When a loved-one or any special person celebrates a memorable day of his or her life, gifts would always be at the top of your mind. Gifts may vary from the simple greeting card to the most luxurious car (yes, darling, a porshe for my next birthday). However, the cost is not the most important thing when we are thinking about gifts. As elder people always said, it is the “thought” that counts.Though for most people the tag price of your present may “tickle the spine”, it is beyond denial that a “personal” touch expresses more sincerity for the receiver. Your creativity plus a few tips from us would make that special person feel extra special because of your own custom made gel candles.

1. Prepare the following materials:
   • Ceramic containers like mugs or any fancy-shaped figurine that could hold the candle wax when melted and cooled. Glasses are also great.
   • Gel wax
   • Candle wicks
   • Pencils
   • Pot (for melting wax)
   • Candle scent and color (non alcohol-base)
   • Sharp scissors
2. With the use of a pencil, twine the wick around it but leave some of the wick free that it could reach the bottom part of the candle container. It must be straight down the center of the container.
3. Put the pencil with the twined wick on top of the container; allow the wick to hang down the center of the container. As what the directions tell, melt the wax by cutting them into cubes first to hasten the melting.
4. Add color and scent but make sure that they will not make the wax cloudy.
5. After the melting, pour the gel wax into the container you have prepared. Fill the container but set a limit. Before getting to the next step, make sure that the wax turned gel fully cools down.
6. Check out the wick if it really takes the focal point of the container.
7. Trim the wick to ¼ of its total length.
8. You could tie a ribbon around it or stick a piece of fancy paper with a special message or a mini-picture of the receiver. Give it with the purest sincerity.

As you follow these quick and easy steps, you could unravel both the artist and entrepreneur inside of you. This way of preparing gifts might tickle your resourcefulness and creativity and may lead to long lasting friendship with your special one.

• Light your decorative candle
• Take a piece of paper and fold it into small tube (so that wick could fit inside)
• Wait until some wax melts on your candle
• Blow out your candle and push paper tube on the wick
• Light the paper wick again

This video should explain these steps in more detail:

Enjoy!

Creative Crafts:How To Make Scented Candles

Making your own candles is very popular. No matter what are you initial intentions, making candles can be a lot of fun. It has always been done with paraffin wax or beeswax. However, soy candles are starting to emerge on the market as well. Soy candles are made out of 100% natural soy wax without any additives. Candles made of soy wax will have a wonderful aroma without adding any type of fragrance.

Soy candles can be made with or without wicks. Those with wicks are used the same way as any regular candles. Soy candles without wicks work with electric candle warmers. The candle sits on the warmer plate and the warmer is plugged into the wall. There is no flame to cause a fire. Wickless soy candles are a great choice for dorm rooms, apartments, offices, and anywhere where there is a potential of a candle being left burning that could cause a fire. Many offices and dorm rooms have put a ban on burning candles for this reason, however they often allow the wickless candles using the burners.

Soy wax is cheaper than other types of wax as well. If you want to make candles on a tight budget, this would be the way to go. You will save money on the wax and you won’t need to purchase additives or scents. If you are planning to make soy candles to sell, you can make a higher profit because your costs are lower.

Many people enjoy the scent of a burning candle, but find the smoke from them can be irritating. This is especially true of individuals who are on oxygen, have bronchitis, or even allergy sufferers. Since soy wax is all natural, there is no smoke or irritates in the air from it. This makes soy wax candles a great alternative for many who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy using candles.

Candle making is an excellent craft that many individuals enjoy both as a hobby and as a home business. Soy wax is not used as commonly as paraffin or beeswax, yet it works just as well for candle making.

This is a second part of How to Make Candles – Candle Making Supplies. Please read How to Make Candles – Candle Making Supplies – Part 1 first.

You have the option of leaving candles plain or adding your favorite scents. Traditional scents include cinnamon, vanilla, and potpourri. However, the choices are unlimited. Some of the aromas help you to relax and others will make your mouth water. You don’t want your candle scents to be overpowering or not strong enough. To be sure you have the right about, add one ounce of scent for each pound of wax used to make the candle.
The amount of each supply you will need depends on the types of candles you are planning to make and the size of each. On average, you can get all the supplies you need to start making candles for $100. Candle making supplies can be purchased at craft stores or online. To save money on candle making supplies, consider purchasing a candle making kit. They offer a small supply of all the items for a discounted price.

Candle making is a fascinating art that allows you to express your own creations. To help ensure your candles develop in a form that can be used, purchase the above listed candle making supplies. There are many accessories available as well to make your candle making more enjoyable.

