WHEN IT SNOW ... I POUR

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This method is ideal for making the tops of mushroom candles. The stems, too, can be poured in snow, if you want them uncoated, or can be sand cast for a multi textured effect. Stems and tops are then joined by simply heating the wax and pressing them together.

Candle molds made from ice require a bit more preparation, unless you happen to have a frozen lake nearby and want to just chip out a hollow form with an ice pick. The chipped out shape I like best produces a candle with the texture and appearance of a gnarled old tree trunk. To make it, first fill a container such as a cut off milk carton with water. Then place a smaller, unbreakable container (maybe a tin can or paper cup) inside the larger one. Fill the cup with something heavy so it won't bob around in the water.

Now, put the whole thing outside, or in the freezer if you live in a balmy climate, and let it harden. As the mold freezes, the water will exert pressure against the cup bending it and forming a knotted, irregular but still basically vertical impression.

When the ice has completely hardened, remove the small container. (You may have to run a little hot water inside or around it to loosen the can enough to get it out.) Chip away bits of ice at the top of your impression if you want it to look as if roots are coming out of the trunk of your tree. Or, if you want a completely irregular shape, remove the entire block of ice, crack it, and replace the pieces, which will leave small open spaces between the chunks for wax to seep into.

Finally, pour hot wax into the ice mold and, again, add a wire when the pour begins to harden. Remove the candle as soon as possible if you want a shiny surface, or leave it until the surrounding ice melts away if you prefer a cloudy finish. The wax will harden into complex ridges and swirls that are impossible to reproduce with a standard mold.

Once you get started you can add your own touches: bits of glass or beads pressed into the snow where they can be picked up by the wax, leather thongs imbedded in the candles so that they may be hung up, two colors of wax poured in layers, or whatever suits your fancy. The possibilities are endless when you use nature's most versatile molding compound cold water.

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