Christmas candle mold

A simple way to make a DIY candle with scrap wax from old candles, a way to create your own Christmas candle and to recycle old candles

Print

• no supports
• 10-15% infill is enought
• print 1 clip-holder, 2 body pieces (2 identical halfs), 4 lock pieces (if they are too hard to remove, print them slightly bigger or heat them a bit to shape)
• i suggest materials like ABS, PETG or ASA, because the heat can deforme a soft material (my candles are made from PLA molds: also PLA works, but you have to not heat up the wax too much)

Materials

• mold
• a cotton string (not too small, 2-3 mm of diameter is perfect) as the wick
• a generic clip to keep the string tight while the wax cools
• scrap wax
• a generic tin can and something to hold it without burning your hand (I used 2 sticks taped around the can)
• a small pot with water and a heat source

How much wax do you need?

Approximately, for these sizes (compared to the original file size → 100%) you need these grams of wax (use a bit more, because of the wax that can remain stuck to the can walls)

60%  →  10 g (one-use mini-candle)
80%  →  25 g
100%  →  50 g
127%  →  100 g
145%  →  150 g
175%  →  250 g
220%  →  500 g
250%  →  750 g
275%  →  1000 g

Assembly

1. print the parts :)
2. if you want, grease a little bit the mold with olive oil, so that the candle comes out easier
3. mount the mold using the cotton string as the wick (make a knot (photo 5) to make sure the string doesn't come off from the candle top)
4. tight the string and use a clip to keep it tight while the wax cools
5. melt old scrap wax in the can putting the can in the water and heating up the water, not boiling it (to not dirty the pot and to make sure the wax doesn't heat up too much) (melt the wax in a bain-marie); pay attention because the can could float and spill wax
6. carefully pour the melted wax into the mold (make sure to have something under the mold, to avoid spilling it everywhere if the mold is not sealed enough; if this happens, wait until the remaining wax solidifies, then add more liquid wax over the solidified one: the solid layer can avoid another spilling)
7. wait a day or more if the candle is bigger than the original size (you can also remove it when it has solidified, but it can deforme due to the heat, if it's not cold enough)

I suggest to make a different mold for every colour, if you want a perfect-monocromatic candle

If you want to commercialize my models, just contact me to decide the terms!  ; )