FRUIT FILLED GEL CANDLES

I SAW THESE AMAZING CANDLES ON THE THAT'S HAUTE BOUTIQUE IN TEXAS WEBSITE. THEY RETAIL FOR 75 AND UP DEPENDING ON THE SIZE. I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY BUT I LOVE FAKE FRUIT IN BASKETS AND HAVE MY ARTICHOKES OUT ON THE CUTTING BOARD FOR DISPLAY IN KITCHEN SO I THOUGHT THESE WOULD LOOK AMAZING IN MY KITCHEN AND IN MY DINNING ROOM ON MY SERVER NEXT TO ALL MY WINE STUFF. I ALSO LOVE THE WINE CORK HOLDER SO I WENT SHOPPING TODAY WITH A 25 DOLLAR BUDGET AND PICKED UP SOME MISS MATCHED GLASS JARS WITH NICE IRON TOPS AT KIRKLANDS AND ONES THAT ARE ALL GLASS FOR 1.50-5.00 EACH, THEN I HAVE TONS OF FAKE PLASTIC FRUITS, VEGGIES AND GRAPES LAYING AROUND IN AREAS THAT I HAVE STAGED TO LOOK REALISTIC SO I HAVE GATHERED UP THE ONES I DON'T USE OR EXTRAS I HAVE THAT DIDN'T FIT IN BASKETS OR BOWLS. THEN I RAN TO MICHEAL'S AND PICKED UP TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAX, SOME SCENT TO ADD TO THE WAX, AND ALSO PLAN TO USE MY SATSUMA OIL FROM BODY SHOP, HOPING IT WON'T CLOUD THE CLEAR GEL WAX AND THEN GOT WICKS.

NEXT STEP IS TO MELT THE WAX IN A DOUBLE BOILER USING A THERMOMETER FOR WAX OR CANDY TO GET TO A LITTLE UNDER 200 DEGREES, THEN YOU DIP THE PLASTIC FRUIT OR VEGGIES IN THE GEL SET INSIDE THE GLASS CONTAINER AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF IT, NEXT STEP IS TO ADD THE SCENT YOU WANT TO USE, IF THIS DOES CLOUD UP SIMPLY ADD SOME MORE GEL WAX AND HOPE IT CLEARS IT UP, IF NOT THEN BE SURE TO ONLY USE CLEAR SCENTS MADE FOR CANDLES. YOU CAN ALSO BUY THE CANDLE DYE OR WAX DYED PIECES TO TINT THE CANDLE WAX.

YOU WANT TO HOT GLUE THE WICKS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE JAR AND THEN TIE THE WICK AROUND A PENCIL SO THAT IT DOES NOT SLIP INTO THE WAX WHEN POURING IT. START POURING YOUR WAX ONCE YOU HAVE SCENTED OR DYED AND TEMP IS CLOSE TO 200 DEGRESS. YOU WANT TO POUR AROUND THE SIDES TO HELP PREVENT TOO MUCH BUBBLING. REMEMBER YOU CAN USE ANYTHING YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE FRUITS AND VEGGIES. YOU CAN USE SHELLS, MARBLES, CRYSTALS, SOME I SAW WERE SET UP TO LOOK LIKE A FISH TANK WITH GLASS FISH AND ROCKS IN BOTTOM WITH PLASTIC PLANTS AND SHELLS. WHAT EVER STYLE YOU ARE GOING FOR JUST BE SURE TO DIP THE ITEMS IN THE WAX FIRST ALLOW TO DRY AND THEN PLACE THEM IN THE GLASS WHERE YOU WANT THEM, FOR HIGHER POSITIONED PIECES POUR WAS ALLOW A FEW SECONDS TO SET THEN ADD NEXT LAYER AND START TO POUR. ONCE YOU ARE DONE ALLOW THE WAX TO HARDEN THEN REMOVE THE PENCIL AND CLIP THE WICKS TO 1/4". I ALMOST FORGOT BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER YOU MUST HEAT THE GLASS YOU ARE USING IN THE OVEN FOR A FEW MINUTES TO PREVENT GLASS FROM SHATTERING FROM THE HEAT OF THE WAX. I WILL BE POSTING PHOTOS OF MY OWN CREATIONS SHORTLY ONCE I FINISH.

BE SURE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL CAUSE HOT WAX CAN BURN YOU REALLY BAD SO MAKE SURE YOU WEAR OVEN GLOVES AND KEEP SMALL CHILDREN AWAY. CLEANING UP JUST REHEAT THE ITEMS USED AND REMOVE THE WAX. ONCE THE CANDLE BURNS DOWN JUST WASH THE CONTAINER AND ITEMS USED THEN YOU CAN START OVER AGAIN. THESE MAKE GREAT GIFTS OR YOU CAN ORDER SOME FROM ME=).

ALSO GOT SOME STUFF TO MAKE SIMPLE CANDLES, CANDLES INSIDE OF MARTINI AND WINE GLASSES AND ALSO WAS WATCHING HGTV ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SAW DONNA DECORATES DALLAS AND LOVED HER ANIMAL PRINT ORNAMENTS, I GOT EVERYTHING I NEED EXCEPT THE CLOTH OR FABRIC GOING TO GO GRAB SOME AT JOANN'S SHORTLY. ALL YOU NEED IS A HOT GLUE GUN, SPRAY ADHESIVE, SOME LITTLE PICKS WITH PINE OR PINE CONES TO STICK IN THE TOP AND THE ROUND STYRO FOAM BALLS FOUND IN THE FLORAL DEPARTMENT OR I FOUND MINE AT DOLLAR TREE 3 FOR A DOLLAR. YOU CUT THE FABRIC IN 2 PIECES KIND OF SHAPED LIKE A FOOTBALL AND SPRAY THE FOAM WITH ADHESIVE AND RUB THE FABRIC ON TO IT, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT. WHEN DONE USE A HOT GLUE GUN TO ADHERE RIBBON OR TRIM AND THEN PLACE ONE OF THE PICS WITH THE FLORAL STUFF IN THE TOP AND ADD STRING OR A HOOK AND YOU HAVE AMAZING PERSONALIZED AND SUPER CREATIVE INEXPENSIVE SMALL-LARGE ORNAMENTS TO MATCH ANY DECOR. THESE ALSO MAKE GREAT GIFTS. I DID MY TREE ANIMAL PRINT THIS YEAR AND HAD A HARD TIME FINDING ANIMAL PRINT ORNAMENTS SO I PLAN TO MAKE ABOUT 10 FOR MY TREE THIS WAY TO ADD TO THE FEW I FOUND AND MY AMAZING CHEETAH PRINT RIBBON I USED FOR GARLAND. FOR MORE CREATIVE IDEAS TEXT OR EMAIL ME AND STAY POSTED THIS IS JUST THE START I AM HOME FROM SCHOOL NEXT 3 WEEKS AND KIDS ARE OFF 2 WEEKS SO PLAN TO MAKE A LOT OF COOL AND CREATIVE THINGS. PHOTOS TO COME SHORTLY. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE=)

MELISSA