Last updated on March 4th, 2018 at 11:26 pm
How to Make Beer Candles or Ice Cream Soda Candles
These beer candles are an easy craft project, and they make great gifts for the beer drinkers in your family. You make them out of glass beer mugs, coloring the wax to look like beer.
By whipping the wax into a froth, you can add a head of foam to the top, enhancing the realistic effect. If you allow a little of the foam to overflow and drip down the side of the beer glass, your candle will look like a pint of freshly drawn draft beer.
Ice Cream Soda Candle
You can use the same basic candle making instructions to create an ice cream soda candle. Make a wax cherry for the top by adding red coloring to a small piece of the melted wax, let it cool a bit, then roll the red wax into a ball. Add a green stem for the cherry made out of the wick and attach it to the cherry before it hardens.
What You Will Need
- thick glass beer mug or soda glass (don’t use thin-sided glasses as they may crack easily from the heat of the candle)
- hot glue (optional)
- candle dye
- paraffin wax
- candle wick
- wick tab
Beer Candle Instructions:
1. Cut a piece of candle wicking about three inches longer than the depth of the glass beer mug.
2. Use a wick base to stick the bottom of the wick onto the bottom of the glass. If you don’t have a wick tab handy, just stick the bottom of the wick in place with a small amount of hot glue.
3. Cut the paraffin wax into chunks and place them in the top of a double boiler. Bring the water in the lower pot to a boil, then lower the heat to simmering. When the wax is completely melted, remove from heat.
4. Add candle dye to the hot wax to give it the color of beer. A combination of brown and yellow should work, but remember that hot wax may be slightly darker than wax that has set. If desired, test the color by dripping a little hot wax onto a white sheet of paper, then place in the freezer until the wax hardens. Check the color and, if necessary, add a little more dye.
5. Beat the warm wax to a froth with a wire whisk or a fork.
Pour wax into the beer glass, using the fork to spread foam over the top of the “beer.” Don’t forget to let a little drip down the side.
6. Ensure that the wick is placed in the center and allow wax to cool.
Suggestions:
» Instead of a double boiler, you can simmer about 1½ inches of water in a small pot. Take a tin can and press the sides in a little bit, to form a spout for pouring. Add the wax to the tin can and place it in the boiling water until the wax melts. Be very careful that the can doesn’t fall over, and use a pot holder to remove it as the metal will be very hot.
» Consider make several variations to give as homemade gifts or sell at a fundraising bazaar.
Caution:
- Never leave a lit candle unattended.
- Never melt wax in a microwave. It will splatter and can catch on fire.
- Use common sense and due care when working with hot, flammable wax.
Adapted from the wikiHow article on How to Make Beer Candles, under this Creative Commons license.
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