This interesting guest post, by Beth Hedrick, offers us a bit of history about the candle, as well as instructions on how to make your very own Mason Jar Winter Candle. What a wonderful gift for your family, friends, and neighbors!
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| A super simple, yet elegant gift! |
Candles used to be a necessity in ancient times, as far back as 3,000 B.C. in Egypt and Rome. They were certainly not like the candles of today, as they were made from beef or mutton fat or beeswax. By 500 B.C. it was common for the Chinese to use insect wax and whale blubber for their candle making and for the Japanese to utilize wax from tree nuts. Wicks came from various forms of paper, reeds, and later woven rope and cotton.
As for today, candles are a delight to many. A winter Mason jar candle makes a gorgeous gift with a special touch, as you can personalize it yourself for the one you adore. To get started you will need the following:
- One Mason jar
- One natural candle (these can be made by you as well!)
- Epsom Salt
- Evergreen pieces or holly shrub pieces
- Twine or jute
First, you add about an inch or two of Epsom Salts to the bottom of the Mason jar to give it a “snowy” look. Then, add a candle by placing it into the salts for sturdiness (only short, wide candles are to be used). After that, you can design your Mason jar candle however you like, taking into account that there will be an open flame. You should not use fabric or other flammable substances to decorate with. However, a string of twine or jute is fine to make a bow at the lip of the jar or for tying on a piece of greenery.
To add more “snow” to the greenery for decoration, you can make your own glue by making a paste of flour, salt, and water. The measurements will vary, because you are not going to need much at all if you are just accenting your greenery (or even the lip of the jar) with Epsom salts as snow. As long as you follow the ratio of one part flour to one-half part water, and add a pinch of salt you will have a nice, naturally sticky substance.
Giving a gift of a candle can symbolize love, hope, faith, and warmth. With the gift of a candle created with your own touches, the recipient will truly know how much you care for them and will enjoy the peacefulness, beauty, and ambiance of their lovely gift.
