STEP BY STEP

(1) Open bag of potpourri and find soft smaller pieces (as in FIGURE A) You do NOT want large hard, three-dimensional pieces like seeds and pods (as in FIGURE B). (2) Using a hammer, smash the soft smaller pieces into even smaller pieces.

FIGURE A FIGURE B

(3) Place the small bits of potpourri on one side of the candle. (You can spend hours placing it just so, but I find that just sort of sprinkling it on randomly gives a nice appearance and is much easier.) (4) Tear a sheet of wax paper just big enough to cover the surface of your iron.

(5) Place the wax paper on top of the potpourri and place the iron (on the highest setting) on top of the wax paper. (Note, since the iron is not, children and teens will need supervision from an adult. Be careful not to burn yourself.) (6) When you place the iron of the candle and wax paper, apply medium pressure and count to 10. If you apply too much pressure or hold the iron on the candle for too long, the candle itself will melt and leak on your work surface.

(7) When you pull the iron and wax paper off the candle, the potpourri should stick to the candle surface. (If the potpourri is not sticking well to the candle you probably are using too thick and hard pieces of potpourri. Make sure you use the hammer to smash the potpourri well. (8) Continue this process till the entire candle is covered with potpourri. (Note, some people prefer to only put potpourri on one side of the candle instead of all around it. Also, if you have dried flowers from your yard, you can use these instead of potpourri. Dried flowers might be more sensitive to the heat, so don't leave the iron on for as long.)

(9) After you had "ironed" on all of your potpourri, you will dip the candle in melted wax to "seal" the potpourri into the candle. This dipping will give the candle the embedded look. (!0) To do this, place water in a large pasta/sauce pan. Place a large tin can (like a coffee can) into the first pan to create a double boiler. (NOTE, YOU CANNOT MELT WAX OVER A FLAME IN A POT BY ITSELF. THIS WILL CAUSE A FIRE.) (11) Place one cake of canning wax into the tin can. Bring the pot to hot heat. As the water in the pot boils, the wax in the can will melt. When the wax inside the can gets to about 130 degrees, it should be well melted and ready for dipping. (12) Carefully holding the wick, dip the candle into the hot wax. (Caution,hot wax can really scold your skin, so be careful!) Dip the candle in the hot wax for only a couple of seconds and then promptly remove it and set it on a paper plate or more wax paper to dry. Let dry for approximately a minute. As the wax dries, it will become more and more opaque. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the opaqueness. I usually do two to three dips.

When you are finished, the candle should look something like this. You can finish it off by tying a piece of raffia or ribbon around it and placing it on a holder or dish.