DIY Shell Candles {Weekend Mini-Make}

It's been a while since I shared a brand new Weekend Mini-make, a quick craft you can complete over the weekend for less than a tenner. All my mini-makes are designed to be something beginners can try their hand at, whilst also being a relaxing, well-being boost, something which I feel is so important, now even more than ever. As I've mentioned before, I regularly turn to DIY and crafting when times get hard, so for me, having a creative outlet has become a vital part of my everyday life. I hope that these simple, cheap crafting ideas will inspire others to have a go, and see if it can make big changes in their life too.

So I'm back with a new craft, and one I'm super excited to share as it's really pretty, and so simple to make - it took me less than an hour start to finish. I've seen a couple of similar candles on Pinterest, and really wanted to have a go myself. There are lots of tutorials around that require you to use your own wax and fragrance oils, however the method I've used here is a lot more simple - simply using tea lights. 

You will need: 

Shell - These can be any shape, but look for some that are fairly deep. You might get lucky and could find some similar shells on a beach, however I bought some large scallop shells from eBay which cost me £2.20 for a set of four

Tea lights - The number you need will depend on the size of your shell, however I used four tea lights for each shell. I already had a pack of tea lights at home, however you can pick these up really cheaply 

Frying pan

Tongs 

Total cost: £2.20

How to make:  

First up give your shell a really good clean with soapy water and leave to dry. Next, remove your tea lights from their metal cases, mine weren't too difficult to get out, I simply wiggled them free. Place the tea light (minus its case) in the centre of your shell, leaving space around it to fill with wax. 

Now to melt tea lights and pour into the shell. Remove three more tea lights from their metal cases, and place into a frying pan. Heat on a low setting until the wax has melted, this doesn't take long at all, only around 2-3 minutes. Once the wax has melted, pick out the wick from the wax using tongs - be really careful here as the wax and pan will obviously be hot. 

Pour the wax into the shell straight away (don't leave to cool!) making sure it covers your tea light already in place, however making sure the wick remains sitting above the wax. You might need to prop the shell up to keep it flat, as where the melted wax sits in the shell is how it will look once set. I used a rolled up tea towel to prop my shells up a few millimetres, and to catch any drips. 

Wash your pan out throughly to get rid of any wax, DON'T pour the remnants down the sink as the wax could solidify in your pipes! Dispose of in the bin if needed.

Leave your shells set, which will take around an hour. Once its all set you'll be able to light the wick and enjoy! These are so pretty in person, and would make a great addition to any display, particularly in a bathroom. The good thing about this too is that once the candle is finished you could easily clean the shell and refill.

Hope you enjoyed this quick and simple DIY - let me know if you make your own shell candle, I'd love to see! And I'll be back next week with another quick craft perfect for completing over the weekend. I've started work on this one already, and it's a nursery decoration - can't wait to share! 

Thanks for reading, 

Sam Xx