Make Your Own Candles
Making your own candles can be taken up as a hobby or a pastime, it’s really easy and you can display all the creativity you have through the making of unique candles. Read on for information on how to make your own candles at home.
Make Your Own Candles
Though they are easily available in various shapes, sizes and colors, you too can easily make them at home. You can add your special touch to the candles, especially if you would like to gift them to someone. Making candles at home require the use of simple ingredients and a simple procedure is to be followed. You can make different types of candles like gel candles, scented candles, tea light candles, etc.
How to Make Your Own Candles at Home- A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Make Wax Candles
Supplies Needed
- Paraffin wax
- Wicks
- Molds or containers
- Wax melter or double boiler
- Candle making thermometer
- Fragrances
- Dyes
Directions
Choose an area in your home where you would like to do this activity and spread newspapers all around this area. In a double boiler, melt the paraffin wax and once all the wax has melted well, add the fragrance and dye as per the amount of wax used. Then in a metal candle mold, fix a wick through the hole provided for the same. Heat the wax again to about 190°F, use a thermometer to track the temperature and when it is heated to the desired temperature, carefully pour the wax into the mold. Allow it to dry for about 12 hours and then put it into the refrigerator for another 12 hours, so that it sets well.
How to Make Scented Candles
Supplies needed
- 1 quart (32 oz.) measuring cup
- Wick stabilizer
- Glue gun
- Wicks
- Candle dye
- Fragrance oil
- Containers
- Soy wax
Directions
Fill the measuring cup with 32oz of soy wax and microwave for around 5 minutes, melting the wax to 16 ounces. To the melted wax, add another 32oz of soy wax and melt to 16 ounces to get a total of 32 ounces of melted wax. Once the wax has melted completely, add the dye and the fragrant oil to the melted wax. With the help of a glue gun and wick stabilizer, put the wicks onto the molds. Set the oven on ‘warm’ and pour the melted wax mixture into the molds or containers. Warm the molds in the oven for around 10 minutes and then remove to sit dry for 1 whole day.
How to Make Gel candles
Supplies Needed
- Gel
- Zinc wicks
- Essential oil
- Liquid color dye
- Embeds
- Containers or molds
Directions
Melt the gel in a stainless steel pot by cutting it into tiny pieces and placing the pot over medium heat. The temperature should be maintained to about 200°F, use a candle making thermometer to track the temperature. Once all the gel has melted into a syrup like texture, add the color dye and fragrance oil to it. If you would be putting in embedded stuff, then use as little color as possible so that they are visible. Mix well the color and fragrance and heat the microwave to 160°F. Heat this mixture for about five minutes and then pour the entire mixture into a glass container. Do this really slowly and carefully, avoiding the formation of bubbles. If you arrange the embeds closer to the surface of the glass, they will be seen better. Pull up the wick, trim it and allow the candle to cool well.
So now you see, how easy it is to make your own candles at home. Try these out and enjoy making personalized candles by trying out various colors and shapes of candles.
By Dhanya Joy
Published: 8/28/2009