Candle paints help you create your designs on the candles. This is a great way to create gorgeous contrasts between the candle color and the overall look. Luster spray gives candles a very shiny look. A base leveler will help you align crooked candles. As well as ensure the bottoms are flat and smooth. Candles with wavy bottoms won’t sit well in a holder. Many people will enjoy the great books available on candle making. They can be purchased at major book retailers or online.

Candle Making is a fun hobby and enterprising business venture for others. There are basic supplies you need in order to make candles. All candles require three essentials – wax, wick, and a candle holder. Since candles can be made in various shapes and styles; the amount of wax, length of wick, and type of candle holder you will use depends on your own preferences. The wax used for candle making is either paraffin wax or beeswax.

To melt the wax for your candles properly, you will need to purchase a good quality double boiler. To make the wax melting easy purchase stir sticks and a thermometer. To ensure the users of your candles can enjoy every bit, consider adding wick clips to the base of the candle.

Candle molds are very popular to help you design your own candles. You can purchase hundreds of different style candle molds or you can make your own. Candle molds are made from aluminum or metal. To make inserting the wick quick and easy, invest in a wick holder bar. A silicon mold release spray will ensure your candles slide out of the mold easily and keep their perfect shape. Mold cleaner will help ensure they work properly time and time again.

Colors add appeal to decorative candles. The market offers a full array of colors to purchase for candles. There are many shades of the primary colors as well as pretty pastels and bold brights. Some candle makers like to experiment with mixing colors to create their own unique and attractive candle colors. The colors come in the form of a dye. You could also try using old crayons for colouring your decorative candles.

Continue reading How to Make Candles – Candle Making Supplies – Part 2

The use of candles for light and heat is known to have existed in ancient times. The remains of candles have been found in the caves of France. It is believed that cavemen used them while painting and etching on the walls. It is believed those candles where made out of animal fat. The Egyptians used candles as well by dripping beeswax onto leave stems. The burning process of a candle involves the four basic elements of matter which are solids, liquids, gas, and plasma.

Today candle making is a fun hobby or craft. For some, it is a very profitable business venture. Candle making provides you with they ability to create wonderful designs and crafts out of your candles. There is no limit to the shapes, sizes, and colors you can make your candles in. A candle is a device to provide light or fragrance. Candles have become very popular for the wonderful aromas more than for their ability to produce light. Some candles give off a popular smell such as vanilla or jasmine. Others smell like a chocolate cake or cinnamon rolls.

The body of a candle is generally made of paraffin wax. It can also be made out of beeswax. Paraffin wax is a natural wax that comes from plants. This wax can be purchased from Petroleum Refinery or the Specialty Wax Processor. Beeswax is also considered a natural wax, and is taken from honeybees. This is the substance the bees use to construct their honeycombs. A wick is placed in the center of the wax before it dries. The wick is made of cotton fibers that have been braided together. The wick is very thin, but also very powerful. Sometimes candle makers will use a wick that is wider than normal to increase the size of the flame.

Safety is a very important part of candle making. The temperature of the hot wax can result in severe burns. There is also the risk of fire. Make sure your candle making area is set up properly and that you have a fire extinguisher in the area. Clean up spills quickly as they will become very slick, leading to falls if you walk across them.

To make candle making fun instead of frustrating, start will making simple candles. This is a great opportunity for you to discover what works well with your set up and gives you the chance to make necessary changes. Initially, work at implementing good safety habits and melting your wax at the proper temperatures. You will also want to experiment with your cooling process. Once you have these areas down, you will start to relax and the process will become more natural to you. This is the right time to start experimenting with dyes, scents, and shapes for your candles.

The candle making process is easy to follow if you take your time and learn from your mistakes. Those who are impatient and take multitasking to an extreme will most likely not enjoy the art of candle making. However, it is very enjoyable by those who have plenty of time to take with the process and who enjoy creating things. Candle making supplies aren’t expensive so use the best you can. This will also help ensure your candles form well and burn properly.

In the 1800’s, candle makers felt the wick was the weakest area of the candle as well as the cause for defective burning patterns. A braided wick was developed in 1825 that seemed to greatly improve the burning of several types of candles. By 1830, a process was in place to make candles using paraffin wax and molds. These candles were of good quality and burned well.

As gas and electricity were introduced, the candle making process continued to evolve. It became much easier and faster to melt the paraffin wax. It is believed that the reason so many of the elements of candle making stayed the same, including the hand dipping process is because the popularity of candles diminished with the introduction of electricity.

Today, candle making is a well known art form. There are many companies who manufacture wonderful candles with some very unique fragrances. There are also small businesses that still make their candles by home in their kitchen. Candle making is a great hobby and fun activity for the whole family to be involved in.

