Hi, if you are reading this post, then lucky you! Just kidding. Well, kind of. This is my first personal blog post. This is tough for me, because generally I am a private person. Regardless, here I am, spilling it all out on the world wide web. The truth is, I am an aspiring author, and so it is time that I had a medium to publicly express that passion for writing. I have been working on a memoir close to my heart for the past couple of years.
I thought it would be fun to have a blog where I could share some life hacks, book reviews and recommendations, a blog series, recipes, fun facts, and other cool stuff that comes to my mind (or yours!). Do you have a topic that you would like to see me write about? Please share. When it is time for my blog series, I will welcome guest entries, so send a shout out at that time! My goal is to publish at least one post every 2 weeks, and I hope you will be a part of this journey.
So, enough about me, though I know you are dying to know more. 🙂 Who here is excited for fall? Pumpkin spice ANYTHING, honeycrisp apples, and colorful leaves make me feel all warm inside. Here is a quick recipe for homemade pumpkin spice candles. I love the pumpkin butter jars from trader joes, and made my candle in it (could not bring myself to throw it away when the spread was all done!). In case you don’t have a label you like on your candle jar and you want one, print out, cut, and tape this freebie label I have provided onto your jar (double sided tape should hold it in place). https://anitakharbanda.com/pumpkin-spiced-label-4/
Pumpkin Spice Candle Making Directions:
Supplies: wax chips (Amazon sells them) or unscented/white candles you already have, Candle Wicks, glass jar or candle holder (like I said I love my pumpkin butter jar from trader joes), a chopstick (or a wooden skewer, or a popsicle stick), yellow and red liquid dye, pumpkin spice fragrance oil, and a heatproof glass container.
Life hack: I used a 30% off coupon on all regularly priced items at Michaels, so don’t forget to google coupons for your favorite craft stores. Also, use the extras of the supplies you bought to make candles for friends, or save them to make pumpkin spice candles again next year. If you want to take it a step further on the resourcefulness (I am a self-admitted cheap-o when it comes to maximizing the use of things), you can save the wicks you cut off from the top of the candle and attach them to tabs from old candles to use in the future (just place the wicks into the tab, and tighten the tab a bit around the wick with small pliers).
These directions are for one candle, but make as many as you want as gifts, since you will have all of the supplies anyway!
- First, Buy wax chips (amazon sells them, and a good rule of thumb is that 1 lb of chips yields 16 fl. oz of wax) OR just use old unscented, white candles that you have at home. I used six 1¼” tall votive candles I had at home, and cut them off of the wick/tab, which was the perfect amount for the 10 oz trader joes jar.
2. Second, place wax chips or broken up candle pieces into a heatproof glass container. Heat in microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Repeat in 1 minute increments until fully melted.
3. Next, dip your wick into the melted wax container, and then move it into the center of your candle jar. Tie the top of the wick to a skewer/chopstick/popsicle stick. Rest the skewer/chopstick/popsicle stick across top of jar until wax dries.
4. Now, return to the glass container full of the melted wax. Add drops of liquid dye to the melted wax, using a 1-to-3 ratio of red dye to yellow dye; and then stir. Continue adding the dyes in the above ratios until the wax turns orange. Stir in about 40 drops of pumpkin fragranced oil per one cup of liquid.
5. Pour the colored/scented liquid wax into your candle jar, leaving a 1/4-inch rim at the top. Let sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
6. Lastly, cut your wick and you’re done.
Hope you enjoy it! Comment on this post letting me know how you liked the candles.
I bid you adieu with a fun fact: 7% of Americans believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. (Oh shoot, you are one of them aren’t you?)
Feel free to contact me with questions. Thank you for stopping by!
More to come in a couple of weeks. Same bat time. Same bat place. Note to self: need more time with adults.