Who says you need to pay for expensive candle making classes to learn how to make beautiful candles? With just a little effort and a whole lot of creativity, you can create candles you can be proud of.

If you wish to make candles on your own, you must first, melt wax using a double boiler at about 200 degrees. Try using a boiler with thermostat control for easier manipulation. If you dont have a double boiler, you can use any can you find in your garage (but clean it first) and a thermometer to gauge temperature. If the wax is emitting smoke the temperature is too high. Try to keep the temperature at a constant level for best results. Warning: wax can explode at dangerous levels (about 390 degrees).

When the wax is completely melted, its time to add the dye you want. You can use any color dye you want. As a rule, one block of dye colors about twenty pounds of wax. Stir the dye until it is completely dissolved.

You can also add in some fragrances. You need about 2.5 ounces of scent for every five-pound block of wax. Be careful because some fragrances have their own color and may affect the color of the dye youve already mixed. The scent gardenia is particularly notorious for giving a green effect. It looks great alone, but can ruin other dye colors. Also, be careful how much scent you mix in. Too much can actually remove paint color.

You can now pour the wax mixture into your molds, and stick on your wicks. Let the wax cool overnight. Expect the wax to sink and create a hole down the middle dont panic when you see this the next day. Simply pour in additional wax and let it cool for another 12 hours and voila -- you have made your very own candle.