Thingummies: The French Alternative

'Thingummies' is Jackie French's name for candles with a difference. They are squat flower pots filled with a pool of wax and several wicks. They are a beautiful and safe alternative to a tall, single candle, as they are difficult to tip over, less likely to blow out and will throw a lot more light. Jackie French demonstrated how to make a thingummy, perfect for using when eating outside at night, or as a special gift.

Materials

• Terracotta flower pot (preferably shallow)
• Blu.Tack
• Candle wax and wick thread or ready-made candles (melted)
• Skewers or toothpicks
• Scented oil (optional)

Method

1. Find a clean, squat flower pot. Block the drainage hole with a piece of Blu.Tack to prevent the wax from leaking out before it sets.
2. If using ready-made candles, melt them and remove the wicks (reserve a wick to use in your 'Thingummy').
3. Cut the wick thread (either new or recycled from the melted candle) into several lengths. These will be the multiple wicks for your Thingummy. You will need a minimum of four wicks for enough light for use at night.
4. Tie the wick lengths to long skewers or toothpicks, and suspend them over the flower pot bowl. Arrange the wicks so they are spread evenly through the Thingummy.
5. You will need to estimate the amount of candle wax needed for your flower pot.
   Hint: Try filling the flower pot with sand, then measuring the sand with scales or a measuring jug, to convert the volume of sand into the amount of wax needed.
6. Melt the candle wax, and carefully pour it into your flower pot. Take care not to splash - hot wax can burn you.
7. Add a few drops of scented oil, such as rose, lavender or citronella oil to make your Thingummy smell interesting. Set it aside for the wax to harden.
8. Once the wax is set, trim the wicks below the knot joining them to the skewers and remove the skewers. The Thingummies are ready to be lit.

Cost and availability

Plain ready-made candles are available for about $2.50 for a box of six, from most supermarkets. As a guide, one candle weighs about 100 grams. Ten candles (around two boxes) yields 1kg of wax, so there is not much cost difference in recycling candles (around $5) or buying a block of paraffin wax ($5.80).

Wick thread is available from most haberdashery and craft stores for 40 to 50 cents a metre.

Wax can be bought from craft stores in three forms:

• paraffin wax in a 1kg block costs about $5.80;
• paraffin wax in a 1kg package of granules costs about $7.10; or
• candle wax (a hard-setting, glossy wax) in a 1kg block costs about $7.50. Scented oils are available from craft stores, health food stores and aromatherapy outlets, with prices starting from about $3.00 a bottle.

Note: Ready-made candles ('Thingummies') in terracotta flower pots cost around $20 each (depending on size) from department stores and gift shops.

Copyright CTC Productions 2006