Candles are now used more for luxury and pleasure than for light or heat. The candle industry continues to grow with new types of candles being introduced all the time. The amount of colors, fragrances, and types of candles to choose from in the marketplace is absolutely amazing.

Candles are a very common home decorating item. They are used to accent any room in your house. They are a common centerpiece for dinner parties and formal occasions. The unity candles that are presided over at many weddings hold a deep sense of tradition in the American culture.

The art of making candles has definitely changed over time. If you are interested in trying your hand at it, choose a candle that is fairly easy to make such as the container candle or the votive. This will allow you the chance to get used to the process. There are several good candle making kits available for a low price as well as books to give you tips and assistance along the way.

Read The History of Candle Making – part 1.

The art of making candles has been around since primitive times. Of course, as time went by they become much different in design than what they were back then. In the early days, candles were a necessity for heat and light. Today they serve as decorations (i.e. decorative candles, scented candles), wonderfully smelling mechanisms in our homes, and offer light for romantic dinners and baths.

The first known use of candles is not completely known. The remains of clay candle holders that date back to 4 BC have given us the knowledge that they have been in use for a very long time. Those clay candle holders were found in Egypt.

Candles were also used in ancient times in both China and Japan. These candles were made of wax extracted from insects and seeds. The taper candles of India were made from the wax extracted from boiled cinnamon. Candles are not known to exist in American until 1 AD. It is believed Native American’s burned oily fish and the back of the Cerio tree. When settlers came to New England, they used similar techniques to extract wax from bayberries. Many modern candle makers still use that process to make bayberry candles. However, it is quite expensive to do so.

Tallow was the product used to make candles in the 1600’s and 1700’s. This is a byproduct from animal fat. The product worked well but had a foul odor, especially when it was burning. Bees wax and paraffin wax both were introduced in the early 1800’s, and tallow stopped being used.

The dipping process for taper candles as we know it today began in 13 AD. Traveler merchants went door to door from town to town. While there, they made taper candles for individuals in their homes. Around 15 AD the idea to use molds for various types of candles was introduced in Paris. While this greatly improved the candle making process, there were still issues with getting the candles to burn properly.

Read The History of Candle Making – part 2.

Making decorative candles is fun and relaxing. While it does give you the opportunity to be creative, there are some basic candle making steps you need to follow to make the process flow well. Nothing is more disappointing than discovering your candles didn’t form correctly. Safety is very important in candle making. Most people make decorative candles in their own kitchen. You will want to have a fire extinguisher handy as well as a non slip mat placed in front of your stove. Always wear old clothing and long sleeves. However, make sure your sleeves don’t dangle where they can fall into the hot wax.

Since you will have to get the candle wax very hot to melt completely, there is the risk of severe burns. You also have the risk of starting a fire. It is important to clean up all spilled wax immediately. It won’t take long for it to harden, thus becoming very slippery. The dyes and scents used in candle making can leave stains. However, instead of being afraid, just take needed precautions.

The best way to set up your work area for decorative candle making is to divide it into three specific work stations for preparation, the melting process, and the cooling process. The preparation area does not need to be large, just a flat surface that is well organized. To make the process flow best, use a counter in close proximity to the stove. You will want to keep your utensils, thermometer, additives, and other candle making supplies in this area. It is a good idea to know what types of candles you will be making ahead of time so that you have all the necessary items ready to go.

Your melting work station will likely be the stove. You will need to use a double boiler to melt the wax to a temperature that is hot enough without scorching it. The molecular structure of the wax can be damaged if the direct heat to it is too much. This means your decorative candles won’t form well or hold up well when they are used. Wax comes in sheets or blocks. You will need to chip off chunks to melt. A hammer and flat head screwdriver work well for this.

Chipping wax should be done in the preparation stage so that you can simply add more pieces throughout the melting process. You will want to weigh each piece of wax before you add it to the pot for melting. This will help you determine how much scent and dye to add, which is based on weight.

The cooling station needs to be a flat area such as a countertop or table. The wax needs to cool for several hours so this area needs to be able to withstand high temperatures as well as remain undisturbed for long periods of time. The area should not be directly in the path of sunlight or heating/cooling systems. If it is, the candles will not set properly. If you plan to use molds for your candles, have them set up in the cooling area while the wax is melting. Once it is done melting, you will need to pour it immediately into the molds. To prevent a mess from spills, use an old cookie sheet for the molds to rest on.

The candle making process will run smooth and efficient if you follow these tips for establishing three work stations. While the process should be fun, it is important that you understand the dangers of candle making including burns and fires. Taking the proper safety precautions will help ensure the creation of candles in your home is a great way to spend your time.