Pillar Candle Mold from a Beer Cozy

While unpacking kitchen supplies, I came across a couple beer cozies with bank advertisements on them. We have never used them for drinks, although back when Blaze's anti-seizure medicine used to come in liquid form, we had used them to protect the bottles from breakage if they were dropped. I realized that they were about the same size as short pillar candles and wondered if they could be used to make candle molds. It turns out they can.

Here is what you will need:

one foam beer/soda cozy

puffy paint (any color)

silicone molding putty (this took the entire box)

tooth pick

rolling pin



Turn the cozy upside down and decorate with the puffy paint. Let dry over night.





Follow the package directions for mixing the putty and use a rolling pin (I used a child-size one that Blaze has for play dough) to get the putty thin enough that it can be wrapped all the way around the sides and bottom (the end that is covered except for the small hole). This must be done quickly, because the putty will set up in about 20 minutes. Smooth the putty with your fingers and by rolling it on a flat surface. Use the tooth pick to poke a hole through the putty, into the hole in the cozy. This is where the wick will emerge from the finished candle.

Let sit for 30 minutes or so.

Gently remove the silicone mold from the cozy.



One of the nice things about the puffy paint on the foam surface, is that it can be peeled off. This means you can use the same cozy again for another design or correct mistakes in a design before the mold is made.



To make a candle with the mold:

I found that it was easiest to use a tooth pick to poke the wick through the hole, working from the outside in.



Not having anything except the wick to fill the little hole in the bottom of the mold, there will be some leakage, which is why I set the mold on a piece of aluminum foil with the edges turned up. I also added a flat freezer pack under the foil, because the quicker the wax cools and sets up, the less wax will drip out the bottom.



For this candle, I used a mixture of half beeswax and half paraffin, because I just happened to have both on hand, but either can be used alone. Melt wax in a double boiler and carefully pour into the mold, after the wick has been placed.

After 3 or 4 hours the candle should be set enough to remove from the mold. Loosen the edges gently and push from the bottom. Go slow so that none of the designs are broken or damaged. Trim the wick.