Melting The Wax

• 1). Break your wax up into small portions, as this will make it melt faster. Divide your wax between the coffee cans, one can per color. Place the coffee cans inside the shallow pots, then fill the pots ¾ full with water. Place on medium heat.
  
  
• 2). Stir the wax until it is all melted, at around 160 degrees F. Add the color chips, a small amount at a time, until you have each color you want. You can test the colors by placing a little bit of wax on a white hard surface (such as a plate) and letting it dry.
  
  
• 3). Adjust the heat on the stove or burners so that the wax stays at a stable 160 degrees F.
  
  

Candle Dipping

• 1). Fill a coffee can with water; one per wax color. Set them as close to each color can as possible. Cut your wick 2 inches longer than the desired height of the candle.
  
  
• 2). Hold the top of the wick in your hand, with the remainder dangling down. Dip the length of the wick into the first color of your choice and bring it out again quickly. It may float to the side at first, but as the wax builds up, the weight will keep it hanging down. Hold the wick above the wax for around 30 seconds, then re-dip in the wax quickly. If you leave the wick in the wax for too long, it will melt off. Do this until there is a ¼ inch core to the candle.
  
  
• 3). Dip the candle in another color, then straight away dip it in that color’s water can. Bring out and shake slightly to get off the excess water—don’t shake it so much that water gets into the melted wax cans. Re-dip in the wax, and again in the water. The water helps freeze the wax quickly, and speeds up the candle making process.
  
  
• 4). Change colors again. Do around five dips on each color. You will notice that the end of the candle become fatter than the tip—this is fine, it will give a nice base for your candle to sit on. Once you have the desired width of your candle, place the candle on its side, and cut it off at the base to give it a flat surface for sitting on.
  
  
• 5). Make inward-angled cuts into the side of the candle at irregular intervals, and pull down the flap of wax to expose the multicolored inside of the candle—this also gives the candle an interesting shape, with small wedges coming out of the sides. This is an optional decorative step—the colors will still be visible as the candle burns.