DIY Candle Molds From Toilet Paper Tubes 

Have fun with it! I would call having all of the supplies kicking around the happy part 😉.

I know I’m late but I totally get that! I keep anything that I believe I could use for my crafting 😅 I love to create♥️♥️

Same omg I finally hoarded all the supplies that's why I'm here 😂

I'm really happy to hear that. All the best with your projects and thanks for watching! Cheers!

I've tried that with tablecloths. Carpet is a tricky one for sure. I would share your worries. Have fun with the decoupage... that's a word we don't get to use enough! Thanks for watching and thanks for all of the tips! Cheers!

LOL! I don't really follow the year rule but have been trying to be better about deciding what is really useful and what can go. The texture on the tubes is really nice. If you want them smoother, you can always do a quick dip in wax once you've pulled them out of the mold. If it's a contrasting color... nice effect. It sounds like you have a lotta wax to experiment with! All the best!

I'm happy to hear that I'm not alone! I still haven't found a good used for the old treadmill belts but one day! Thanks for watching!

There's always a reason for EVERYTHING! LOL! Thanks for the comment and happy candle making! Cheers!

I think those are a worthy sacrifice! Have fun!

And it adds just a touch of water repellency!

yup, like batik, removing wax resist when dying fabric...

LOL! NICE! All the best!

Probably sock organization or wrapping paper taming. I’m glad you found it helpful! Toilet paper cores are the Swiss Army Knife of crafting materials.

You just never know when you'll need that thing that most people throw away. Maybe just put a date on things and discard after a certain amount of time? Of course... that's the minute you'll need it...

Nice! I never thought about them fitting a candle lantern. Brilliant and bonus! Thanks for letting us know. Cheers!

All you have to watch out for are leaks. I know a lot of people also use the wax soaked tubes as kindling for their fireplaces. You can get a lot of life out of the things we usually throw away. All the best!

@@RandomMakingEncounters Thank you. I will try to block off all the leaks. Happy Thanksgiving.

You’re too kind! Thanks for watching and all the best!

I’ve tried to implement “if I haven’t actually used it in five years I might want to throw it away” rule. I can’t say I’ve had the discipline to truly follow it. Thanks for watching! Cheers!

LOL! Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!

Thanks! It's kinda interesting to see what you can make from things you might just recycle. It also means I tend to hang on to things that I probably shouldn't. Thanks again for watching.

Thank you for all of the tips and tricks! I love how there are so many ways to make candles from everyday materials. All the best.

You’re very welcome. Glad you liked it!

Thanks! It's a fun project and a great way to get a bit more use outta things. Just watch out for those leaks :)!!

Thank you for watching and commenting. Happy making! Cheers!

Wicking is always fun! I tell ya... wax will always find that spot you didn't completely seal. Happy candle making! Cheers.

Sorry for the late reply. I've been called a lot of things. This is perhaps the nicest thing I've ever been called. Thanks!

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm glad this was helpful. I wish you the very best!

You're very welcome. I'm happy it made it clear. It's a good way to use things that normally get thrown away. All the best!

You bet. I just did a little candle supplies organizing and poured a few candles myself. It's always fun to make things that you can turn around and use. Cheers!

The toilet paper tube is pretty sacrificial in this application. I do think you're on to something by creating a reusable base of some sort and then just popping new cardboard on. You'd need to experiment with those gift cards to see how they respond to the heat of the wax. They might hold up well... or they might warp. Maybe a heavy rubber washer that you might find in the plumbing aisle? Thanks for sharing!

If you're talking about pre-waxed wicks that are set in those metal holders, I would adjust the height of the tube to match the height of the wick with a little wick projecting. Usually those are wire core so they support themselves but a little propping doesn't hurt. Don't poke a hole in the base, seal as usual, pour the wax and then set the wick down in the tube being careful to center as well as possible. As long as the wick stays relatively centered, you don't need to fuss much more than that. I use wire wick with metal bases when making votives and don't mess with securing them to the bottom. If you do find they don't stay centered, you could secure the wick to the bottom board with a dab of hot glue before gluing the tube and then support the wick at the top. I generally try to pour the wax a little on the cool side when trying to stand them up in the wax. Since we're using hot glue to seal and cardboard held together with who knows what, pouring a little on the cool side and planning for the occasional blowout by using some sort of sacrificial tray underneath is always a good idea :). Hope that helped! Best of luck!

