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Required materials:

• Plain Paraffin Wax (about 1/2 pound)
• Double Boiler
• Wooden spoon
• Bowls for cold water
• Candle thermometer
• Kitchen Stove
• Wick

And the instructions:

1. Cut the wax into small pieces.
2. Bring the water gently to the boil. Place wax in the double boiler.
3. Stir until the wax is melted. Once melted, try to keep the wax at 71C / 160F.
4. Cut the wick to the desired length, then dip into the wax. Allow the wax to cool between dippings for a minute or two.
5. Continue the dipping and cooling process. After a few dippings, you can speed up the process by dipping in cold water.
6. Repeat the process until the candle reaches the desired thickness.
7. When finished and cooled, cut a flat base on the candle.

Et voila.

So what’s so interesting about candle dipping from the perspective of software development?
Well, after 1 dip, what do you have? Well, you have a piece of string
covered in wax, neither use nor ornament. But after just a few dips,
you will have the beginnings of a candle, albeit at this stage, a very
slim one. So very quickly, we have something that could function as a
working candle.

Then, over time, we add layers, additional wax, additional
functionality. In time, this candle willl become an impressive church
candle, with a good 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Just as your app, with
very humble beginnings, will, with proper technique, become a very
impressive app.

The use of candle dipping as a metaphor for software development is not new in the world of Agile Software Development.
The essence is that we work in very small iterations, and we keep a
working application available at all times, just as our candle could
function as a candle at all times throughout its creation.
Functionality, business value, mojo, whatever you want to call it, is
added in vertical strips, just like in candle dipping.

If mojo is added in the order of business value, this process will,
at all times, mean that your application will yield the highest return on investment possible at any given time.