bottle cap candles TUTORIAL

how make tiny candles using old bottle caps! fun easy diy tutorial.

how to make candles with bottle caps

these tiny candles are a really fun to make and come together quickly. AND you can up-cycle several materials in the process, which makes this a fabulous Earth Day craft :) {Earth Day is April 22}

to make these colorful tiny candles, i used several materials that usually end up in a land fill: bottle caps, broken crayons, and empty soup cans. the only thing i bought to make them was the pre-waxed wicks which cost me $1.50 for a set of 12.

these make a great kid craft {with supervision, of course!} and would add a fun element to a wedding, romantic dinner, or even a fab conversation piece in your front room!

How to Make Bottle Cap Candles
supplies: bottle caps, crayons {or wax}, pre-waxed wicks, soup cans, wax paper {optional}, small cooking pan, scissors, and water

remove paper from crayons. you can also use candle wax if you wanted.

put crayons in clean, empty soup cans.

take your pre-waxed wicks and…

bottle caps

put wicks inside the bottle caps. i placed my bottle caps on wax paper in case i spilled some wax.

then using a small cooking pan filled with a couple inches of boiling water, place the can in the pan and melt the crayons. {you could also use a candle warmer to do this}the crayons melt pretty quickly. *note: it only takes a few crayons to fill a bottle cap!

pour the melted crayons or wax into the bottle caps.

let cool for 1-2 hours. then trim the wicks and you have some fun tea light candles to enjoy!

**added later: crayon wax does not smell that great when burned. if you plan to burn these candles, you may consider adding a scent to them**

happy crafting!

Linda
Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥
Linda
Linda

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Comments

  1. 1
    Andrea S.

    This is fabulous! I love it. Would be so cute as a summer picnic decoration too!

  2. 2
    Just Jaime

    Love the idea! The colors look great!

  3. 3
    Judy Bagwell

    This is great. I think my kids could help with this one. FUN!

  4. 4
    Wonder Mom

    LO-OVE this! (I am singing that- literally…)

  5. 5
    the Atomic Chic

    This is just too cute! I love it! Thanks for sharing! xoxo

  6. 6
    Amy Ekis

    How cool! Love this!

  7. 7
    Summer

    These are so cute! But I wonder how they smell if you light them? or are they just for decoration? Either way, love 'em!

  8. 8
    Michelle@Somedaycrafts

    These are so cute and petite. I will feature them today at somedaycrafts.blogspot.com

  9. 9
    Emily @ LaForce Be With You

    I love this idea! So clever!

  10. 10
    Danielle

    awesome! i much rather do this than buy tealights! I go through them so quick!

  11. 12
    Tiffany

    These are so cute and fun!
    I saw your feature on Someday Crafts.

  12. 13
    lilyellowbird

    This is a fantastic idea! I am always looking for new craft ideas! Love your blog!

  13. 14
    Trulie Scrumptious

    oh my goodness you are AMAZING! I love your blog so much… My sister and I just started a blog (still have lots of work to do) but we would love any tips or ideas on making such a FANTASTIC blog like yours! check us out
    trulie-scrumptious.blogspot.com
    LOVE LOVE your blog…

  14. 15
    Rescued Goods

    What an awesome idea! I can't wait to try it! Thank you!
    -Vanessa

  15. 16
    Peters

    So cute!

  16. 17
    Peters

    So cute!

  17. 18
    Peters

    So cute!

  18. 19
    Tammy

    Thanks for the tutorial!

  19. 20
    Jen

    These are so cute, thanks for sharing. One question, when you cut off the wick, isn't there enough left over to use on another little candle? If so, how could we do that? any ideas? (I am sure there is a way)

  20. 21
    CarrieZ

    Crayons smell horrible when they burn !!! They look adorable but i don't think i would go with the crayons.Instead recycle an old candle that doesn't have much life left in it.

  21. 23
    Vivian

    This would be cute with baby food jars or lids!

  22. 24
    Digital Scrapbooking Made Easy

    Such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing!

  23. 26
    incurable hippie

    These are so cute!!

  24. 27
    Rachel@oneprettything.com

    Those are really fun! I love how everything tiny is so much cuter! Thanks so much, I'll be linking.

