In an age when gifts are usually mass-produced and sold by the dozen off the shelves of Wal-Mart, it can be a challenge to come up with a gift that is both personal and thoughtful.
If you want to give someone a gift that nobody else will have and that will show how much you really care, you should consider making a candle.
If you aren't the artsy-crafty type of person that would normally undergo this sort of project, the thought of making a candle may seem foreign, or even intimidating.
But it is a surprisingly easy feat to accomplish, and a quick trip to the craft store will reveal a plethora of kits and supplies to help make it easier.
Essentially, you need 4 things: Wax, something to melt the wax in, something to pour the wax into, and a pre-made wick for the candle.
If needed, you can make do with everyday kitchen supplies like a pot and a cup.
But you can also buy special supplies.
If you don't want your candle shaped like the inside of a cup, you can buy a candle mold for a very low price.
Of course, unless you have a large brick of wax lying around then you will need to purchase some of that.
You can choose to buy colorless wax and add your own dye later, or buy pre-dyed wax.
This and how much wax to buy will all depend on how many candles you want to make.
If you want to make a gift for a friend, a small amount of pre-dyed wax will suffice.
On the other hand, if you want to give party favors to a large group of friends, you probably won't want every candle the same color.
Therefore, clear wax with various dyes will be a better option.
Just consider what exactly you want the candles for, and you'll have no trouble deciding what supplies you want.