Guest Author - Lori Bartel

When thinking of primitive candlemaking, most often times grunge candles or candles poured into rustic looking jars come to mind. However, true primitive candles weren’t always made with paraffin or beeswax; instead history tells us, that thousands of years ago lights were produced by using melted animal fat and reeds.

I’m almost embarrassed to say, but this candlemaker was caught, in a power outage one night last year and without a modern paraffin candle in the house. Nevertheless, all was not dark thanks to my clever husband and his vast knowledge of history I was able to receive a first hand account on how these first primitive candles worked.

He cut two wicks, about five inches long and laid them in a small terra cotta lid. He then poured a small amount of olive oil into the dish and lit the ends of each wick. To my surprise, it was a clean burn and this little light lasted a long time. Now granted it’s not animal fat and reeds, but it is very effective and gives new meaning to the word primitive candle.
If you plan on trying this type of candle, you can add a drop or two of fragrance or essential oils to the olive oil but remember never to leave it unattended or burning near curtains or fabric.

For those of you who are interested in a more contemporary “primitive candle”, like a grunge there are a few simple ways of going about making them.

One type of grunge candle is made by over dipping your pre-made pillar or votive, into a lower temperature of wax, approximately 150 degrees and then rolling it in spices or herbs and set it aside (on wax paper) to harden.

Another way of achieving the grunge look is by allowing the melted wax, in your pouring container to cool just enough to form a skin over the top and then you’ll whip the wax, just like you would frosting for a cake. Once the wax is whipped you can apply it to the outside of your candle with a spatula, but hurry it sets up fast. Always remember to be cautious, wax at 150 degrees can still burn you if it splashes up on your arm or face.

Yet another, easy way to achieve the primitive look is by pouring your wax into a rustic looking container, such as a Mason jar and then tie a country ribbon around it.

Happy Candlemaking!