The Billy Lids

Bring a bit of the seashore home with these pretty, elegant, and easy-to-make shell candles.

Of all seaside vacation souvenirs, nothing is more beautiful than an assortment of delicate seashells. With their variety of shapes and colours, they're lovely displayed grouped on a shelf or piled together in a shallow bowl.

Materials

• Bar of paraffin
• Wick and metal wick holder (both available at craft stores)
• Pieces of coloured candles
• Double boiler with a lip
• Shells

Instructions

1. Choose your shells - the ones with deeper cavities will hold more wax and burn the longest. Clean them in a mild solution of water and bleach, and rinse with cold water.

2. Break up the block of paraffin, which is fairly soft, with a knife. Melt the chunks in the top of a double boiler, heating the water below to the barest simmer. The paraffin can be used as is or dyed with bits of coloured wax - a great way to use up the ends of too-short, burned-down candles.

3. Cover your work-top with newspaper. Steady the shell on a bowl or cup if necessary, and slowly pour in the melted wax.

4. Place the wick - you can use wicks pre-attached to metal wick holders which are great for shallow containers - into the centre of the shell. Allow the wax to cool for at least 30 minutes. Although the surface may look hard sooner, the wax underneath takes this long to fully harden. Trim wicks.

Tip: It's much less precarious to pour the wax into the shell from a smaller saucepan or oven-proof measuring cup with a spout.