  25. 28
    awesome mama

    like some other commenters, i too worry a bit about the smell of burning crayons…and flammability, but after my grandmother's house caught fire after a tea light incident, i am sure that i am way more paranoid than most. these sure are adorable, though, so i may try them with left over candle wax (still upcycling!) and love vivian's idea. this would also be a good way to use up baby food jar lids :)

  26. 29
    MissMalaprop

    Such a cute idea!

  27. 30
    The Craft-Arty Kid

    These are awesome. I love that you used crayon wax

  28. 31
    dishragstoriches

    I'm curious, because they are so tiny, how long will they burn for?

  29. 32

    This is great to do with the kids. my only problem with it would be the smell of crayon.

  30. 33
    Mari

    Hi!
    This is just great :) I’m gonna try these with my daughter. But one thing: the rubbery peace at the bottom of the bottle cap should be removed before you burn the candles!! I think it could burn and flame and do damage…

  31. Pingback: Bottle Cap Candle Crafts |Candle Making Kits | Beeswax, Soy and Gel Candle Making Starter Kits

  32. 35

    I think this is such a great idea- and one that I will definitely plan on doing with my kids over the summer! I found you through this week’s post at How Does She where they included you on their 7 Colorful Spring Craft Ideas… and I love it so much that I am going to feature a picture and a link to this tutorial on my Links to Love post at http://www.momof6.com tomorrow (5/15).
    Warmly,
    Sharon

  33. Pingback: How-To: Bottlecap Candles @Craftzine.com blog

  34. 36

    I’m so glad I saw this. I was getting ready to throw away all those beer caps someone I know keeps storing away. (g)

  35. Pingback: Links to Love | Mom Of 6

  36. Pingback: Dica DIY: Vela na tampinha de garrafa – Tanlup

  37. 37

    OH WOW, these are the cutest things ever. I ADORE them on so many levels. THANK YOU so much for showing us this brilliant idea.

    I am featuring this on my pinterest and facebook pages right now, and don’t be surprised if I do my very own, and blog about it, linking back to you girl, of course, he he. LOVE ya.

    Hugs,
    Bella :)

    1. 37.1

      Thanks Bella! And thanks for sharing them! I can’t wait to see the ones you make :)
      happy crafting!
      Linda

  38. 38

    OH WOW, these are the cutest things ever. I ADORE them on so many levels. THANK YOU so much for showing us this brilliant idea.

    I am featuring this on my pinterest and facebook pages right now, and don’t be surprised if I do my very own, and blog about it, linking back to you girl, of course, he he. LOVE ya.

    Hugs,
    Bella :)

  39. 39

    Wow…these are SO cute! Great summer camp project!!!

  40. 40
    Panakanic

    I bet these would make great floating candles… Anyone tried that?

  41. 41
    Meg

    Thank you so much for this idea! I followed your instructions and used a vanilla scented wax instead of crayons, and it worked like a champ. These will be awesome Christmas gifts — I appreciate you sharing your creativity!

    1. 41.1

      thanks for the kind words, Meg! what a great idea to make these for christmas gifts! i’m so glad you stopped by!
      happy crafting,
      linda

  42. 42
    connie k. Burgos

    I think this is so cute, could you make these with smell?

  43. 43
    Elizabeth

    I just found your blog and I love it. I will be follower. Thanks for share you passion!

    1. 43.1

      Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for the follow! I appreciate it. If you have any craft questions, just let me know!
      happy crafting,
      linda

      1. Niki

        So i just made these and they won’t burn. I’ve tried different wicks, including the one’s you used. Any suggestions?

        1. Hi Niki,
          The wick won’t burn or the wax? These candles do not last long because there is so little wax. What type of wax or crayons did you use?
          thanks,
          Linda

  44. 44

    I love this idea!!! I actually just made heart shaped crayons for homemade Valentines tonight with recycled crayons. I bought a silicone heart mold which was 40% off plus I had a coupon at AC Moore, so it was like $4. I cut up the crayons since I wanted multicolored crayons, and I baked at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Then I let them cool for twenty, and popped them out. I had a lot of fun with the project, since I color coordinated somewhat doing blues, greens, white, and oranges for the boys, and pinks, purples, white, and greens for the girls. Thank you for the great idea!!!! =]

  45. 46
    Janelle

    how so u make it scented?

    1. 46.1

      You can use essential oils to add scent to wax. thanks for stopping by, Janelle!
      happy crafting,
      linda