Easy-to-Make Gourd Candles

Using small winter squash as molds creates graceful shapes for these candles, and they can be made at home quite easily. Choose various colors of tablets to represent the range of harvest tones.

Materials and Tools:

acorn and hubbard squash (and others, if available)
beeswax or regular paraffin candle wax (allow about 1/2 lb. for each candle)
yellow, orange, coral and/or purple wax color tablets
candle wicks
wick tips
melon baller
double boiler

Steps:

1. Cut off the tops of the squash and hollow out the insides. (For hubbard squash, scrape out the seeds with a large spoon. For acorn squash, use the melon baller to scoop out the flesh, following the natural grooves of the squash, making the grooves as deep as possible, and smoothing them with the back of a spoon.)

2. Melt the wax in the top part of the double boiler over--not in--boiling water.

3. As the wax melts, add color tablets. If you want to make different colored candles, melt the wax in batches, adding various color tablets each time.

4. Meanwhile, cut lengths of wick a few inches longer than the squash are tall. Attach the wick tabs to the wicks.

5. When the wax is completely melted, carefully pour into a squash. Drop in one wick tab, with the wick attached, and let it settle to the bottom.

6. Lay a pencil across the top of the squash and drape the end of the wick over it so it is as centered as possible. Repeat, in batches if you like, to make more candles.

7. Let the candles harden completely--about five to six hours, then peel the outside of the squash away from the wax.