CAN-dle (from a Can)

I was bored and I had an empty beer can, a candle and a wax contest going on.... and the result is this Instructable!

You will need very few materials to make it and the best thing is that you need to start this project by drinking a beer!

This candle is made of two different pieces: the piece that holds the candle and the candle itself, so you can:

1. Make several candles so every time the candle is consumed, you can have a new candle ready or have different scented or colored candles for each occasion.

2. Refill it every time you want by melting more wax.

I made only one because I only had one can available... I don't drink too many canned drinks...

MATERIALS:

- An empty drink can

- An old candle or wax

- A wick

- An empty can to melt the wax (I used a pea's can)

- OPTIONAL: things to decorate as paint, varnish, ribbons, charms, sequins (whatever!).

TOOLS:

- Cutter

- Scissors

- Pliers

- Knife

- An old pot

- Something to hold the burning can and pour the wax.

- TO DECORATE: a brush, some glue, etc.

Take the can. Make a hole on it with a cutter or something sharp. Introduce the scissors through that hole to cut both ends of the can. You're going to use the resulting two pieces to make the candle holder.

You're not going to need the middle section. You can throw it away or keep it to make another projet. It's up to you (I kept it, I rarely throw something).

Fold the edges of both pieces with the pliers. Try to make them as regular as possible. Otherwise, the candle won't be very stable. If you need it you can draw a line with a marker.

The trick of this candle is to make both pieces fit (see picture). The empty circle will be the candle holder and the other one will contain the candle. You need to prepare the latter.

Take the bottom of the can, and hit it with a hammer to invert the round middle section.

Take the other piece (the one which will become the holder). With a can opener cut the inside off. This step is necessary to make the top piece fit in.

Both parts are ready! Now you can put them together. Make sure they fit and don't need adjusting.

Take a wick and, with a little bit of masking tape, attach it to the center of the candle piece.

You need the wick be straight to prevent it from falling on the burning wax... To do this, I used a clothespin, a milk cartoon and some masking tape. See the picture please, I really don't know how to explain it!

Now you need to prepare the wax to fill the candle. I used an old candle, so I needed to cut it into pieces, taking out the wick (to make future candles) and melting the wax.

If you use the same technique as me, put some newspaper on the table, take the candle and cut it with a knife. Start cutting it vertically to avoid cutting the wick. Once you locate the wick inside the candle, cut the whole candle and take off the wick.

Put the wax pieces into a can (I used a peas can). Boil some water and pour it into an old pot. Then put the can with the wax pieces in the bigger pot. My can floated, so I needed to hold it manually until the wax melted (it took a few minutes).

Once the wax is totally melted, pour it into the candle holder you made and let it dry. I know you want to touch it but... DON'T!

And you have a recycled can candle! :p

You can finish here... or you can decorate it. If you want to paint it, read the next steps. If not, congratulations! You managed to make a candle out of a beer can :p

Now, you can let it as it is: punk style or... you can decorate it hippy style or whatever style you like :p It's up to you.

I decided to paint it to show you the result. With purple paint I painted a few coats and then I varnished it. Once it's dry you can glue ribbons, charms or whatever you want!

Now you have a candle that really rocks :p

If you enjoyed this project, please vote for it on the wax contest!