Candle Making (or trying to anyway) :)

[coco maui]

I went to the craft store tonight and bought some Natural Beeswax and some wicks. I am going to TRY to make my own candles! So far I have taken the supplies out of the bag and put them on the counter.
Does anyone know how to make candles? The packaging has instructions on it but it a little foreign to me

Ginger

 

[kiwideus]

Good luck, I havent tried making them before but I would love to - let me know how it goes and I will try them for myself!

 

[hissy]

Make sand candles, they are the easiest and the fun ones to make!

it is a long explanation, so I just looked up a link for you. I am guessing, but I think you are close to sand?! LOL


sand candles

 

[kiwideus]

I have never heard of sand candles before, but it is something I would love to try once I am back near the beach!

 

[coco maui]

Ya that's what my boyfriend, Steven, suggested too. I had never heard of sand candles either. Thanks, hissy I'll take a look at the site.
I live near Ft. Lauderdale, FL so there shouldn't be a problem finding plenty of sand!

Ginger

 

[myste]

my mother used to make those beeswax candles, I can ask her. That sounds like a fun project, maybe I'll make a couple myself for our anniversiary trip!

here, I found this site. The instructions seem easy enough.
http://www.beemaid.com/wax/candles.htm

 

[lisa_catfancier]

I vaguely remember making candles with my mom when I was younger. I know it took a really long time for the wax to cool and I'm not sure if I would ever try it on my own. It seemed like a pretty big hassle just to make a candle, when you could buy a very nice one for just a few dollars....I like to be creative too, but you might stick with the sand candles. They sound like they would be easier and just as pretty!

Lisa

 

[sarah brown]

I used to make candles all the time. I want to start a business on the net someday. I have so many candles around here that I've made they have just about taken over. ha! ha! I have tower candles and ones that's I've poured into old cups and coffee mugs. I love doing it. It's a hobby of mine, that I've put on hold for now. Have fun it's a great way to pass the time. Plus the whole house smells good while you're doing it.

 

[bundylee]

http://www.sissiescandles.com/howto.htm

http://www.luminacandles.com/

http://www.genwax.com/candle_instruc...structions.htm

http://www.allsands.com/portal/crafts_candles/

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/candles.html

 

[nenners]

I love to make candles! I used to buy a lot of expensive nice smelling brick candles. After they burned down, there is a lot of wax left over. I couldn't just waste it after paying $30.00 for some of them. I bought some wicks and glass votives and made candles out of the left overs. Now I can enjoy them over and over!

 

[coco maui]

Well I tried making a candle last night about midnight. I melted the beeswax and poured it into a plastic container with a wick. It smelled really good and it made the house smell great but...After it cooled the top of the candle "flopped" , it kinda sunk in on top. I guess I will have to read some of the articles that you guys linked to and get the technique down. Fortunatly, I can remelt the wax and try again.

Ginger

 

[coco maui]

Drum roll please...My beautiful sunken candle LOL

 

[nenners]

You need to let it cool off. Then repour to fill in your "sunken" part. I think the reason it does that is the molecules in the wax get closer together as it cools. Hence it shrinks and leaves the top of the candle sunken in.

 

[coco maui]

Oh cool thanks, I'll try that next time

It wont burn the way it is, when I light it, it burns a little wax and fills in the sunken part and drowns the wick. Better luck next time!

Ginger

 

[krazy kat2]

I use a double boiler to melt my wax, it seems to melt it more uniformly, and you do not have to worry about it getting too hot and flashing flame up at you. I recycle my wax from my favorite candles, too. If you feel like getting fancy, you can pour a layer, let it cool over night, and pour more layers like that. If you live somewhere that has a Hobby Lobby store, they have a good candle making department. They usually have little lesson sheets for using a lot of their items, too.

 

[deb25]

I used to make candles all the time. I used many different molds. There was also one that you made in a milk carton and added crushed ice to the melted wax. When it cooled, there was a lattice-like pattern in the wax where the ice had been.

 

[sarah brown]

Hi there. It's me again. I used to work at Candle-Lite candle factory in New Vienna, Ohio and I know why the wax sinks in like that. The glass or whatever kind of container you use, needs to be heated to the same temp as the wax. This way they can cool at the same time and at the same temp. I had this problem forever until I went to work there as a temp. I do not work there now, but sure did pick up some good hints along the way. I sure hope this helps ya. I usually boil some water and put the glass in it and use tongs to lift it out and then pour in the wax. See if that helps. Or, you can cheat and heat the glass in a bowl of water in the microwave. I've done it that way too. It depends on your wattage, as to how long you leave it in to heat.

 

[coco maui]

Thanks for the advice. I was using a plastic yogurt container for the mold so heating that to 200 degrees wouldn't be good

Once I get some real candle containers I will try it though.
I will dry the double pouring tip next time and see if that works. I will probably make another candle today and see what happens.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Ginger

 

[myste]

Hmmm, that wasn't the kind of candle I was thinking of. I was thinking of the rolled beeswax kind.

 

[kc65]

Good luck. I have always wanted to learn to make my own.