How to Make Candles at Home

Homemade personalized candles make great birthday or anniversary gifts. Moreover, candle making is a wonderful hobby with lovely results. Candles enhance the ambiance in the room, and give the house a gentle, warm atmosphere. Making candles at home is not only a great hobby, but is also cheaper than picking them up from the store. Moreover, with a little practice and imagination, one can create exquisite candles with the boundaries of one's home.

Ingredients for Making a Candle

Wax
The first decision to make in candle making is regarding the type of wax. One can either pick soy wax, beeswax or paraffin wax. Mostly all-purpose paraffin wax is used to make candles, which is found in the canning section of the local grocery store. It is also available in any craft or hardware store.

Fragrance and Color
For imparting fragrance to the candles, herbs, essential oils and various cooking ingredients such as vanilla and peppermint are used. Moreover, spices also work well. For the color various dyes, inks or food colors can be used.

Wick and Wick Cutter
The wick is that part of the candle that allows it to burn. These wicks can be prepared at home by dipping heavy strings or cords into warm wax, and then allowing them to dry on sheets of wax paper. Wicks can also be purchased from craft stores. Scissors make great wick cutters and can be used to cut wicks into the required sizes.

Wax Carrier
This device is used to heat the wax, as it melts. Double boilers make great wax carriers, however, one can even use a saucepan as an alternative. All one needs to do is fill the saucepan with water, and then place the wax in an old coffee tin before heating the saucepan.

Mold and Mold Release
The mold is what gives the candle its actual shape. It is into this mold that hot wax is poured. Cans, hard plastics or a glass are nice simple molds. Whether one wants a standalone candle or a candle in a decorative container will define the mold selection. To ensure the safe removal of hard wax from the mold without ruining the candle, one will need a mold release. Peanut oil, cooking spray oil or silicone spray are different mold releases that can be used.

Additives
To enhance the beauty of the candle, several accessories such as plastics, herbs, leaves, flowers, beads and other jewelry can be placed in the wax.

Dowels, Spoon and Thermometer
The dowel or pencil is required for each candle. For stirring the wax, a wooden spoon is required. A candy thermometer is also needed.

Instructions for Making Candles at Home

• Once all the requirements are in order, one has to choose a location for candle making. The area selected should permit quick transport of hot wax from the place of heating. The area should be covered by newspapers, as dried wax is cumbersome to remove from the floor.
• The next step is to place the paraffin wax in the double boiler or wax carrier, and heat it to an appropriate temperature of 140 degrees. Once the wax starts melting, one should start spraying the inner walls of the molds with mold release and place them safely aside. Using the wooden spoon, stir the melting wax gently.
• Once the wax has melted thoroughly, one can add accessories of choice. Scents and colors are also to be added at this stage, however, one should remember that one teaspoon of fragrant oil or coloring is enough. Continue stirring gently, so that the scents and color blends in well.
• The next step is lifting the wax carrier out of the hot water (using a hot pad), and pouring the melted wax present in it into the molds. One should make sure the wax does not fill the molds completely to the top. A margin of at least one inch needs to be left on the top of each mold.
• As the wax begins to harden, it is time for wick insertion. Tie one end of the wick to the middle portion of the pencil and gradually drop the free end of the wick into the molten wax. Allowing the pencil to rest on the top of the mold, will prevent the wick from falling into the wax as it hardens.
• The wax will take several hours to harden and reach proper consistency. Several experts prefer to allow the wax to harden overnight, before they try and remove them from the mold. Once the wax has hardened, the candle can be allowed to slide out of the mold by tipping the mold upside down. The exterior of the candle can be adorned by ribbons, flowers, glitter, etc. and placed in a decorative tray or box.

These easy steps on making candles at home itself are enough to equip beginners learning candle making. It may not appear as simple as it sounds, but a little practice will definitely make it easier. However, while making candles at home, one must remember not to leave the melting wax unattended. Also, never heat wax directly in the saucepan: always use the double boiler or can. Since, fumes from overheated wax cause illness, one should refrain from overheating the wax. Moreover, one crucial point to remember is never put water on wax fire. Taking all these precautions, go ahead and make your very own candles. These homemade candles make great gifts for loved ones.