General information about candle making

Articles on Candle making by Crafty Corner

Candles are one of the oldest crafts out there and have been going ever since the days of the Romans. Beeswax and tallow were the main ingredients used for candle making until the 1850’s. This is when it was discovered that paraffin wax could be obtained form petrol, coal or wood.

Candles were traditionally made by repeatedly dipping the wick in melted tallow.

General Requirements
You will have lots of equipment on hand that can be converted permanently to candle making equipment. How serious you are about candle making will affect the decisions you make about purchasing equipment. When you begin candle making, you can do so on a shoe-string budget. When you become hooked on candle making and can no longer stand all the improvising tools you can slowly grow your equipment.
The essential items listed below in order of importance:

  1. Container for melting wax.
    • A good wax melter is usually seamless aluminum, with a flat bottom that allows the pot to sit right on the heat.
    • The sturdy handle is very important!!!
    • Try get one of those aluminum kettles for outdoor cooking.
    • Double-boilers are better to use and safer.
    • One old big pot with a smaller pot that fits into it can serve this purpose , you don’t need to use a proper double boiler.
  2. Moulds around the house
    • There are a large variety of moulds just lying around your house.
    • A plastic ball (cut in half and seal with masking tape when poured)
    • Aluminum foil can be used to create free form crinkled candles.
    • Jelly moulds
    • tin cups
  3. Water Bath
    • The water is used to speed up the cooling of the wax.
    • A plastic basin big enough to accommodate the mould.
  4. Wax
    • Wax can be bought from Crafty Corner or some craft shops; it comes in either granular or block form.
    • Wax is made from petroleum.
    • Wax melts at different temperatures depending on the type of wax.
    • Fully refined wax has a lot less oil content than semi refined wax.
    • The congealing point is when the wax begins to go hard. If you take the temperatures of the wax at this point you know how hot the over dipping wax would need to be.
  5. Wick
    • Your wick is very important to how well your candle turns out.
    • It is important to choose the correct size wick for the size of the mould and the type of wax you working with.
    • There are quite a few different types of wick and different thicknesses
      • Paper Core wick
      • Metal core wick
      • Cotton wick (braided)
    • You can also buy these wicks pre-waxed. (it is very important to pre-wax your wick or your candle will not burn properly.
  6. Additives
    • These are products that get added to wax for a purpose. Generally you use them to improve the following:
      • Harden wax
      • Improve the gloss
      • Eliminate snow spots
      • Improve over dipping adhesion
      • Mould Release
      • Make white
      • Burn Slower
  7. Dyes
    • Dyes are used for altering the color of your candle and come either in a powder form or solid.
    • The density of the color depends of the amount of color added.
    • Test the color by pouring a bit of the wax onto a white surface.
    • The finished candle will be slightly darker.
    • When wax is melted it appears darker then when it solidifies
  8. Candle Oils
    • These are special oils that can only be used for candles.
    • Aromatherapy oils and other types of oils can not be use as they have water in and will spoil your candle!

Working with wax

  • Make sure your pot is dry and clean
  • Break wax into chunks and place into a pot, one with a spout makes pouring easier.
  • Melt your wax till it is all melted
  • Switch off your stove. If you are using a thermometer you can first gain the correct temperature but generally as soon as the wax has all melted it is ready to pour
  • Dip you wick into the wax and run it between two skewer sticks to remove excess wax. ( This is quite a technique and requires practice.)
  • Add in your additives
  • Add in your color
  • Add in your scented oils
  • Your wax is now ready to be poured into your mould

Safety Precautions
Being a relatively dangerous craft it would strongly recommend that you read up a bit about the dangers and precautions before you get started.

  • NEVER leave wax unattended!!!!
  • Keep a close eye on the wax, when it is melted it is ready to pour
  • Do not continue heating after melted unless you have a thermometer and know the wax that you working with well.
  • Rather use an electric hot plate and not an open gas flame.
  • If the wax has got water in it, rather throw it out. Using wax that has got water that has settled at the bottom can cause a steam explosion as the water heats quicker then the wax.
  • In the event that the wax catches fire DON’T use water. Cover the pot with a lid, damp cloth or use a fire extinguisher.
  • Don’t pour melted wax down the drain as it will cause a blockage
  • KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN

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