I haven’t but it should work just fine. I would want to make super certain that the base is sealed really well. The taller the tube the more liquid pressure at the bottom… the greater the chance for a blowout. You’ll also have more overall thermal mass so things will stay warmer a bit longer. You could do it in a couple of pours… maybe a couple of inches… let cool… then finish the full height. Pour enough to seal the base but not too shallow so it fully re-melts on the second pour. All the best!

Right?! Now you know there was a reason for keeping them!

Sadly I don't. When going natural, the extent of my experience has been beeswax. For all of my other candle making adventures, I've probably been a little on the unnatural side using readily available dyes and scents. I tend to go in fits and starts with candles usually making more around the holidays. I hope this worked out for you! It's a fun way to make small pillars and they have an interesting texture to them. All the best!

If your wax is sticking, my guess is that it has more to do with the type of wax and less about the cardboard. Waxes made for container candles are naturally a bit softer and "stickier". Since the tubes are naturally porous, there isn't really a spray that would help. I might try adding a bit of a hardener to your wax or maybe switching the type of wax. There are formulations that are made for pillar candles that already have additives that allow for the candles to release easily from molds and prevent the candles from deforming when they're warm. Be careful... too much hardener and the candle will not burn well... too little and it burns too well :).

Yes! It's always nice to find ways to use instead of throw away. The answer to your question is really... it depends. Here are the two main things you want to consider: 1. What is the diameter of your candle - the larger the diameter the larger the wick 2. What kind of wax are you using - the higher the melting point the larger the wick Wax that is formulated for pillar candles tends to have a higher melting point to keep the candle from blowing out and ending up a puddle on the table (less fun). That doesn't mean you must use some special wax... you just need to adjust your wick. It looks like something in the 24 ply to 36 ply flat braid would be a starting point. Maybe start with 30 and see how it goes with the wax you're using. If that burns too fast and you get a lotta wax running, step down to 24. It's a bit like cooking... more art than science! You'll see in the links below that they all say a little testing is needed. I hope that helps. Kinda vague I know. All the best with your project! Be safe melting that wax! This link has great information: waxingmoonshine.com/blogs/news/the-right-wick-for-the-job These are helpful but the wick names are less useful (kinda hard to tell what they are): www.candlescience.com/learning/wick-guide www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/candle-making/candle-wicks/guide-to-wicking

The trick with wicks is to find the right size so you don't melt too much of the wax leaving a puddle or too little and end up with a candle with a hole down the center. I use regular old braided cotton (no wire core) for pillars. Unfortunately, it seems like everyone has a different name or size for their wick. It's best to look at the packaging to see what it's intended for. You're looking for something for pillar candles 1 to 2". This wick will not be the smallest but probably one step up-24 or 27 ply square braid seems to be common. I've never tried materials other than cotton but that's just pure laziness. Realistically, it will also vary a bit based on your wax. Some waxes will have a lower melting point and need less wick and some higher needing thicker. Candle making is a bit like cooking... all of the ingredient influence the final product and will vary from batch to batch. When it doubt, don't stress, make your best guess, try a couple of different sizes, and have fun! Hope that helps! Happy making!

@@RandomMakingEncounters Thank you!

It will depend a bit on the wax you use and your environment. I've found I usually need to wait overnight. What you might find is the wax will shrink as it cools and will require a top off. You can also help speed things up with a small table top fan. Once the candles start to solidify and you don't have to worry about spilling, you can put them in the fridge to cool too! All the best with your project!

It's possible! There are a variety of different sticky materials out there that could be used to seal the base. I use them to hold electronic components in place while I solder and have found some to be heat sensitive. One thing I use when I want to temporarily stick things down is butyl tape. I wouldn't use it for walls, it tends to leave stains, but it's really sticky and seals well... that's what it's designed for. I've never tried it for candle molds. I know there are also tacky materials specifically for mold sealing so your idea/instincts are spot on-it's just a matter of experimenting a bit. I'd work on a tray, hope for the best but plan for a mess LOL! Cheers!

