The Art of Candle Making

Making candles is a simple and enjoyable project that can even be done with children. Homemade candles can be used as a personalized present. People of all ages will enjoy receiving them and appreciate the thoughtfulness behind the gift. Versatility is one of the fun aspects of candle making. You can make different shapes (e.g. an apple for a teacher or tapered candles for a romantic evening). They can also be poured into jars and mixed with scents, such as citrus, rose, lavender, cinnamon, for different seasons and parties.

Mixing scents is another way to make a unique candle cinnamon and vanilla go well together and fill the room with the smells of baking. Using broken crayons, melted and mixed with the wax, is a great way to recycle and make a beautiful craft. Children especially love using their old crayons to make new colors for candles. Simply melt down old crayons and mix them in with the candle making wax. They can be swirled gently for a marbled effect or mixed thoroughly for a solid color.

Another type of candle making that is fun to do with children is beeswax candles. They are great because they don’t require the use of hot, potentially dangerous wax. To make a beeswax candle you simply wrap a sheet of wax tightly around a wick. Dipping candles is a procedure that has been around since antiquity. Dipped candles can usually be made in doubles. The wick hangs over a thin object, such as a dowel, and both sides are dipped simultaneously. Once both sides have an adequate amount of wax they can be hung to cool and then the wick is cut in the middle thereby creating two separate candles.

Taper candles can be scented and colored just like container candles. Basic candle making supplies to make all sorts of candles are usually available at craft stores, fabric stores, and superstores. You can also use old, useless candles to re-melt and make new candles. You will need to have wicks, wax, water, and a double boiler to make candles. The double boiler is important because it prevents the wax from catching fire while you are melting it. If you don’t have a double boiler you can fashion one from a pot and a metal colander.

Advanced candle making supplies are also usually available at craft and fabric stores. To make your candles unique advanced candle making supplies, such as various scents, colors and molds should be purchased.