Make Your Own Candles

When you make your own candles, you are creating a product with your own two hands, giving you a great sense of accomplishment. While wax and wicks are important components in the candle making process, your patience and time are also necessary ingredients in creating the best possible candle products.

Anyone can go to the store and buy candles. At discount stores, they can be bought for very little money. You can purchase candles that are fragrant and in many colors. There is no shortage of candles in the world, and everyone can get them. It would be hard to find any home that does not have candles of some kind.

So, why go to the trouble of making your own? Why get your hands dirty and spend the time and patience required to make candles? Candle making is an art, just like painting, quilting, pottery making, and sculpting. A painter takes a canvas, visualizes a scene, and paints it. It takes him countless hours to produce on that canvas something that resembles what you can see in a glance.

Talented professional candle makers know very well that high quality candles are not created by simply buying materials, tossing them in a pot, and having fantastic looking candles appear instantly. In fact, in the course of learning the art of making candles, you may make some attempts that are complete failures. But, when you do master the true creative art of your hobby, you realize the failures are part of what makes you evolve into a successful candle maker. Failure is a part of learning, whether in candle making or painting. Failure is what helps us improve.

If you want to make your own candles, you must be prepared with sufficient knowledge and proper ingredents. You will need to have and follow a plan. Candles you make may not look as good as a professional photograph, but they will be your own, truly unique creations.

You do not have to be a rocket scientist or have a college degree to make your own candles. You do need to effectively learn the proper methods of your craft and understand the many components involved in variations of the process. There are many kinds of waxes, many styles of candles, and varied methods of creating each type.

A painter uses paint, canvas, and brushes to create paintings. A quilter uses fabrics, thread, and a sewing machine to create quilts. A chef uses food along with herbs and spices to add flavor and uniqueness to his creative dishes. Similarly, as a candle maker, you will develop artistic skills using fragrances, wax, wicks, molds, and colorants to create your unique style of candles.

You as an artist have the full power and capability to take your candle making to the next level of artistic creativity. It is that uniqueness that will separate and define your own style of candles. Happy Candle Making!

Scented Candle Making

Just making a pretty candle that burns is not enough for most candle makers. You may as well face it. Besides the romantic flicker of light produced by candles, the only thing going for them is a pleasant aroma. The wax that candles are made from gives off some amount of smell, but scented candle making involves properly mixing a scent into the wax to create a pleasantly fragrant.

Plant or essential oils are used in aromatherapy, and some candle makers highly regard them because they are all natural. Essential oils are usually more expensive than scents from other sources. Unfortunately, they do not blend with the wax very well during the heating process, and that causes problems with the candles burning smoothly. This is not to say that it can’t be done, because some candle makers do it regularly.

Fragrance oils are produced in countless scents. They are typically less expensive than essential oils, and they mix well with the wax. Candle makers, who are very opinionated about their oils, choose fragrance over essential oils most of the time. When making candles for yourself or experimenting, try out both items and make your own decision.

As with anything, you can put too much fragrance in your candles. This leads to problems with burning and pooling. The amount of fragrance to use varies from one authority to another. A good rule of thumb is 4 ounces per 10 pounds of wax. You can begin with this and then tweak the mix, based on how your first batch of candles comes out. You may prefer to add only a few drops on your first try, and then increase the amount on successive pours until you reach the perfect recipe. Keep good quality notes so you can duplicate the mix you like.

You will make your scented candle the same way you make any other candle. If you are using a mold, such as a votive, attach the wick by clip or adhesive to the bottom center of the mold.

Begin to heat the wax, remembering it needs to be no more than 200 degrees. It is a good idea to use a pot that has a pouring spout. When the wax liquefies, add coloring if you want, stirring it in with a small wood ladle or a Popsicle stick. Decrease the heat to 165 degrees and add the fragrance. Stir it with the same tool you used to stir the coloring, and increase the temperature to 175 degrees.

Now you can pour the wax in the mold up to a ¼ inch from the top. Make sure you keep the wick straight during the pour. You should have some wax left for a second pour. Let the wax cool completely. This can take up to 4 hours.

