Teacup Candles

As part of the thank you gifts for my sister-in-law's bridal shower I wanted to make something that was unique and fun while also keeping with the tea party theme of the shower. There was nothing that could have worked better in my mind than teacup candles. Plus I love making candles, it's so much fun and I love candles!

Finding the teacups was like going on a treasure hunt. I had a vision of pretty pink flowers. I looked on Facebook marketplace and different antique stores. The first antique store we (Ian came with me) went to didn’t have anything. The second one we got everything in one trip which was great since I needed 11. I am pretty sure we were there for at least an hour going through all the vendors. There were plenty of teacups, just not a lot of pink floral we really had to dig. We got some weird looks and had to keep going to the front or handing them off to staff because we had so many. It was so much fun. I love looking through antiques stores and shopping for tea cups since I collect teacups and teapots.

Depending on the wax you use the melting temperature is going to be a bit different. You can google it or the packaging will tell you if you aren't sure. To add the scent you can use wax melts or essential oils. As for wicks they come in different sizes and types, you can also get wood wicks or regular string wicks on spools or as set sizes. Make sure to use containers that are a strong glass, heat proof or items that already had candles in them.

When I went to make these candles and realized I didn’t have enough wicks, I had to make a trip to Michael's. Once I had the wicks I thought I was good to go but then I broke my thermometer. Thankfully it was usable enough for the day so I made it through. I was a little worried about not getting the right temperature but they turned out great. I was absolutely in love with them!

Materials:

• Tea cups - or whatever other containers you want to use
• Soy wax or wax of your preference 
• Wax melts (Vanilla Macaroon) or essential oils for scent - optional
• Wicks with clip 
• Wick clips - optional
• Heat resistance container for melting the wax
• Saucepan or pot for a double boiler 
• Pliers
• Candle wax or adhesive - to hold wick
• Heat source - stove top or portable heat plate (I bought heat plate on Amazon for my projects)
• Dowels/skewers to hold the wicks straight as wax hardens
• Elastics for around the dowels/skewers to hold them together
• Wax thermometer - anything that will tell you the temperature 
• Silicone spatula for stirring
• Something to clean up spills just incase wax drips when pouring
• Scissors

Prepping the teacups:

The night before I cleaned each teacup and it with an all natural cleaner. I used Thieves' all purpose cleaner from Young Living to get the price stickers off and it worked like magic. 

You can do the wicks right away or you can add them in the the day of either one works.

Adding the wicks:

1. The wicks were large so I cut it in half (don’t throw it out the scraps!). Make sure it is tall enough for the supports.
2. Put adhesive on the bottom of the wick clip and stick it to the bottom.
3. Take the extra wick piece and slide it into the wick clip and use pliers to pinch it closed.
4. Repeat the process until all teacups have a wick. 
5. Let them sit for about 2 hours so the adhesive could set.

Wick Supports:

1. Take two dowels and wrap elastics around the ends and then put it around the wicks. 
2. You don’t need to use this method. Do what works best for you just make sure it holds the wicks straight.

Melting the wax and pouring:

1. While the adhesive sets you can get the rest of your supplies if you haven’t already.
2. Measure the amount of wax needed. Example for a full cup double you need to do two cups. 
3. Now turn your stove top or hot plate on to around medium heat. 
4. Create a double boiler. Fill a pot enough with water and submerge the container that you’re using to melt the wax. 
5. When the water is at about 180 to 185 to drop in the wax. Stir with the spatula every so often just to help rotate the heat.
6. Now that wax has melted, add essential oils or wax melts and stir until desired smell. 
7. When the wax is melted let it cool slightly. If it’s too hot the wax might sink and crack on the top.
8. Now pour the wax into the teacup. Be gentle and try not to get any wax on the end of the wick. 
9. Let it sit and set for 24 hours, don't remove the dowels until it is completely done setting.
10. Remove the dowels and trim down the wicks. 

I had so much fun making these candles. I will definitely be making more to share with people who love them just as much as I do. 

I hope this post helped you make your own candles or inspires you to make candles in the future!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope to hear from you in the comments!