new uses for old things

One of my favourite things to do is make something new out of something old. I had an awesome old can from tea that i just couldn't bring myself to recycle or trash as i should have...so of course i hung on to it for a couple months, knowing that at some point the perfect idea would come to me for its use.
Which of course it did!

to make a double boiler simply add a couple inches of water to your bottom pot and then balance the second pot on top.

So i decided to make it into a candle! Now when i make candles i prefer using Soy wax, simply because a) it burns SO much slower and lasts SO much longer! b) i find it easier to melt, as it comes in 'chip' form and not a huge block that you have to chunk. c) it holds smells better and last but not least d) it doesn't leave a gross sooty black circle around nice jar holders. 
So all i do to make a candle is number one buy a cheap second hand pot to use for melting wax.      

I was lucky when i went shopping and managed to find an awesome glass pot with a pouring spout on the side, perfect!  Secondly get your double boiler set up. After its going well, add your wax until it melts. If you want to add any colour or scents, add them once it is well melted. I don't tend to use colours if the container is going to be opaque. Get your wick ready by tying it to a pencil or anything that can be balanced across the top of your container. After everything is melted and well mixed go ahead and pour..careful though, wax is a pain in the arse to clean up and you need to make sure your wick will stay put in the bottom of the container. I tend to pre stick it with some wax before adding more...but the hot wax will loosen the already stuck down wick. let it sit and cool till hard, if you end up with a crater in the middle more wax can be melted and added to give it a solid top appearance, i only do this if i am giving the candle away as a gift. Voila! a new use for an old thing!