DIY Candles Made From Your Favorite Wine Bottle
SUPPLIES:
- WD-40, to help remove wine bottle label
- Glass Cutter (suggestion: Agptek Bottle Cutter, which is fit to score bottles)
- Large Pot of hot water
- Double Boiler
- Ice bath prepared in sink
- Sand Paper – fine grit
- Wax chips
- Candle fragrance of your choice (optional)
- Hot glue gun + glue sticks
- Candle wick
- Pencil and Tape
Note: Don't toss the top of the wine bottle after scoring and removing! Bonus craft below!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Enjoy your favorite wine!
Step 2: Use warm water and soap to remove your wine bottle label. If it’s stubborn, use WD-40. Clean your bottle thoroughly, inside and out, after removing the label.
Step 3: Prepare your hot water and ice bath. Follow all directions on the bottle cutter package for scoring your bottle, which includes submerging in hot water and ice water.
Step 4: Use the fine sand paper to smooth the cut edges on your bottle so that they are not sharp, and set aside.
Step 5: Use a double boiler to melt your wax chips. Watch them carefully, as they can scorch. A candy thermometer can be helpful in making sure that the heat does not exceed 180 degrees – this is very important! If you chose to add candle fragrance, follow the instructions on the container for adding.
Step 6: Glue the wick to the center of the bottle bottom with hot glue, making sure it's centered.
Step 7: Cut wick to the appropriate length for your bottle, leaving about 2 inches of additional wick at the top.
Step 8: Tape the top of the wick to your pencil and lay it across the top of your bottle, that way it’s easier to keep the wick centered in the glass. Keep the wick somewhat taught on the pencil.
Step 9: Pour your melted wax into bottle bottom very slowly, making sure you keep the wick in the center by holding the pencil.
Step 10: Let the wax set with the pencil still attached for approximately 12 hours, or overnight.
Step 11: Remove the pencil and trim the wick to your average candle wick height.
Step 12: Light candle, and enjoy!
BONUS CRAFT IDEAS: Choose what you’d like to do!
SUPPLIES:
- Top of the wine bottle that you saved
Option 1:
- Tea Light Candle
- A coaster that is larger than the wine bottle’s circumference
Option 2:
- Taper candle
- Glass paint (optional)
Prep: Sand your cut edges, just like you did with your wine bottle candle.
Option 1: Set your coaster on a table, light the tea light candle on top of the coaster, and put your wine bottle top over it. It will look like a hurricane lantern!
Option 2: Use a colorful tapered candle to place in the wine bottle spout, and allow the wax to drip down. If you’d like, you can paint your wine bottle top a different color with glass paint, following the instructions on the paint container.
