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How to Make Candles

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How to make candles at home, lots of ideas for you to choose from. Making candles is a great craft to learn and one of those vintage skills that we should keep alive. There are so many different ways to handcraft your candles, some easier than others. I hope you’ll find one of the methods I’ve included fun for yourself or as a project for the kids.

how to make candles

How to Make Candles at Home

Is it cheaper to make homemade candles than buy them?

This is a hard one to answer. Yes, it CAN save you money to make candles at home yourself. This will depend greatly on the types of candles you want to make and what materials you already have available. I think the initial investment into candle making materials is the real expense. You can, however, consider making candles from recycled materials to save money. But the real considerations are using quality materials that you are burning in your home, learning the art of candle making and being able to customize the candles to your home or tastes.

One of the biggest benefits to making your own candles is you’ll avoid toxic materials in many store bought candles.

Toxins in Candles

What are the best ways to make candles at home?

There are so many different ways to make candles and I don’t think one is better than the other. As you try different methods and materials you’ll probably decide you like making certain types of candles more than others. I tend to make a lot of mason jar candles, because I can make them quickly and people love them.

What materials are used to make candles?

Basic candle making supplies would include:

  • Candle Wax
  • Containers
  • Candle Wicks
  • Dedicated Pot for Melting Was
  • Optional, Scents and Colorings

Candle Making Safety

Like almost any DIY project you need to take a few safety precautions before you starting your candle making.

  • Make your candles in a well-ventilated area, especially when using fragrances. I recommend opening a window in your work area.
  • Always work on a flat surface.
  • Having a dedicated area for candle making is best but if you have to work at a kitchen table be sure to protect it from getting hot wax and material on it. I use a plastic tablecloth.
  • Protect yourself from hot wax. This is not the best barefoot activity, take it from me. You may want to consider wearing gloves when working with the hot wax.
  • Always have a fire extinguisher available. I’ve never had to use it but you’re working with hot materials, so it is just a good idea.
  • Do not put liquid wax down the drain – you’ll be buying new pipes if you do!
  • Never leave hot materials unattended!

Easy Mason Jar Candles 

mason jar candles

Mason Jar candles are a perfect beginner’s candle. They are easy to make, take very little supplies and you can customize them in size, colors, materials, etc. People love the mason jar candles that I’ve given as gifts so I like to keep some on hand, just for gift giving. You can make a lot of these candles at one time, fast. Mason jar candles also store very well for emergencies.

Step by Step – How to Make Mason Jar Candles

How to Make Pillar Candles

A pillar candle is generally a candle made of hard wax that can stand alone, not in a container. These pillar candles can be made in a variety of sizes and shapes. They take a bit more skill in making candles that ones in a container. I recommend waiting until you’ve made a few container candles to try your hand at pillar.s

See: How to Make Pillar Candles

Making Beeswax Candles

You can use beeswax to make lots of different candles, like the mason jars above. It is a much more natural material to use and people have been making beeswax candles for generations.

How to Make All Natural Beeswax Candles with Molds

How to Make Tallow Candles

Tallow candles are candles made from rendering beef fat. If you are really into learning vintage skills then you should render your own beef fat for tallow before making candles. It should be noted that tallow candles have a scent that not everyone appreciates so make just a few your first time.

How to Render Beef Fat for Tallow

How to Make Beef Tallow Candles

Making Soy Candles 

Soy candles are made from wax derived form soybean oil. Soy wax candles are generally made in containers but if you mix it with other materials than can be made into pillars as well.

What are the benefits of a soy candle? Well they are said to be cleaner to burn than traditional candles. They also can last much longer than paraffin wax candles. Because soy wax has little to no scent this makes it perfect for making scented candles.

How to Make Essential Oil Scented Soy Candles

Making Candles from Recycled Materials

Did you know you can make new candles from old candles you’re no longer using? There are actually a few recycled candles you can make fairly easily!

How to make new candles from old candles

Another fun recycled candle project is to make some candles from old crayons. These make great teacher’s gifts too!

