Returning to Candles After 30 Years

I started this project with the intention of recycling my kids’ old crayons into candles. It seemed like a great way to repurpose something that was just collecting dust in our house.

As a former candle shop employee, I thought I had some insider knowledge that would help me create something unique and interesting. While I did create something unique, it didn’t quite go as expected.

My first attempt involved modeling a mold in Autodesk Fusion and 3D printing it with a built-in gasket made of flexible TPU material. This was actually quite successful – the mold held the wax without leaking. However, I quickly discovered that crayon wax isn’t ideal for candle-making. It’s too soft and crumbly, making it difficult to work with and shape. When I tried dipping the candle in different colors of melted crayon wax, things went from bad to worse. The sharp edges of my geometric design softened and rounded, ruining the intended look. The different colors of wax melted together in unappealing ways, creating a mess rather than the layered effect I was going for.

Not one to give up easily, I decided to pivot and try using proper candle wax instead. This worked much better in terms of consistency and burning quality. I experimented with adding dyes to create interesting color effects within the wax. While this showed some promise, I still wasn’t achieving the look I really wanted. The heat from the large amount of wax was also causing issues with my 3D printed molds, distorting the plastic and making it difficult to remove the finished candles.

At this point, I realized I needed to combine techniques to get the results I was after. I decided to 3D print a high-quality object (in this case, a low-poly Pokemon character), create a silicone mold from that print, and then use that mold to cast candles in regular candle wax. This method finally produced some candles I was happy with! The silicone mold captured all the details of the 3D print perfectly, and the candle wax took the shape beautifully.

While my original crayon recycling plan didn’t pan out, I learned a ton through this process. I now know how to create 3D printed molds with built-in gaskets, which could be useful for all sorts of projects. I also figured out a great method for creating silicone molds from 3D printed objects.

These skills will definitely come in handy for future maker projects, whether they involve candles or not. In the end, I may not have found a use for those old crayons, but I gained valuable knowledge and ended up with some pretty cool Pokemon candles. Sometimes the best part of a project is the unexpected places it takes you!