Candle Making Basics

The use of candles is known to have existed in ancient times. References to candles have been found dating back 3000 years. The discovery of a bronze candle holder in the tomb of Tutankhamen has led historians to believe the Egyptians were the first candle makers.

It is thought that early candles were made out of vegetable waxes. Bayberry, Candelilla, Candletree, and various palms, such as canrauba, were used to make candles. Tallow candles were made of cow, sheep, or pig fat.

Beeswax was undoubtedly recognized as suitable for candles, but it was hard to handle without modern additives, and very expensive. For centuries, only churches and monasteries were makers of beeswax candles.


Candle Making:
How To Make Scented Candles

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

The two major types of wax commonly in use for candle making are paraffin and beeswax. Paraffin is a type of candle wax made from petroleum, or more accurately, as a by product of the petroleum refining process. The only kind of paraffin suitable for candle making is fully refined  (forget the stuff from the grocery store!). Candle making paraffin is generally rated by melting point: low, medium, or high. Beeswax is a natural wax made from the secretion of honeybees. Beeswax burns slowly and with a wonderful scent. It is often mixed with paraffin to create a more long lasting and affordable candle. Recently, soy wax has become very popular with candle makers for its slow burn rate, wonderful smell, and low cost. Because soy wax is a vegetable product (it’s made from soy beans) it is easier on the environment.

Most candles use wicks. 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 three most common wicks are flat braided, square braided and cored wick.

Different Candle Types

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.

The best way to set up your work area for candle making is to divide it into three specific work stations for preparation, the melting process, and the cooling process. The preparation area doesn’t 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 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.

To make candle making fun instead of frustrating, start with 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.

I highly suggest keeping a candle making notebook. Write down everything you would need to know if you wanted to reproduce that candle making session a few weeks from now. One of the great things about candle making is that no session is a complete disaster, since candle wax can be melted down and reused.

Candle making is a wonderful way to express your imagination and artistic style. If you have any suggestions to make this a better candle making blog, please feel free to comment.


Subscribe to feed

Powered by WordPress and Tarski