How to make candles from old crayons

How to Make Candles with Kids

A candle making project can be something fun to do with the kids as a craft or homeschooling lesson (think about the science of candle making and history of candle making). Of course you want to take ALL the safety precautions listed above first; and never leave a child alone with hot wax!

The first candle I ever made was in Girl Scouts! It was an ice candle made in an old milk carton. I kept that for years and couldn’t bring myself to burn my candle because I was so proud of it.

Find a fun candle making project that the whole family will enjoy!

Instructions on How to Make An Ice Candle

How to Make Milk Carton Candles at Home

Granulated Wax Candle Making Instructions

How do I start a candle making business from home?

If you really love making candles you might want to consider doing it for profit. It could make a nice part time income doing something you already enjoy.

  • You can try selling on etsy or ebay
  • Sell candles at your local farmer’s market (you may be able to share a table with someone else)
  • See if a local shop would be willing to sell your handmade candles for a share of the profits
  • Put a listing on Craigslist or in the Facebook Marketplace

Happy candle making my friends!

Garage Sale Have The Best One Ever

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Garage Sale tips are on the agenda today. It will soon be spring and that, to me, is the best garage sale season of all. But now is the time to get ready for your garage sale (yard or tag sale)! I have some tips and tricks to have a successful garage sale…the best one ever!

garage sale tips and tricks

Garage Sale Tips and Tricks

Garage sale, yard sale, tag sale – I know we all call them something different depending on where we live; but it is all basically the same thing. A garage sale is a wonderful way to purge your home of items you no longer need or use and make some money to boot. Win!

There are a few things you can do to go from a good yard sale to an amazing one! I am going to share what’s worked for us in the past so you can implement them in your next sale!

We are getting read for our annual spring garage sale. I love to shop thrifty and yard sales are great for that too. BUT I have never found an easier way to make a little side cash than a good old fashioned garage sale. So what can you do to have a bigger, better and more profitable garage sale? I’m so glad you asked!

10 Tips for The Best Garage Sale Ever!

Garage Sale Tip #1 – Plan Ahead

If you want to have a spring yard sale then you should start planning it in the winter. Sure you can throw together of last minute sale, I’ve done that too. But for the BEST garage sale you want time to plan.

  • Pick a date, put it on the calendar and plan around it. Depending on how much clutter you have to clean out, it could take several weeks or even months to get yourself ready. That’s ok!
  • See if your area or neighborhood does annual or semi-annual garage sale. These group tag sales will bring bigger crowds which is a better opportunity for you to make money.
  • Find out if your city or town requires a permit to hold a tag sale.

Garage Sale Tip #2 – Make a Collection Area

  • Use 1/2 of your garage or a spare room in your house (if you can) to collect and organize what you’ll be selling at your garage sale.
  • Organize items into groups like kitchen items, books, clothing, etc. This will make set-up on the day of your yard sale much faster.

Garage Sale Tip #3 – Get Volunteers

  • It is so much easier to have a great yard sale when you have a helper or 2.
  • Normally this will be your spouse and maybe your kids but if you’re single ask a few friends to help. Make sure to offer friends some food / treats / drinks for their time. You could consider offering your garage sale volunteers a set percentage of the profits as well.
  • Can you yard sale volunteers help you with the pre-sale organization? Even better!

Garage Sale Tip #4 – Make Sure Everything Is Priced

  • There are 2 schools of thought here. One says price high so people can haggle. The other says ask what you want because some people just want to buy without negotiating. I tend to fall a little in the middle. Most shoppers want to walk away feeling like that got a deal so give yourself some wiggle room in the prices.
  • Price as you go. As your organizing and going through your rooms to find items to sell, price them right away.
  • Make sure price tags are visible and shoppers don’t have to search for them.
  • If you’re unsure what to price something check for similar items on Craigslist and Ebay.
  • Yard Sale Kit with Pricing Labels

Garage Sale Tip #5 – Advertise Your Yard Sale

  • You really don’t need a newspaper ad anymore.
  • Find local groups on Facebook to post your yard sale. If you don’t feel comfortable putting your exact address you can ask people to message you for it but that does make more work for you.
  • Announce it on your personal social media.
  • Add it to your local Craigslist with a few pictures of choice items.
  • Post flyers at your local library.
  • The day of, put out clean, easy to read signs with LARGE print.

