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Upcycling Vintage Teacups

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Our Sales Executive Liza tells us how she got into upcycling vintage teacups into beautiful teacup candles after noticing that her Nanna had many unused cups just sitting in the cupboard. She decided she needed to think of a way to get those beautiful pieces of china out there and enjoyed. Here we’ll tell you exactly how you can make your own!


Safety first:

Wax is HOT so make sure you wear gloves and take care when handling. You may also want to wear an apron to protect clothes just in case there are any spillages.Never leave a candle unattended. Keep naked flames away from fabrics or objects that may catch fire. We think we've covered what we need to!

You will need

  • A pretty teacup or two, with or without the saucer. Trawling charity shops is a great way to start.
  • Soy wax- it’s much easier to burn and more environmentally friendly than Paraffin wax. It is also easy to wash out so you can re-use the teacup either for your morning brew, or re-fill with wax!
  • Wax wick & wick base
  • Clean tn
  • Saucepan
  • Rod
  • Blu-tac
  • Protective gloves/tea towel.

Steps

  1. Heat water in medium sauce pan until just simmering.
  2. Use an empty, clean tin and fill with soy wax. Put the tin into the simmering water and wait for the wax to melt, stir occasionally.
  3. Wearing protective gloves, pour the melted wax into a clean teacup, leaving about 1cm from the top of the cup.
  4. Put the wick in the centre of the cup using a small rod & blue-tac to keep to central.
  5. Leave to cool overnight.
  6. Remove the rod. Trim the wick so it is exposed by only 5 mm.
  7. Place the teacup on its saucer. et VOILA!!

Practice makes perfect. Liza tells us that her first attempt was interesting- she had a wonky wick and wax had cracked when it set. So don’t worry if it isn’t perfect first time. They joy is in the making!

If you want to scent the wax then add a about 10 drops of essential oil to the wax as you melt it (Liza recommends Rose, vanilla or baby powder. You can also try citrus and lavender for a lovely aroma). 

Happy upcycling! Let us know how you got on.