Beeswax Candles in Recycled Teacups

During this time of the year, I'm normally crazy busy creating homemade gifts...except this year I wanted to keep it super simple, healthy, and be eco-conscious.  At first I started making ripped T-shirt scarves, which on the  pinterest pictures  looked adorable, but in practice turned into a huge mess of little fabric pieces all on the floor and myself.  So, Plan B was creating candles in recycled teacups.  

I decided to go with beeswax because it's an eco, non-toxic, all natural product with no additives, chemicals, or fillers.  During my research I found out that most manufactured paraffin candles (the kind you find at the dollar store or name brand candle or a craft store) are made of poisonous chemicals.  According to the American EPA, paraffin candles are known to release carcinogens like benzene and toluene.  Often, the candle wicks contain lead, the scents are artificial chemicals, and the paraffin wax is a waste product from the petroleum industry.   A popular alternative are soy candles, but unless they are marked as 100% soy, they also contain the toxic paraffin and are not an eco choice because there is a lot of energy involved to make soy into a soy wax.  

Instructions:

1. Place wick in middle and fill the teacups to the very top with beeswax pellets.  Press them down a lot and fill it up again.  

2. Cut up two strip of card board, staple together and place on top of tea cup, with the wick in the middle. This is to hold the wick in place. 

3. Place in oven at 200 - 250 degrees on a tray that you don't mind getting wax on.  It could take 30 minutes to an hour for the wax to melt. Once melted, adjust the wick and make sure it's in the middle of the cup.  Turn off oven and keep it in over night to prevent the wax from cracking. 

4. I designed my own labels and attached to the cups (see the image below - you are welcome to use it!).  

For the beeswax, I ordered an 8lb organic bag of Beeswax pellets through Amazon for about $70.   I bought natural, lead free wicks on amazon as well.  And all of the teacups, are upcycled from the local Goodwlll and thrift stores.  What a super fun and healthy craft to do with kids, the family or on your own that will brighten anyones day! 

Happiness and health!

Yvonne