Garage Sale Tip #6 – Organizing The Sales Area

Keep your yard sale area neat and easy for shoppers to see what is available. Group like items together.

how to organize a garage sale
  • Clothes with clothes – clothes are best seen and sold if they are hung up. Try hanging a heavy rope between trees or in your garage door area to hang the clothes. You can also invest in a garment rack. If not make sure everything is neatly folded on a table.
  • Books with books – consider offering discounts when multiple books are purchased.
  • Household goods
  • Kitchen
  • Bathroom
  • Etc

Garage Sale Tip #6 – Cash and Cashier & Help

  • Have a designated cashier for your garage sale so you can be in with the shoppers.
  • Make sure you have plenty of small bills for change. You may want a way to check large bill for counterfeits (it happens). You can buy a Money Marker for this.
  • Do not work your garage sale alone. In addition to a cashier you want 2 – 4 people “working” the crowd and sadly watching for thieves.

Garage Sale Tip #7 – Free Stuff

I like to have a box of freebies available at my garage sale. This is the stuff I don’t feel like haggling over, may be missing pieces or need repair. I rarely have any of it left.

Garage Sale Tip #8 – Refreshments

You might want to consider offering some drinks and snacks at a reasonable price; it will keep people shopping your yard sale longer! This is a great job for the kids to man. Here are a few ideas that have worked for us:

  • Donuts
  • Water bottles
  • Coffee
  • Hot Chocolate
  • If you’re really ambitious you could do grilled hot dogs (I saw this once but never have tried it personally).

Garage Sale Tip #9 – Don’t Bring It Back In

Have a plan for leftovers when the yard sale is over. Many companies will come and pick up your yard sale leftover items at a specified time. So make that plan in advance and do not bring the clutter back into your home.

The only caveat to that is if you are planning to have a 2nd day or 2nd weekend to your tag sale.

Garage Sale Tip #10 – Where is the Money Going?

I always like to have a goal in mind for the money we make at our tag sales. Maybe savings for a vacation, a new couch, home repairs, etc. But a goal and a plan makes all the prep work and sales worth it!

I hope these tips give you the confidence to have a yard sale, no matter what you goals for the money. I love to have the once or twice a year to keep the clutter down around the house.

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Hummingbird Food How To Make Your Own

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Hummingbird food sold in the stores is not really quality feed for our sweet little friends. First, hummingbirds don’t need to eat red food dye! Not to mention that most of the store-bought hummingbird feed is old and not the best option for these beautiful birds. We can do better and save ourselves some money to boot!

hummingbird food how to make your own

DIY Hummingbird Food Recipe

My grandmother loved hummingbirds. There was always a hummingbird feeder on her patio filled with bright red liquid. I was fascinated with these tiny little creatures, and I still am. I am happy to share what I’ve learned about hummingbirds and hummingbird food with you.

Hummingbirds – Interesting Facts

  • Hummingbirds can weigh anywhere from .07 – .7 ounces.
  • There are over 300 species of hummingbirds worldwide and 16 in the United States.
  • They don’t just eat nectar, they also eat small insects.
  • They consume 100 – 200% of their body weight in nectar each day

Attracting Hummingbirds

Are you putting out hummingbird food but not hummers are feeding? Here are a few tips to attracting hummingbirds to your home and garden.

  • Offer fresh, quality nectar
  • In addition to feed offering a shallow area for bathing, preferably with moving water or a mist.
  • Provide nesting material near your hummingbird food. See: Organic Cotton Nesting Hanger
  • Be consistent with your hummingbird food, nesting materials and bathing water. Hummingbirds will return to areas they know these things are available.