When the candle is cool, it should have a depression around the wick due to shrinking. Reheat the remaining wax to around 190 degrees and pour a cap on the top of the candle to just above the top. Allow candle to cool completely and clip the wick to ¼” above the top of the candle. After a few times using this procedure, you will have mastered the craft of scented candle making. Happy Crafting.

Paraffin Wax Candle Making

A vast number of candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum by-product. It is odorless and colorless. It can be found in most craft stores in 10 pound slabs or in pellets. The low cost is one reason for the popularity of the wax. Paraffin wax candle making varies some from the other wax candle methods, but it is a good method to use when making your first candles.

There are several types of paraffin that have different melting points. These points vary from as low as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius), to as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 Celsius). Beginners should choose a wax that melts at about 140 degrees. The wax won’t turn to liquid too fast, and it won’t require a lot of heat to melt it.

Stearin is an additive to make the paraffin harder and give it better color retention properties. Made from animal fat or plant oils, stearin also makes the candle more opaque. It should be mixed in a 1 to 10 ratio with the paraffin. A few other additives are made that closely resemble stearin and produce the same effect. Some waxes already contain the additives, so be sure to read the labels first.

If you are coloring your candle, choose the color you want from the standard charts or mix and blend colors to produce a more customized color. It takes about ¼ ounce of color per 1 pound of wax. The same ratio is true for adding fragrance oil.

Select the size of your wick based on the diameter of the finished candle. A wick that is too small won’t burn well, and one that is too large will sputter and burn too hot. A 3-inch diameter candle should burn fine with one wick, but if the candle is much larger, it will be necessary to have more.

Do not attempt to make your wick out of string or paper. The ones at the craft store are inexpensive and, more importantly, are specifically made for candles. A wick tab works well to hold the wick in place, but you can use something else to weight the bottom during the pour.

The simplest way to make the candle is by using a canning jar that is designed to withstand extreme heat. Do not attempt to use a regular glass container for this, as you stand the risk of injury or a fire hazard while the candle is burning.

An alternative to the canning jar is the candle mold which is removed after the wax has completely cooled. Use the method that you are most comfortable with at your level of expertise.

As with any kind of candle making, you will need to heat the wax, put in your additives, and stir the mixture at the correct temperature. Just before you pour the wax into your glass or mold, be sure to stir one last time to equally distribute the heat in your mixture.

Paraffin wax candle making is fun and easy. With some practice, you will have candles that look great and burn smoothly.

Making Beeswax Candles

If you want to complete a very simple project in candle making, consider making beeswax candles. A rolled candle is as easy a project as you will find, and it is a great project for children. There is no wax to melt or keep at a certain temperature. Dye, fragrance, and other additives are not used with this type of candle.

Items you will need are:

• Sharp cutting knife
• Beeswax sheet
• Wick
• Cutting board

Beeswax sheets come in 16 or 18 inch lengths and are usually about 8 inches wide. You will need to cut your wick about ¾ of an inch longer than the narrow measurement of the wax sheet. Lay the wick along the edge and fold up the edge of the wax sheet, lapping it over the wick. Press down firmly to make a tight fit on the wick. The wax is easy to mold with your bare hands, unless it is very cold. Remember to keep the wick as close to the edge as possible so it will be in the center of the finished candle.

Now comes the skilled part of the process. Roll the wax around the wick keeping the whole length straight. In other words, you can’t let one end get ahead of the other. You must be gentle with the wax to keep from damaging the honeycomb pattern. Do not put heavy pressure on it. Take time to do the work correctly as this is the most important part of the procedure. Due to the sticky type nature of the substance, it is very easy to roll as long as you start out straight.

One sheet of beeswax will make a candle that has an approximate diameter of an inch. When you complete the rolling of the wax sheet, the edge should be straight and the candle should be the same diameter throughout. If you don’t achieve this in your finished beeswax candle, you have done something wrong. It is not an easy process to unroll the sheet and do it again, so be sure to do it right the first time. With gentle pressure, push the top edge of the wax into the roll to seal it. You can indent it into the candle if you choose, but it is not necessary and will take away from the appearance of your candle.

If you want a larger candle, you can add another sheet by simply abutting it to the edge of the first sheet after you finish rolling it. Proceed to roll as you did with the first sheet and seal the edge when finished.