Paraffin wax is getting a little harder to find these days. It's a petroleum product and is generally being replace by soy at craft stores. I wish I had a secret super source for ya :( All the best.

@@RandomMakingEncounters No problem, thank you for the reply

Sorry for the late reply. The size of wick depends on a bunch of things. Another thing that is unfortunate is not everyone names wick sizes in the same way. My best advice is to start a bit thinner than you think and do some testing. If you're using wax with a reasonably low melting point, a thinner wick will prevent the wax from melting too much and have the pillar just pour down the sides and onto everything. If the wax is harder or the pillar is wider, too thin a wick will mean the candle just burns a little in the center and straight down leaving a lot of un-melted wax. In that case, up the thickness a bit. Most wicks will say "for pillar candles from some width to some other width". Keep in mind wax hardness will still play a big part in how well the candle burns. The best part of candles is... wax that doesn't burn can be remelted and reused so experimenting is pretty low cost. Buy wick in small quantities until you get it dialed in and you should be good to go. I hope that helps... you probably already figured this out in the time it's taken me to reply. All the best with your project!

Thanks for the added tip for folks. I've generally had pretty good luck without messing with the wick too much. However... it sounds like you may be a bit more wise in the ways of wicks so good information to pass along! Thanks!

Absolutely! A double boiler is the safest way to go. My main goal is to let people unused to working with wax know you need to watch the temperatures and there is some risk if things get on the toastier side. Thanks for the tip and the comment!! All the best.

You sure can! It’s really the best! Nothing smells as good as beeswax.

Sorry for the slow response... it's been one of those new years. Sooooo... tape is a possibility. However, molten wax is as fluid as water so you really need to make sure the tape you use is really sticky, is resistant to heat, and doesn't have any little creases, gaps or little channels where the wax can sneak out. The benefit of hot glue is it fills the nooks and crannies. My experience has been I always end up with leaks with tape. If you try it, be sure to plan for leaks and work in a tray or on a surface where spills are not going to ruin your day. Thanks for asking and thanks for watching!

Insert "intrigued" emoji here! All the best and thanks for the comments!

Absolutely! Beeswax is the BEST! Smells great too! Soy is also a good option since paraffin is a petroleum product and is less popular for candle making these days.

You need an adhesive that’s reasonably thick to seal the base. It’s possible to use something like a really thick white glue… like one of those craft tacky glues. Make sure you have a solid, thick bead around the base. The downside to this is you have to wait for it to dry completely so it’s a little slower. You could also use something like a water based bathroom adhesive caulk. Those come in small tubes at the hardware store as well. Anything that is adhesive, thick, reasonably heat resistant, and fills the gaps could work.

@@RandomMakingEncounters plasticine?

@@nowirehangers2815 I'm not sure it's sticky enough on the cardboard. There is that poster hanging putty stuff. I also just did a quick search and found there's a candle mold sealing putty that looks a lot like that stuff to hang posters. It would be worth experimenting with but i would test on a tray in case of blowouts :)!

@@RandomMakingEncounters thank you 😊

Very true. The tape isn't really necessary if the tube is in good shape. I think the cheaper the tissue, the flimsier the tube and the greater chance of leaking. It's a bit of trial and error to see what you can get away with. Thanks for the tips/thoughts. Cheers.

I am. It's obviously colored and looks somewhat close to beeswax. However, paraffin is less common in craft stores these days and I'd probably switch to soy.

@@RandomMakingEncounters how long does the candle burn for? Like how many hours to burn down?

Miss Frog HopHopHop that depends on a few things... the wick size, the kind of wax, and any hardeners or additives. I’ve never really timed it but the Google says 7 to 9 hours per once of wax. These are maybe 4 ounces?

@@RandomMakingEncounters thank you :)

Absolutely! Better to find new uses! The humble TP tube is a great place to start. Cheers!

LOL! Companies hand out water bottles like candy so I might have more bottles than toilet paper tubes! The possibilities are endless!