Feeding Hummingbird Tips

  • Always use quality cane sugar in your hummingbird food recipes.
  • Never use artificial sweetners or honey!
  • Use clean water – filtered water is your best bet.
  • If you have too many bees on your feeder you need to up your water to sugar ratio and consider a different feeder (more on this below)
  • Keep your hummingbird feeder clean by washing it thoroughly with a light detergent before you refill with fresh nectar. Never top-off your feeders.
  • If your feeder is dishwasher safe it is good to run it through a cycle once a month.
  • Put fresh hummingbird food / necar in your feeders every 5 days. If your temps are higher than 90 degrees F you’ll want to change it every 3 days.
  • If you live in a cold climate you probably won’t need to offer hummingbird food during the late fall and winter because hummingbirds will migrate.

The Best Hummingbird Feeders & Tips


  • Choose a feeder where the feeder ports are above the liquid. This will make it less attractive to bees and roaches because they cannot reach the liquid.
  • Try to keep your feeder in a spot that is shady. This will help the hummers and keep your nectar from getting too hot.
  • Keep your feeders at least 4 feet off the ground and make sure predators will not be able to access it or the birds.
  • Getting the biggest hummingbird feeder isn’t necessary. If you’re finding most of the hummingbird food is left at cleaning times you may need to put in less food.
  • If the hummingbird food begins to look cloudy or you see mold of any kind, you need to empty the feeder and make new nectar immediately.

DIY Hummingbird Food Recipe

Remember if the feeder is attracting too many bees you can change this hummingbird food recipe to 5 cups of water, instead of the 4 cups called for in the original.

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The Perfect Homemade Hummingbird Food Nectar Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 cups filtered water spring water is also great
  • 1 cup pure cane sugar no substitutes for pure cane sugar should be used

Instructions

  1. Bring the water to a boil.

    Remove the water from the heat and add the pure cane sugar.

    Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.

    Let the mixture completely cool before adding to your feeder.

    Follow the tips for hanging your hummingbird feeder and attracting hummingbirds to your home.

Learn More About Hummingbirds

Here are a few books I’d recommend for learning more about hummingbirds and hummingbird food. There is so much joy in learning about these sweet little birds for yourself. If you’re a homeschool family you may want to consider doing a hummingbird unit study for a great science study! Or try your hand at a DIY Hummingbird feeder.


How To Have An Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day

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Are you ready to have an old fashioned Valentine’s Day celebration? I know in today’s modern world everything is commercialized, even love. But you can have an old fashioned Valentine’s Day, and it do it on a budget!

how to have an old fashioned valentine's day

In our tech-crazy modern world we can lose sight of the simple pleasures of old fashioned ways. I encourage you to take a few of these ideas for having an Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day and see how lovely the day can be. Sometimes looking to the past for sweet, romantic, ideas can be just what we need to make the holiday more than a commercialized date on the calendar!

How To Have An Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day

Make Some Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day Cards and Crafts

Remember those days back in elementary school? The pink and red construction paper? The paste? The paper doilies? Go old school and make some old fashioned Valentine’s Days cards at home. This is a great project to do with the kids too. My neighbors love getting a paper craft Valentine’s Day card and some homemade cookies. It is a rare treat these days so it will be treasured and remembered. See: Best Valentine’s Day Cookie Recipes

Be sure to see my Huge List of Homemade Valentine’s Day Crafts!

Send Love Letters  or Poems The Old Fashioned Way

Nothing says Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day like getting some paper mail. Try your hand at writing your beloved a love letter or poem and put a stamp on it. Need some inspiration for your love letters? Read the book Love Letters of Great Men with romantic letter by John Adams, Ludwig Van Beethoven and François-Marie Arouet Voltaire; or How to Write a Love Letter by Michelle Loric. But don’t worry too much, the thoughtfulness of a handwritten note will be greatly appreciated in these modern days.

Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day Gifts

Maybe you want to go beyond writing and paper crafts. How about some old fashioned Valentine’s Day Gifts that won’t break the budget.

