In the story “A Circle of Light,” Martin is missing the long days of summer sunlight even though he also appreciates the coziness of autumn. When he and Sylvia visit Miss Melinda’s Spunderful Shop for a special candle-making workshop, he learns that the sunlight hasn’t diminished — it has just transformed.

Would you like to make your own candles so you can celebrate the darker months with a little extra light?

We’ve teamed up with Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool to provide a simple and easy-to-follow Candle Making Tutorial for Kids so that you can recreate this experience with your own little ones.

A Festival of Lights

The festival of Martinmas (November 11) is celebrated among families and Waldorf schools and often includes a "lantern walk." In this celebration, families make or bring lanterns and take a walk after sundown, singing songs about light in the darkness. (Saint Martin himself was a soldier who risked his life for someone in need.)

As David Sewell McCann writes:

“Think of the little light you can offer the people around you. There might not be much light coming from your lantern, but it could make all the difference for someone experiencing the many darknesses around us.”

You can create your own lantern walk experience — even just in your own backyard!

Candle Making For Kids: Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s what you will need to get started: - Organic Beeswax - Braided Wick - ¼-inch nuts (these weigh the candles down until they get heavy enough on their own) - Cardboard (a cereal box works) - A ruler - An old knife or stick for stirring - A tall, narrow, wide-mouthed glass or metal container - An old sheet, drop cloth, and/or newspaper to cover the floor and counters in case of drips - A large pot to serve as a double boiler - A rack or hanger on which to let your tapers dry between drips (we used our laundry rack)

Now, just follow the steps in this tutorial by Jamie of Simple Homeschool.

If you’d like to use your newly-dipped candles for a Martinmas Lantern Walk, you may also enjoy this Milk Jug Lantern Tutorial on the Sparkle Blog.

More About Jamie Martin and Simple Homeschool

Jamie C. Martin is an introverted mom of three who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list) and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller).

She co-founded Simple Homeschool — a one-stop hub for homeschooling tools, resources, and tips — in 2010. Pro tip: head over to Jamie’s site now and take her “What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality Type” quiz! After completing the quiz, she’ll send you a free personality report via email, with tips on how to organize your homeschool based on your personality’s needs and your children’s, too!

More About Martin & Sylvia

Click below to listen to “A Circle of Light,” the latest story in our new Martin & Sylvia Collection, Learning Days. Explore the entire Martin & Sylvia series here.

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