I know you cook with soy.. but I had fun playing with it this weekend!

It was murky with nasty freezing rain { even the Pupster had to be carried down the slippery steps! } so I thought it time to “batten down the hatches” and illuminate my studio.. with this sweet little craft.

I was looking for a few cups and saucers for this craft, so I went out thrifting last week without much success. Luckily I stumbled across these chippy cups at the Where On Earth Antique Mall in Airdrie. I love their warehouse! They have so many rooms just filled with vintage items and antiques, so you’d better expect to spend extra time wandering if you head over there. If you don’t have the time and you’re looking for something specific, just phone them up and they will take the time to text you a photo of what they have in their shop!

The price for these cups was perfect, just $3 each, I assumed because they lacked their little saucers and they were, well, chippy. I love Flow Blue Transferware china, this type of china was made in England around the 1820’s (imagine!) using a cobalt blue glaze that ran when fired in the kiln. I think the overall effect is much more rich and sensuous than typical china.

♥

Soy wax makes candles that are longer lasting, a slightly cleaner burning flame than paraffin wax and is made from a renewable resource. It is a softer wax, so works best in votive style candle making. I did not try adding essential oil fragrance or tinting, but that would be fun!

You’ll love this craft if you try it.. because it’s so fun, simple and quick to put together!
How pretty would these be on tables set for brunch or even a wedding?

♥

Vintage Chippy Teacup Votives DIY

Materials

1 package ( 1 lb/ 454 g ) soy wax chips
3″ wicks (prewaxed with metal clips on bottom)

heat proof teacups/containers for your candles

heavy microwavable container
disposable plastic spoon
wooden skewers
newspaper or parchment to protect your counter

instant read thermometer

microwave

Directions

Fill each of your teacups or containers with wax chips and then pour them into a microwaveable container. I used a heavier, thicker plastic food storage container to melt the wax in. You will need more than this because it melts down to much less than you think, about half. You can add more wax chips at this point or redo the steps once you see how much more wax you need to fill the your cups. I just melted one batch and then repeated to finish filling my cups.

Using your microwave, heat the wax in 30 then 1 minute increments, stirring with a plastic spoon each time you heat the wax. (There are instructions in most packages for heating wax on a stove in a pot over a double boilers, but I found the microwave so much faster and really quick to clean up.)

Meanwhile, place one wick into each cup, bending the top of the prewaxed wick over the wooden skewer. This will hold it in place because once the wax is poured into the cups, the wicks soften and will fall over.

Using your instant read thermometer, check the temperature of the wax once it starts to become a liquid. It must heat up to between 160° – 180° F. I believe this helps it to set and not crack when it cools. Using oven mitts or a tea towel, carefully remove your liquid wax and pour into the prepared cups. Always take care when working with hot wax to avoid splashing your skin, eyes, or depositing wax on your clothing. (It really wasn’t a dangerous craft, but I felt I should put that warning in there in case you are working with children.)

Do not disturb your cups, let them sit until the wax has completely resolidified. If you move them while they are setting, you’ll get “movement” waves on the surface of your candles.

Once cooled, snip the wicks to about 1 cm.

♥ 

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