  • Pick a bouquet of wild flowers.
  • Make your loved one breakfast in bed.
  • Watch old romantic movies at home with fresh popped corn and movie style candy. See Most Romantic Movies of All Time
  • Read a romantic novel or poetry aloud to your valentine. See Most Romantic Books of All Time
  • How about a serenade under the moonlight?
  • Not a singer? How about setting up a dance under the stars?
  • Make a mix tape…ok that’s not super old fashioned but in the 80s that was a BIG thing (maybe modern day would be a playlist).
  • Cook a dinner and eat by candlelight.
old fashioned valentine's day picnic

Romantic Outings the Old Fashioned Way

  • Pack an old fashioned picnic in the park with a wicker basket.
  • Find a drive-in movie theater and see a double feature. Not one in your area? Make a outdoor movie theater in your backyard! See DIY Outdoor Movie.
  • Share a milk shake with 2 straws at a 50s themed diner or make one at home with big old fashioned straws.
  • Recreate a famous love scene from a play, book or movie.
  • Sit for an artist to do a sketch of you and your spouse.

Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day with the Family

  • Make some homemade candy together
  • Bake cookies.
  • Make a red velvet cake.
  • Have a Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day Red & Pink Themed meal where all or most of the foods are red, pink or heart shaped.
  • Make the paper valentine’s crafts mentioned above.
  • Hand deliver some Valentine’s Day treats to family, friends and neighbors.
  • Study the real history behind St. Valentine and why this holiday became a romantic one.
  • Make a scrapbook with a love theme – famous couples in history, the couples in your family history or your family’s love story.

It isn’t hard to have an old fashioned Valentine’s Day. Just turn off the electronics and spend time with the ones you love.

Easy to Make Rosemary Cedarwood Shampoo Bars

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Rosemary cedarwood shampoo bars are easy to make and a quick DIY recipe that you can make for friends and family! This is a melt and pour shampoo bar so if you’ve been afraid to work with lye then this is the recipe for you! There is lye in the soap base, but you won’t have to work with it directly.

The best part about melt and pour shampoo bars is that that you can make in a flash! These rosemary cedarwood shampoo bars  are quick to make and need no curing. I have found that men particularly love the natural, woodsy, scent of these rosemary cedarwood shampoo bars.

Easy to Make Rosemary Cedarwood Shampoo Bars

Easy to Make Rosemary Cedarwood Shampoo Bars

People love getting these shampoo bar recipes as gifts too! You can package them with just a little ribbon or put a soap bar box with a cute sticker.


Why Shampoo Bars Instead of Liquid?

Great question! Shampoo bars are first and foremost, portable. This makes them great for travelers (no worry on limited liquid size), campers and those who want less waste in package (these require none). These melt and pour shampoo bars last a long time and there is less waste than with a traditional liquid shampoo. Even if this shampoo bar doesn’t become your daily hair cleansing go-to they are great to have on hand!

Why Rosemary and Cedarwood Essential Oils?

Rosemary essential oil is said to aid in stimulating hair growing, promote circulation and ease dry and itchy scalps or dandruff. Cedarwood essential oil is said to help those with thinning hair and alopecia by stimulating the hair follicles and circulation. 

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Rosemary and Cedarwood Shampoo Bars for Hair Growth

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs Organic Goat’s Milk Glycerin Melt & Pour Soap Base
  • 1 tsp Mango Butter
  • 2 tsp Castor Oil
  • 15 Drops of Rosemary Essential Oil
  • 15 Drops of Cedarwood Essential Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary optional
  • 1 Small Spray Bottle with Rubbing Alcohol
  • 1 A double boiler or something to act like one
  • 1 Rectangular Soap Mold

Instructions

  1. Cut your soap base and melt on low heat (you don’t want it to burn or boil)
  2. Once melted add in the Mango Butter and allow that to melt
  3. Remove from heat and mix in the Castor Oil

  4. Add in the rosemary essential oil and cedarwood essential oil

  5. Gently stir in the chopped rosemary until fully incorporated

  6. Making sure rectangular mold is on a firm, level, surface – pour the mixture into your mold nearly level

  7. Using the small spray bottle with rubbing alcohol, spray with the surface to prevent air bubbles

  8. Let cool for several hours
  9. Gently remove from the mold
  10. Store in an air-tight container, they should be good for up to a year


Looking for More Melt and Pour Soaps?

Check out my recipes for Creamy Melt and Pour Oatmeal Soap or Melt and Pour Coffee Lovers Soap

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