Danish tapers are simply smaller, thinner, dipped candles. There is a special wax available for making them, but if you can't find it, you can substitute one part stearic acid and one part plastic additive to every twenty parts of wax (usually paraffin). The addition of the stearic acid and the plastic additive makes a stronger Danish taper, which compensates for their smaller size and slenderness and prevents them from drooping in hot weather. It also increases their burn time.

Following the directions for making dipped candles (see Chapter 8), make the Danish taper in the same way as you made the regular taper. You can also overdip your Danish tapers in a colored wax. If you choose to overdip your Danish tapers in a coating of colored wax, curve the taper slightly before dipping it into the water bath.

Making Taper Trees from Danish Tapers

You can fashion charming taper trees from newly made Danish tapers. Simply dip four or more of these miniature taper candles and lay them on a clean surface (wax paper is good). Then, taking two tapers at a time, firmly squeeze them together about a third of the way from the bottom until they adhere to one another. Now, dip the bottom parts in hot wax a few times until they hold firmly together. Next, holding the two joined tapers at the bottom, dip them into cold water to cool. This will allow the new wax to set and prevent the tapers from drooping.

Repeat this procedure with the second set of two Danish tapers. Then, after you have dipped the bottoms of the second pair in hot wax and set the shape in a cold water dunk, hold the two sets together firmly and dip them into the hot wax until they adhere securely, repeating the cold water bath. If you wish, you can add a third or fourth pair of Danish tapers to your taper tree, although that's a bit trickier to manage.