Check each end of the candle to see which one looks best. Even with a great rolling job, the ends will not be perfectly straight. Cut the wick about ½ an inch from the candle top and flush with the bottom. If you feel it is necessary, use the knife to straighten the bottom for a good flush seat.

There’s no waiting for this type candle, just light and enjoy the smooth light and fragrant smell. Making beeswax candles is so simple, anyone can do it. It just takes time and patience.

Wholesale Candle Making Supplies

Before you even start candle making, it is important to find where you will get the materials you need. The local hobby store is fine if you only plan to make a few candles for your own pleasure. If you are going to produce candles to sell, it is necessary to find a source for wholesale candle making supplies.

Mail order companies are popular suppliers for most wholesale needs in any business. The ease of having materials delivered to your door makes this an attractive way to go. It gives you more time to do your work instead of spending time driving to a shop or warehouse. If you are getting real wholesale prices, this usually means the source is not a retail store in the shopping center, and most of their sales are freight delivered. Wherever you buy, make sure you know what the freight will cost before placing your order.

Even with the convenience of online purchasing of supplies, there are still some good things about having a local company with whom to deal. If you are in a crunch for time, it may be to your advantage to pick up what you need. Most internet businesses post their expected shipping times. This can vary from the same day to two weeks. It may not always be easy for you to plan well in advance when you will need materials due to orders you receive. Remember, your clients want what they buy from you delivered expeditiously, the same as you expect from your vendors.

If your business is small, you may not want to buy larger quantities of materials to get good internet pricing. Some online stores have minimum orders you must meet to keep the freight to a manageable amount.

Compare pricing among vendors. It takes some time to do, but it is important to make the right decisions on your purchases. Any time you are selling to the public, the bottom line is going to be important. You can’t have the best prices if you pay too much for supplies.

Most of the wholesale candle suppliers online offer discounts for purchasing in bulk. This is a great way to go if you can afford it. If you purchase in bulk, you can stockpile items like wax and most likely save on the freight overall. Freight on multiple orders is usually more costly than freight on one order for the same items. Be sure if you plan to order in bulk to store the materials as suggested by the manufacturer.

Whether you are doing a lot of commerce with your candle making, or only doing a few candles for your friends and family, you want to buy wholesale candle making supplies to get the best price. All vendors are not the same, so choose wisely when you place an order.

How to Make Soy Candles

Making soy candles has become very popular among candle makers. There are many reasons why making candles with soy is preferred by many candle makers over other wax types. Making soy candles has become increasingly popular not only because of the candle qualities soy wax produces but for health reasons as well.

Many people have increased their awareness in recent years over the safety and welfare of the environment. Making soy candles contributes to the eco friendly mindset because it is a renewable resource, it does not contain harmful pollutants like its paraffin counterpart, and it burns cleaner than other candle waxes.

Making candles with soy is preferred by many candle makers because it supports the U.S. economy. Paraffin wax is a petroleum by-product, and most of the oil used in making paraffin wax is obtained from foreign countries. Patriotic Americans prefer to buy U.S. made products. Soy candle wax is made by extracting oil from soybean flakes and hydrogenating it. Making soy candles requires soy wax, so candle makers like the idea of buying a resource that is made primarily from U.S. soybeans.

Many candle makers switched to soy wax for making candles due to health concerns associated with burning candles made with paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is known to contain chemicals that release toxins into the air when burned. The fumes emitted from paraffin wax candles have been compared to the exhaust of a diesel truck. Making soy candles is highly preferred because they are made from a vegetable wax and burn cleaner producing very little soot.

Making soy candles is easy. The ingredients needed to make a soy pillar candle are:

Soy Wax
Soy Compatible Fragrance Oil
Candle Dye or Colorant
Wick
Pillar Candle Mold
Silicone Mold Release Spray
Mold Seal (plug or putty)
Wax Thermometer

Assemble the necessary materials, and you are ready to start making candles. In a well ventilated area, apply a thin film of silicone release spray to the inside of the mold. Wipe off any excess. Insert wick up through mold. Place wick plug in hole in bottom of mold or seal with wick putty. Pull wick through, leaving about ¼” on the outside. Wrap the wick around a Popsicle stick or wooden skewer making sure there is no slack in the wick.

