Introduction: How to Make Egg Candles

By Recent: Backcountry First Aid
About: Building design/consulting in Vancouver, WA. Resource based problem solver... in other words, I always take a minute to look in construction dumpsters :) ---the way some have to workout everyday... i have to …

Egg candles are easy to make and a great reuse of egg shells.

We always have a steady supply from out backyard chickens. Over the winter I got into the habit of cracking shells at the top to preserve the shell for seed starting. The same habit prepares a regular supply of shells for making egg candles.

Step 1: Supplies + Materials

Only a few materials are needed in addition to a few general household supplies.

Supplies:

  • Double Boiler - two old sauce pans works well
  • Pouring Tools - an old spoon or measuring cups to fill the eggs
  • Misc Supplies - Foil, an old cutting board, egg carton, knife, scissors

Materials:

  • Egg Shells - yes, free range chickens have sturdier shells --any egg should work if handled with care
  • Paraffin Wax - there are a lot of options for wax and I find the soy options are always pushed where I look at the box stores... not sure why. Seems to burn faster and doesn't come as clear/pure as the paraffin. Paraffin is a great value! ($3/lb on amazon).
  • Optional Additives - Paraffin is allergin free and allows you to add any number of colors or scents.
  • Wicks - the wicks I show are made of string... I also used some old thin candles. Easiest is to simply buy wicks but I'll show you in the next step how to make them.

Step 2: Making Wicks

My approach was simple. I wanted to use string... I had a few wicks on hand but not enough for a full batch of candles.

Making Wicks:

  1. Cut a 6-10 inch piece of string.
  2. Dip the string in melted wax.
  3. Roll the string to tighten the threads as the wax dries. It's important to have the string as dense as possible.
  4. Cut to length. In this case approx 2".
  5. Optional - Build up some extra wax at the bottom of the wick. This will make it easier to set the wick and not have it burn through the candle.

Step 3: Melting + Filling

A Double Boiler is a must! Over medium heat the wax melts over 5-10min

  1. Melt Wax - using a double boiler is a must
  2. Pour Wax - fill the shells to the desired height. Set candles in egg carton
  3. Place Wicks - as the wax starts to set a 'film' forms across the top of the candle. Homemade wicks are rigid and I simply pushed the wick to the bottom.
  4. Cool + Light - fun around the house or great as a gift!

Know that wax can be hot. Using medium heat I never found egg mold filled with wax too hot. It may be useful to wear latex gloves or fill the molds while they are in the carton.

Step 4: Thanks!

If you enjoyed please consider voting for this post in the casting competition.

Here are a few other post you might like featuring out backyard chickens (instagram) and their eggs.

Thanks for reading!

Jeff