Candle tarts or "melts" are all the rage these days! Usually they are single packaged solid fragranced chunks of wax that you melt in a tealight potpourri burner or in an electric tart burner. Because there is no flame and the wax melts all at one time, you get more scent which lasts up to ten times longer than a regular candle of the same size.
Candle melts are available in many places, both online and offline, however you can even make them yourself in your own home by recycling old candles. This serves the purpose of using old candle wax instead of throwing it out, while at the same time scenting your home with delightful fragrances. Here are the items you will need to get started:
*Old used candles or candle wax
*Two old stove pans, one larger than the other
*A candy thermometer
*A mold for your melts - this can be a metal mini-muffin pan, thick plastic ice cube try, or any other small metal seamless container that won't leak.
*A fire extinguisher (NEVER make candles without having a fire extinguisher handy in case of accidents!!)
*A few drops of the essential or fragrance oil of your choice (optional)
Once you have gathered the above items, begin by adding your chunks and pieces of used wax to the smaller pot. Be sure to remove the wick, by cutting the wax away from the wick if necessary, and remove all foreign objects.
Next fill the larger pot about 1/4 full with water, and place it on the stove. Set the smaller pot inside the larger pot to form a double boiler. IMPORTANT: Never, ever, heat wax directly on the stove - always use the double boiler method as wax can reach flash points very rapidly.
Turn your stove onto medium heat, and allow the water to heat up and melt the wax bits inside the smaller pan. This process takes about 15 minutes or so. During the time it is melting, stir the wax frequently and continue to check the temperature of the wax, which should never go higher than 180 degrees.
Once the wax is entirely melted, add a few drops of essential or fragrance oil of your choice to the melted wax and stir it well. Make sure you only use essential oils or fragrance oils (fragrance oils that are made especially for candle making). Potpourri oils, lamp ring oils and other products are not suitable for use in candle products.
As soon as you have mixed in the fragrance or essential oils, immediately pour the melted wax into your molds. You can use just about any type of metal mold as long as it is seamless and doesn't leak, however mini-muffin pans are ideal! Make sure that the mold is small enough so that the finished product will fit inside of a potpourri warmer.
After pouring your wax, allow the melts to cool completely which takes up to 12 hours. You can speed this process up by placing the melts in the freezer for about 30 minutes after they have hardened a bit at room temperature.
Once they are completely cooled, remove them from the molds by turning the mold upside down and tapping on it. And there you have your finished candle melts which you can use at any time!