Melt the soy wax. Add color and blend. Add fragrance oil per manufacturer’s instructions. Blend well. Place mold on a flat level surface. Slowly pour wax into mold when it is between 140 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow candle to harden overnight. Remove the pillar from the mold by slightly pulling on the wick. If the pillar does not release easily, place in freezer for a few minutes. After releasing from mold, allow the soy pillar to cure for at least 24 hours. Trim wick if necessary. Pillar candles need to be on a candle plate when burned.

Making soy candles is not difficult at all. You need just a few basic ingredients and supplies to get started. Soy wax is sold by the pound and is usually found in one, five and ten pound quantities. When choosing wicks, be sure to buy wicks that are compatible with vegetable waxes. Not all fragrance oils are compatible with soy wax. Most fragrance oil suppliers have a compatibility chart for their fragrance oils. For example, if a particular fragrance oil is safe for SW, PW, GW, then it is compatible with soy wax, palm wax and gel wax.

You are ready to get started making your own soy pillar candle. Gather your supplies, and have fun making soy candles!

How to Make Scented Candles

Scented candles will enhance every room in your home. Aromatic candles create a very pleasant and romantic ambience. Making scented candles at home is very easy and incredibly affordable. You can easily create candles for your home, as gifts for friends and family, or to resell for profit. Candle making does not take a lot of time to learn. With a few simple supplies and basic equipment, you can start making scented candles right away.

Candles are great air fresheners that make your home smell great and remove odors caused by pets and food. Scented candles simply make your home smell great.

Bayberry and beeswax are natural candle waxes that are blessed with fragrance from Mother Nature. Several other candle waxes require a fragrance additive to produce a scented candle. The most commonly used fragrance additive in candle making is fragrance oil. These are highly concentrated oils that are added to the candle wax after it is melted and coloring has been added.

The variety of fragrance oils available for making scented candles is practically endless. You can purchase bakery style fragrance oils for candle making such as almond biscotti, blueberry muffin, chocolate chip cookie, cinnamon bun, fresh baked bread, and German chocolate cake.

You can opt for floral scents for making your scented candles such as blooming jasmine, blue gardenia, or cherry blossom. For more outdoors types of scents, you can select from Canadian wilderness, enchanted forest, or oak moss.

Choosing fragrance oils is a lot of fun. The possibilities are pretty endless when it comes to choosing fragrance oils for making your scented candles.

A good wax for a beginner to use when learning to make scented candles is the ever popular paraffin wax. After you have melted your wax, you add your dye or colorant to the double boiler top pot and stir it to blend thoroughly. After that is thoroughly mixed, add your chosen fragrance oil at the rate recommended by the supplier. Typical application rates range from ½ to 1 ounce per pound of wax depending on the type of wax you are using.

There are some pre scented waxes available for making votives, waxed animal shapes, tarts, and other candle types. This is a convenient way for beginners to start making scented candles.

When selecting your fragrance oil for candle making, be sure to note if the oil is recommended for the type of wax you will be using in your candle. You should also select fragrance oils specifically for use in candle making. Some fragrance oils are not suitable for candle making. Melted wax is hot, and the fragrance oil must be able to withstand the heat of the melted wax.

You can learn the art of candle making in a very short time. You can then start making scented candles for your own home, as gifts for family and friends, or to sell in a home based candle making business. Have fun making your own candles!

How to Make Gel Candles

Candle makers have become increasingly attracted to gel wax for making candles. The process used in making gel candles provides some truly creative ways to make some incredibly unique candles. Making gel candles is very easy, and it does not require a lot of money or time to learn this wonderful craft.

There are some differences between making gel candles and making other candles types. Gel wax is used in making gel candles; it is transparent and has a rubbery texture making it soft to the touch. The transparency of the gel is part of what makes the process of making gel candles so unique.

Gel candle making allows the candle maker to insert “embeds” into the candle wax before the gel sets. The transparency of the gel allows the candle maker to create themed scenes within the candle. Some common theme candle scenes include beaches, aquariums, night skies, butterfly gardens, and falling leaves. Some embeds are made of glass; wax embeds are usually preferred because they melt right along with the candle. Wax embeds come in a wide variety of shapes such as fish, shells, crabs, starfish, grapes, ladybugs, bumble bees, hearts, ducks, and many more.

