How to Make Beeswax Candles

If you are not getting what you want out of the candles you are making, it may be time to try something new. One type of candle that is wonderful is a beeswax candle. They have an unbelievably sweet scent and produce a warm, soft glow that is beautiful and comforting. If you love candles, then beeswax candles are a must for your home. They are easy to make and you can even share the experience with your children. You can turn making beeswax candles into a fun and wholesome activity for the entire family. There are just a few supplies that you will need. Some of them you may already have at home and the rest you can get at most craft supply stores.

Two ingredients that you will need to purchase from a craft supply store are beeswax sheets and primed wick. If you are not familiar with candle making then ask someone who works at the supply store to point you in the right direction. Two more supplies you need are a sharp knife and a cutting board. You may already have these items in your home. If you do not want to use the knife and cutting board you use for cooking to make candles, then these items can easily be purchased at a discount or department store. Finally you will need a clean workspace that is large enough to comfortably accommodate your supplies and your candles in progress.

Here are the steps to make a beeswax candle:

• You should roll the beeswax sheet out onto your work surface.

• Next you need to cut a length of your wick. It should be two inches longer than the width of the beeswax sheet.

• The wick should be placed along the edge of the beeswax sheet. You then fold the sheet to cover the wick by about 1/8 of an inch. To make sure that the wax is completely surrounding the wick, press down firmly on the beeswax sheet.

• When the wick is secure in the beeswax sheet it is time to start rolling the wax. Keep the candle straight and roll it slowly. Rolling slowly will ensure that you do not damage the honeycomb pattern in the wax.

• When you get to the end of the beeswax sheet you will need to press down gently on the exposed edge so that your candle does not come apart.

• Select the end of the candle that you feel makes the best top. Trim the wick down to about a ½ and inch on this end. You will then need to remove the exposed wick completely from the end that will be the bottom.

This is an easy way to make beautiful beeswax candles. One candle can provide you with hours of light and warmth. If you let your children help you, they will take great pride in what they have made. These candles also make exquisite gifts. People really love personal, homemade gifts. Beeswax candles can add elegance, comfort and beauty to any room they grace. They are great for home or your work space.

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]]> http://candlemakingtipsnow.com/how-to-make-beeswax-candle/feed/ 0 http://candlemakingtipsnow.com/how-to-make-gel-candles/ http://candlemakingtipsnow.com/how-to-make-gel-candles/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:17:54 +0000 Patricia http://candlemakingtipsnow.com/?p=21

How to make gel candles

Gel candles are growing in popularity. They work the same as regular wax candles in the respect that they will burn in the same way that wax candles burn but they are made a little differently.

Wax candles are made from oil. The same is true with gel candles but they are made of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin. The resin starts out as a powder but when it is mixed with the mineral oil it is transformed into a solid state. Gel wax comes in three different states: high density, medium density, and low density. The higher the density, the more fragrance the oil can hold. Plus, the thicker gel will hold the suspended decorations with in the candle. But, keep in mind that the thicker gel takes longer to meld and it is harder to pour.

The steps that go into making a candle out of regular wax such as melting the wax and pouring it in a mold to dry are the same steps you need to do in making gel candles. But, the equipment you use and the techniques are slightly different. With other types of candle wax most people use a double boiler to melt the wax. But, trying to melt gel wax in a double boiler would take way too long. Some gel candle makers have turned to multi-cookers to get the job done. A multi-cooker is kind of like a deep fryer. They typically are metal with a non-stick coating. They have a separate heating element with a temperature dial so you can get the proper temperature to melt the gel wax. Rather then using two separate pots one with water and one to melt the wax in, the gel wax is placed directly in the multi-cooker to melt. Although the multi-cooker comes with a temperature dial, it is still a good idea to use a separate thermometer to make sure that the gel is melted at the proper temperature. Use something metal or hard plastic to stir the gel wax. Wooden spoons can sometimes add bubbles to the gel. The most important thing to remember is that gel candle wax can catch fire. Make sure you have a chemical fire extinguisher near by.

It is also possible to change the color of the gel candle wax by using dyes. Liquid candle dyes are perfect for gel candles because they can maintain the translucency of the gel. It only takes a very small amount of the dye to actually change the color of the wax. Sometimes even a drop of dye is too much. You should never use crayons, clothing dye, food coloring, or soap dyes in gel candle wax. They will no burn right because they are not made specifically for candles.

Learning how to make gel candles is fast and easy. There are so many possibilities when it comes to creating wonderful candles with gel wax. The best thing about gel candles is that you can add decorations directly to the wax so that they float within the candle. This is a clever and unique way to personalize a gift if you are making the candle for someone else. Plus, gel candles burn slower then regular wax candles so they will last a little longer.

Best wishes,

Patricia

Candle making molds

The different types of candle making molds that are available to buy to make candles at home are almost as endless as the amount of different candles out there. It is realistic to think that with such a popular hobby like candle making and the popularity of people buying candles for their homes, there would be a lot of different types of candle making molds available on the market.

A candle mold is a container that the wax is poured into while it cools. The wax will hold the shape of the mold when it has cooled completely. Candle molds are made out of a variety of materials, sizes, shapes, and styles. They also offer a variety of different uses. Aluminum molds are a very popular type of mold candle makers use. They are durable and heat resistant. Plus, they leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle. This gives the candles the appearance of being professionally made. These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles. They are also inexpensive when compared to rubber molds. A plus about aluminum molds is that they are easy to clean. All you need to do is to put them on a baking sheet in your oven. By placing them upside down and heating them to about 150 degrees the leftover wax will milt and run out of the mold onto the cookie sheet. Just remember to line your cookie sheet. The down side to aluminum molds is that they are not flexible so there are very little choices when it comes to varying the shapes or textures of the candles and that they require a releasing agent to get the candle out of the mold.

On the other hand, rubber molds like polyurethane, silicone, or latex molds are very flexible. Polyurethane molds are flexible but they do not stretch well. They are usually a little bit cheaper then silicone molds. Unfortunately, they have a strong odor that may be able to be passed along in your candle and they will need a releasing agent to get the candle out of it. Often times pillar and taper candles are made from these types of molds. Silicone molds are another type of rubber mold. They are the most expensive molds because of their outstanding qualities. They leave no parting lines, they are flexible but also stretchable to a point so getting the candles out of the molds is easier and requires no releasing agent. Although latex molds used to be used very often, with the advances in other types of rubber molds they are loosing their luster. But, it is very easy to make your own molds at home by using liquid latex and painting it onto a structure at home. This process requires a lot of coats of latex but, the options of different types of unique molds are endless.

Plastic candle molds are the cheapest but they are not always the best. They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle. On the plus side, plastic molds are easy to clean. All you need to use is some warm water and a little soap. Just make sure that the mold is completely dry before you use it again or you will get water bubbles in your candles. They are good molds for beginners but if you were to take your candle making hobby into the next level and turn it into a business you are probably going to have to invest in different types of molds.

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