How to Make Sand-Candles

Going to the beach is a fun and exciting trip. And you always manage to bring sand back without. Well how about a fun craft idea that you can do at the beach or when you get back. This is very simple to do and quite a bit of fun. Candle Making should always be done with an adult.

Materials

You will need sand in a container that is several inches deep. ( or at the beach too) water, wax or crayons, seashells, and wicks.

Instructions

1, Start out by getting your sand damp. You don't want it very wet. Just enough so the sand sticks to your wax. Then make a hole in the sand the size of the candle you wish to make. Be creative, we would put our hands in the sand to make hand shaped candles, or flat candles with feet made by our fingers. You can use shapes to make shaped candles. In the outside of your hole you can put shells, driftwood, or even rocks or graft gems into the sides. Remember if you decide at the end that you don't like how the placement is on the outside, you can always chip the shells out of the wax but it will leave an indentation as well as a place without sand coating the outsides.

2, Next find something to attach your wick to. A small rock or even a seashell works well, avoid using a piece of wood as it generally isn't heavy enough. Tie your wick around the object and put it into the center of the candle. If your using multiple wicks, it is possible to attach them to the same object and just lay your wicks where you want them to be.

3, Next step is melting your wax. An adult should always do this. You can use paraffin, found in most stores in canning goods area, or you can use crayons for their colors, though I recommend using crayons mixed with paraffin. Place the wax into a tin can, put the can in a pot of water over the fire or stove to boil. The water will boil and warm up the wax in the tin can. If you use plain paraffin, note that it melts into a milky color, not entirely clear, but not solid white. You can color it with food coloring as well.

4, This step should be done by an adult or older child. Hold your wick straight in one hand, and pour the melted wax from the tin can into your hole. Hold your wick upright for at least 1 minute or until the wax is solid enough to hold the wick upright.

5, Let your candles cool and harden for a while. This can take several hours depending on the size of your candles. When they have solidified completely, dig a trench around each candle and gently pull them out, dusting off additional sand so you can see your seashell embellishments. Put the candle on a try to use or display.

Another alternative to using sand, is using soil such as potting soil. Use your imagination and find fun new things you can make into sand candles!