With any activity, there are some things that are “no-no's.” Candlemaking is no exception. As you get underway creating candles of your own, there are some things to do and others to remember to never, ever do:

• Don't ever pour liquid wax down your drain. It will solidify and cause severe blockage — not to mention a huge plumbing bill. Don't learn this “no-no” the hard way!

• Do pour leftover melted wax into muffin tins or other small cups. Metal ice-trays are good for this purpose. You can then pop out the hardened wax and store it in plastic bags for future use.

• Don't throw away your leftovers, even the small scraps, including candle ends or the bottoms of container candles. Wax costs money. Recycling saves money and work.

• Do recycle all the wax you can save. You can ask non-candlemakers to give you their candle ends. Your church deacon may be happy to give you burned-down beeswax candles.

• Don't pour your hot double-boiler water down your drain. It may have wax in it unbeknownst to you, which could clog the drain.

• Do dispose of the water outside. Or, let it cool until the wax hardens and then remove the wax before pouring the water down the drain.

• Don't allow yourself to be distracted while making candles. Let the answering machine answer the phone if it rings while you are pouring or melting.

• Do make candles at a time when you can concentrate fully on the task at hand (maybe while the children are in school).

• Don't begin candlemaking without first assembling all of your materials and equipment in an orderly fashion, so that you can proceed step by step — safely.

• Do school yourself to know for certain exactly what you are doing at all times, where you are moving, which step you are taking when. Practice is the key to safety.