PROJECT 1

BOTTLE CAP CANDLE

The Materials

Simple beeswax candles are very easy to make, last a long time, don’t smoke or leave soot, and make a very clear light. However, they can be large and take up too much space to put in small survival or bug out kits.

Our first project in this book is to recycle household scrap into a very small candle that fits very well in minimalist survival kits in addition to weighing next to nothing.

I find that it is very easy to construct these from the wax drippings from a burning candle, but you can make them in bulk by microwaving a small amount of wax in a Pyrex container (the wax will be extremely hot so do not use plastic).

This is definitely a project that requires adult supervision—but it is a guaranteed hit with pre-teens. I have never known an eleven- or twelve-year-old that did not like playing with fire . . .

Material:

•   Wicking material—about ½ inch of cotton or other natural fiber string per candle

•   Metal bottle cap

•   Wax. I use beeswax, because it is easily available to me, but paraffin wax can also be used and can be purchased at almost any grocery store near the canning supplies.

Procedure:

1.     Put your cap upside down on your working surface.

2.     Place a drop of hot wax in the center of the cap.

3.     Place one end of your string into the wax to set it in place.

4.     Fill the cap up with wax.

5.     Let cool, and put in your emergency kit with a lighter or other simple fire starter.

Finished Candle

Lessons Learned:

This project shows how to reduce, reuse, and recycle to make something that could be quite useful in a disaster.