Emergency Preparedness - Candles

by Walter Jacque MBA
(Washington State)

When the lights go out you really need candles, but the problem with them is that they can easily tip over, even in a good candle holder.

A month ago I was reading James Rawles' "Surviving the End of the World as We Know It." He suggested tall votive candles. They're sold at discount stores. My store did not have these, just the short ones. What to do?

I bought a candle-making kit and a huge slab of paraffin at a craft store. Next, I took all of those miscellaneous glass jars that I had been saving for no particular reason. I followed the instructions on pouring the wax into a mold. Instead of a mold, it was a glass jar (make sure the jar is room temperature or it will crack).

Now I have nice, wide-bottomed candles that are hard to tip over. An added plus is to have metal lids for the jars. After you blow out the candles, screw on the lid. That way, if the candle is knocked over, you won't get hot wax all over everything.