Gel wax comes in different densities: low, medium and high. Low density gel is easy to use, but it is too weak to support embeds and has a low fragrance load of 0-3% by weight. Low density wax is fine if you do not plan to add embeds to your gel candle, and you do not require a heavy scent. Medium density gel wax will hold up to 5% fragrance oil and will support lighter weight embeds. High density gel wax will also hold up to 5% fragrance oil and will support higher weight embeds.

Basic materials needed for making gel candles include:

Gel candle making wax in the desired density
Clear glass container for finished candle
Colorant or dye
Fragrance oil
Wick
Embeds
Pot for melting gel wax
Wax Thermometer

When choosing your candle container, consider whether or not you want the beautiful candle inside to show through the glass. There is not much point to creating a beautiful embedded candle scene using a cloudy glass container.

Embeds can be added in various ways. Some candle makers pour the candle into the container, then add the embeds using a sharp object to nudge them down into the candle taking care to avoid the wick area. Other candle makers prefer to layer the gel candle by adding a layer of wax, then a layer of embeds and so on.

The other steps in the process of making gel candles are similar to the steps used to make other candle types. In summary, you melt the wax. Then you add the color and fragrance. You add the wick to the container, and pour the candle. Embeds are optional.

All you need to start making gel candles is some very basic materials and supplies. Gel candles are a lot of fun to make, and the embed possibilities allow your creative side to shine. Have fun making gel candles!

Candle Making Wax

Candle making is a lot of fun as a craft or hobby, but there are many enthusiasts who have turned their hobbies into very profitable businesses. Learning the art of candle making has many benefits. You can affordably create candles for your own home. You can start a business, and sell your candles for a profit. You can create inexpensive candles to give as gifts to your friends and family.

In basic candle making, wax is heated to a specific temperature. The melted wax is then poured into candle making molds to cool. Depending on the type of candle mold you are using, the candle is either left in the mold as its container, or it is removed from the mold so the candle making mold can be re-used.

Examples of container candle making molds include mason style jam, jelly, and canning jars. Canning jars are designed to remain intact under high temperatures, making them perfect for container candle making. If you plan to make glass container candles, be sure that the glass used is heat resistant and can withstand the high temperature of the melted wax. Some candle makers make container candles in beer mugs. If you do this, be sure to use a thick walled beer mug so it does not crack.

There are a wide variety of candle making molds available. They come in many different shapes and designs and in a variety of materials. The most common candle making molds are made of metal, aluminum, rubber, silicone, plastic, and polyurethane.

Aluminum candle making molds are very popular. Most aluminum candle molds are seamless and produce excellent pillar candles. Advanced candle makers sometimes water bathe aluminum molds as a method of speeding up production of pillar candles. It is important to note that water bathing a filled aluminum mold can be tricky; you don’t want the wax to harden too quickly. Pillar candles have multiple shapes. You can create octagonal, square, or round pillars. Many experienced candle makers warm aluminum candle making molds prior to filling. This process prevents the wax from hardening too rapidly, which can cause air bubbles, and white chalky marks on the candle known as frosting.

Plastic candle making molds are very popular, because they are affordable and also easy to clean. They come in many shapes and sizes, including geometric shapes such as: hexagonal; rectangle; square; pyramid; and cones.

Rubber and silicone molds are also used often in candle making. Silicone molds are usually more expensive than other types of molds, but they do offer some advantages. Silicone molds leave no seam lines, and candles release readily from them after hardening.

There are many household items that also make fine candle making molds. It is not uncommon for experienced candle makers to prowl through their cabinets or garages, seeking creative candle making molds from among common items available around their homes. Use your imagination and you might be surprised! Some examples of homemade candle making molds include: wax orange juice containers; heat resistant casserole dishes; clay pottery trays; and shaped tin foil. Floating candles can be made in a unique process that uses kitchen cookie cutters as the candle molds.

You’ll have more fun if you experiment with the many different types of candle making molds. Then you can determine which molds you like best in your candle making hobby. Have fun in your candle making!