While visiting my niece and nephew the other weekend I mentioned my desire to do a special Valentine’s craft, but couldn’t think of a good enough idea. Before I had even finished listing the somewhat vast list of craft creations I was considering my niece (on the verge of rolling her eyes) said, “Why don’t you do ice candles?” She proceeded to show me several of her creations and they were truly awesome.

Maybe this is a really regular craft but I’ve ever heard of or seen anything like it. The end result is amazing. And, if my seven-year-old niece could do it, well I figured I could handle it.

The instructions are fairly straightforward…

What you need:

• crayons (I chose red for Valentine’s Day) or wax or nubs of old candles with wicks removed
• taper candles (one for each ice candle)
• double boiler  (create a double boiler using a metal can or other heat-resistant jar so you don’t wreck your pots)
• container or mould. I used a milk carton cut to size
• ice cubes

What you do:

1. Melt crayons or candles or wax in a double boiler over low heat (this takes a long time). You want to have enough wax to fill each container half full.
2. In the meantime, prepare container. I was instructed to use a milk carton cut to the size I wanted, but you can use any sort of container you want. Just make sure you can remove the candle from said container once it’s created
3. Put a few drops of melted wax in the bottom of your container and immediately place a taper candle in the centre of your mould. Allow the wax to set to hold the taper in place.
4. Surround candle with different sizes of ice cubes. The amount and sizes of cubes is up to your discretion
5. Pour enough melted wax into the mould to cover the ice. From experience, make sure you have a splash zone and are prepared for some mess. The wax is very hot yet cools incredibly fast, so move quickly and carefully
6. Once the wax has set on the candles pour out the melted ice cubes and remove from mould by tearing it carefully away.

While the instructions are straightforward I never seem to be able to make a craft so simply. Through trial and error I learned several things. First, crayons and candles take a long time to melt on the double boiler. An incredibly long time. Second, if you pour your wax over the sink and you spill some into your drain your sink will back up. And if you’re not careful so will your dishwasher and then your kitchen floor will receive the cleaning of its life. Just saying, it’s a real possibility. Third, ice candles burn unpredictably due to the varying shapes and spaces within the candle. Never leave burning ice candles unattended and have something to catch the drips.

So now that I have my learner’s candles out of the way I think I can handle this craft again. But how on earth is my niece so good at it?