere during all seasons. Candles make our special moments magical, so why not create one with our own hands and with the help of our children? When returning from a beach holiday, we bring back small mementos like shells or sand that often ends up stored away because we don’t know what to do with it… so why not use these to create something truly original? Candles are easy to make, and there are numerous ways to personalise them with different aromas, shapes, and colours. We can use animal wax, vegetable wax, or even tallow (an eco-friendly choice dating back to ancient Rome). Alternatively, we can recycle leftover bits of old candles. Here’s what you’ll need: wax, a wick (kitchen twine or macramé cotton, it must be 100% cotton), a small saucepan, aluminium foil, essential oils, natural dyes, spices, or wax colours, shells, sand, and a container like a glass jar, unused cup, coconut shell, or silicone mould. Melt the wax, once it has liquefied, dip the wick in it for a few seconds and let it solidify on aluminium foil (to keep it rigid when inserting it into the candle). Pour the wax into the chosen container and insert the wick until the tip (leaving it exposed) while keeping it in a vertical position. You can create layers by putting sand at the bottom, then the wax, a few shells, a layer of colour obtained by separately heating some wax and melting it with wax colours, food colouring, or spices. Now let your imagination run wild, alternating layers of coloured wax (waiting a few minutes between each layer). Enjoy!
Published by: Editor on 19/07/2023
