This lazy girl's technique for candle making is perfect for those who don't want to invest in all the supplies. Make one or two tea cup candles as gifts this Mother's Day or as thank you gifts for teachers, friends and more!

Interested in learning how to make a candle or two but don't want to invest in a bunch of candle-making supplies? This is the lazy's girl guide for how to make the easiest ever tea cup candle, the perfect gift for Mother's Day! Read on for the full tutorial.

How to make the easiest teacup candles

Supplies

I spotted a whole shelf of pretty floral teacups and matching saucers on clearance at HomeGoods recently, and grabbed one for this Mother's Day candle idea. I also purchased a lavender scented candle in a glass jar that was also on sale. The lavender buds are leftover from when I made lavender lemon sugar scrub (a 5-minute project that also makes a great Mother's Day gift) and stamped lavender sachets.

A note on the supplies

You can use a scented candle for this project, but it's not necessary. If your candle is unscented, try adding a few drops of your mom's favorite essential oils to give the candle a light scent. Look for a candle with a wood wick as it's easiest to work with, but not necessary.

Directions

Step 1: 

You'll need a pot of boiling water. Insert the jar candle into the pot, fill it about half of the way with water, and set on your stovetop over medium heat.

Please don't walk away from boiling water! Watch the melting candle the entire time to ensure it doesn't boil over.

Step 2:

As the water heats and begins to boil, lower the heat until it's simmering. Use a popsicle stick or other disposable object (like a plastic knife) around the edges of the candle to release the wax from the sides of the jar. This helps the wax to melt faster.

Be sure your teacup is clean and ready to use.

Step 3:

Continue to watch as the wax melts. Remove the pot from the heat when there's still a small blob of wax left on the wick. It will continue to melt. Let the wax cool slightly before moving on to the next step.

I had a few new candle wicks from another project and wanted to show you how it looks when all the wax is melted. Use a plastic fork to pull the wick from the melted wax. You would insert the wick into the bottom of the tea cup, using a little bit of hot glue to secure the metal wick holder to the base of the teacup. Even with the hot glue, a normal wick has a tendency to want to move around once the hot oil is added, so the wick needs to be secured in the center of the teacup using a few skewers laid over the top of the cup.

Step 4:

Secure the wick in the center of the teacup, and then carefully pour the melted wax into the cup. Use oven mitts to hold the jar, and be careful as the wax and jar will be hot!

Tip: Don't fill the teacup to the top. Leave about 1/2" of space. Depending on the type of wax you're using, the candle may cool with a little indentation around the wick. You will be able to fill that in with wax. My soy candle cooled without that.

Step 5:

After filling the teacup with melted wax, sprinkle in some lavender buds if you're using them. Please note I'm not adding lavender buds to the entire candle, just at the top where they can be seen and appreciated!

Step 6: 

Once the candle has cooled (it will take about an hour), trim the wick. If the cooled wax has left a little indentation around the wick, pour in a little more melted wax to fill that hole (you may need to melt the wax again).

Using damaged or leftover candle wax

If you have some candles that are broken, or partially used, you can melt them all together and use the melted wax to create new candles. You will need something disposable to melt the wax in. I recommend buying an inexpensive pot from the thrift store, or even using a large metal tin from canned food, washed well. 

You will follow the same instructions above, using the can in place of the jar. Insert the candle pieces into the can, insert that into a pot of water, and let the candles melt together before pouring the melted wax into candle containers.

If you are melting multiple candles, you may need to do them in batches!

How to package your teacup candle to gift

I used some dollar store embroidered lace, and wrapped it around both the teacup and saucer, tying a bow on the top. I included a few colored matchsticks (not necessary, but extra cute for gifting! Check out this set of colored matches that come in a little cloche).

A stamped tag pinned on top is extra cute! It's made from a strip of drop cloth fabric and these stamps.

I hope you loved this idea for making easy mother's day teacup candles, without the hassle of buying a whole bunch of candle supplies! Of course, you're not limited to Mother's Day...or teacups! 

What other vessels can I use for DIY candles?

Be sure that the material you use is heat-safe! Ceramics, glass and metal are typically safe for candles, you wouldn't want to use anything plastic or wood!

• oui yogurt glass jars
• small mason jars
• metal food tin cans
• spaghetti jars
• any glass drinkware
• shot glasses

Keep reading for more Mother's Day gift ideas from the Pinterest Challenge team! Lora is next and I can't wait to check out her handkerchief wreath! You'll find all the links below.

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More Mother's Day gift ideas from the Pinterest Challenge team

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