Trick Toasts

Follow these instructions to make martini-glass candles. Use them to celebrate New Year's Eve with style.

Trick Toasts

You won't get a hangover from these martinis—which are actually martini glass ­candles—but you will get a lot of comments on your creative style. You can make any drinking glass into a gel candle and dye it to match the color of the supposed libation inside. Just be careful your guests don't actually try to sip from this unique “drink”!

Holiday Hints

You might want to try making gel wax candles in different glassware, such as a mug, a champagne glass, a wine glass, or even a fancy coffee cup with a saucer. Be sure to run hot water into the glass or cup before pouring in the hot gel to keep it from breaking.

Holiday Hassles

You should take care when heating gel wax. Gel wax should not be microwaved. It should be melted in a pan on the stove with a candy thermometer inserted in it to make sure it doesn't exceed 260°F. If the wax should accidentally catch on fire, douse it with baking soda—not water—as water will spread the fire. If you are inserting objects into the wax, be sure to keep them away from the wick so that they don't melt or burn when the candle is burning.

Level: Moderately easy

Time involved: Two to three hours

Materials:

  • Newspapers
  • Martini glass
  • Candle wick (The stiff [waxed] wicks with a metal tab work best.)
  • Glue gun
  • Pencil
  • Small piece of yellow wax or yellow crayon
  • Peeler
  • Gel wax (I used about 1⁄4 of the 23-ounce container.)
  • Medium saucepan
  • Candy thermometer
  • Tweezers

  1. Spread newspapers on your work area to protect it. Prepare the martini glass by gluing the metal tab of the wick to the bottom of it. If the wick is not stiff (waxed), tape the other end of it to a pencil and lay it across the top of the glass. Before pouring the hot wax in the glass, run some hot water in it so it doesn't crack with the heat of the wax.

  2. Using a peeler, peel a sliver of wax from the yellow wax piece or peeled crayon. The wax should curl a bit and resemble a lemon peel.

  3. Spoon out about 1/4 of the gel wax into the saucepan. You might have to use a knife to cut around the edges of the gel to facilitate an easy removal. Melt the wax on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until it turns liquid. Place the thermometer in the gel when melting; do not exceed 260°F.

  4. Carefully pour the wax into the prepared glass, keeping the wick straight in the center. Allow the wax to cool for about 5 minutes. Using the tweezers, insert the wax lemon peel into the gel on the side of the glass, away from the wick. Allow the candle to cool thoroughly (several hours) before handling.