Making candles is a great hobby or business endeavor. Once you get the hang of it, the process is quite simple. For those who have the basics down cold, consider experimenting with the art of making hand dipped candles. While these lovely creations take more time, they are stunning. You can use several colors on each candle giving it a unique color scheme.
There are basic tools you will need to make hand dipped candles. Most of them you already use if you have experience in making candles. You will need a large amount of paraffin wax, wick, and a double boiler to melt it in. Other utensils include wooden spoons, bowls, and a good quality thermometer. The colors available for hand dipped candles are too many to name. These colors come in various forms including cakes, chips, powder, or liquid. If you choose to add scents to your hand dipped candles you need to make sure it is pure oil that does not have a water or alcohol base to it.
You will prepare your wax for hand dipped candles that same as you do for regular candles. Let it continue to heat until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it does, turn the heat down very low to keep the wax in liquid form. Add the color to the wax, using a small amount at a time until your reach the color you want. Add a small amount of scent the mix at this time if you desire. Use scents moderately as you don’t want to have too powerful of a smell. Using too much fragrance can also result in the candle not burning properly.
Next, cut the wick for your candles, keeping it just a bit longer than the candle length you want. If you are making sets of the candles, it is important to cut the wicks exactly the same length. You will want to dip the wicks into the candle wax making sure to coat it properly. This is how you will “build” your candle. After the wicks cool, dip them again. Each time you do, the candle will grow in size. If you want different areas of the candles to be different colors, you will be able to do so by simply having more than one color of wax ready to use. Once your candle is close to the desired thickness you want, shave it with a soft blade, giving the top a pointed look. Dip your candles a few more times to give them a smooth finish.
Creating hand dipped candles is a great hobby or business venture. The process is time consuming, but the creations are beautiful. Learning to make hand dipped candles can be tricky. This is not a good type of candle for beginners to try to learn with. They will quickly become frustrated. To practice without wasting supplies, melt down the wax from the candles you are building and use it over and over again until you have the process perfected.
To make particular designs on hand dipped candles, consider purchasing a book. Most will offer you great color photos with step by step directions for making each hand dipped candle. You will also be able to obtain great color charts for obtaining the best color for your candles. The internet is also a great place to get ideas for the colors of your hand dipped candles.
Making Votive Candles
Votive candles are simple, yet beautiful. These candles are often used to accent a center piece or design. Often it entails more than one votive candle, but not always. Votives are very cost effective because they burn for about fifteen hours. Votives must have a holder as they are not safe to use as a free standing candle.
Many individuals choose to use votive candles in their jack-o-lanterns at Halloween because they burn for a long time and illuminate the entire face of the jack-o-lantern. They are also one of the easiest types of candles to make. For beginners in the area of candle making votives provide a great learning experience to learn the basics of the candle making process.
To get started, you will need to gather your votive candle items. This includes wax, molds, a double boiler, and a thermometer. You will need to have wick and wick tabs for votive candles. The wick tabs serve as a base for the candle. You can choose to purchase dye and fragrance if you wish for your votive candles. To ensure your candles will form properly in the molds, consider investing in mold spray to keep them clean and lubricated.
Once the wax has melted, add in any colors and fragrances. Immediately pour the melted wax into the molds, filling them to the lip of the mold. For easy clean up, place old newspaper under the wax molds before you pour the wax into them. You will need to save about 20% of the melted wax for the next pouring process.
While the wax is cooling in the molds, prepare your wicks. Attack a wick several inches longer than the mold to a wick tab. Dip the wicks into the hot wax. Keep an eye on the votive molds as they won’t take as long to cool as other types of candles. Once you can tell the wax is starting to harden, insert a wick with the tab into each mold through the bottom. As the wax continues to cool, it will meld to the metal tab, ensuring it stays in place at the base of the candle. As the candles cool, make sure your wick is staying in the center of the votive.
Once the wax has completely cooled, you will notice a sink hole in it due to shrinkage. You will want to pour melted wax into the molds again to remedy this. Make the wax about fifteen degrees hotter than the original wax you used to fill the votives. After the candles have completely cooled again, they will slide out of the molds easily. Trim the wick to about ½ an inch from the top of the candle. For safety, you will want to use a votive holder that is an inch or two taller than the candle itself.
Votive candles add class and charm to any home or special occasion. They are fun and simple to make. You can add any color or scent to your votive candles to add a personal touch to them. Votive candles burn for a long time, making them a worth while candle to use. They also make excellent gifts. To make the process even less expensive, look for votive candle holders at thrift shops and yard sales. You can further personalize your votive candles by applying pretty ribbon with a hot glue gun around the rim of the votive candle holder.
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