Plastic ready made molds are inexpensive and have the advantage of being transparent. However, do not use a plastic mold with wax hotter than 180 degrees. You could melt it.

Metal ready made molds are more expensive but more durable.

Don’t over look found objects in your home to use as a rigid mold. The big rules of thumb here:

• Can the mold take hot wax without melting?
• Is the shape larger at the top than it is at the bottom? If not, you may have trouble getting the candle out.
• Is the shape somewhat cylindrical? If not, you could have problems with it burning properly.

Flexible molds made of latex or rubber have the advantage of being …flexible. A flexible mold will give you more design options, however, you will have more trouble removing the candle from the mold due to the detail.

No matter what kind of mold you decide to use, you may have issues removing the candle from the mold.

The beginner should avoid using beeswax in a mold, as it is so sticky you will have problems with release.

The two major ways to combat mold release problems is to use an additive in your wax mixture to help with release, and to spray the mold with a mold release before pouring the wax.

Do not use stearin in a flexible mold, it will rot it. Choose vybar instead.

Your ready made molds will last much longer if you clean them properly. Avoid scraping your molds to clean them. Instead, use a wax cleaner, or bake the wax off.

To bake your wax off of a mold, place it on a cookie sheet (lined with wax paper or aluminum foil) and bake it in a 175 degree over for 5-10 minutes. Then use a paper towel to wipe away any residue.

An advantage to using vybar is that it will not rot a flexible mold.

Like stearin, vybar makes the finished candle harder, enables you to add more fragrance, helps eliminate bubbles, and gives you a smoother surface.

General rules for working with candle additives: always measure as accurately as possible, always thoroughly mix the additive into the wax, always use the smallest amount possible and see what effect that has before deciding to use more, always keep a record in your candle making notebook of how much additive you used.

The benefits are using stearin as an additive:

• Hardens the candle
• Reduces the temperature needed to melt the wax, giving it a longer burn time
• Shrinks the wax, making it easier to remove from a mold
• Enhances color, glossiness, and decreases translucence
• Can promote mottling (snowflake effect)

Do not use stearin with a flexible mold, it will rot the mold.

Do not use stearin in a container candle, because it will shrink away from the sides.

General rules for working with candle additives: always measure as accurately as possible, always thoroughly mix the additive into the wax, always use the smallest amount possible and see what effect that has before deciding to use more, always keep a record in your candle making notebook of how much additive you used.

If you MUST throw your wax away, don’t toss it down your drain, it will clog it. Allow it to cool and then scrape it off into your trash. Also, be cautious with your boiling water as well. Chances are it has wax particles that can cause drain problems. Either toss it outside or let it cool so you can sift the wax out.

If you decide to keep your leftover wax, and I hope you do, make sure to label it so you know exactly what type of wax was used, what additives, how much dye, and how much scent. If you have a lot of left over wax, like you tend to when making dipped candles, I suggest pouring it into an old ice cube tray for cooling. This gives you fairly consistent sized chunks that are easy to store and easy to remelt for later.

As a cautionary note, do not try to reheat wax that has cooled in your melting vessel. This is dangerous, as the bottom wax melts much more quickly than the top, and this can cause a hot wax explosion.

The most popular way to scent your candles is by using a commercially prepared synthetic fragrance.  These come in liquid, powder, and wax form and are recommended for the budding candle maker.

Just stir liquid scent into the melting wax at the last possible moment before you pour. Powdered scent should be mixed into melted stearin and then combined with your melted wax.  Solid scent is generally in wax blocks; break a chunk off and add to your melted wax as needed.

Don’t add too much scent. If you do, you may have oil coming out of your candle, white splotches (called mottling) may appear, and the candle may smoke. As a general rule, use 1/2 teaspoon of fragrance per one pound of wax.

Using essential oils to scent candles is a trickier process. Some oils will clog the wick or cause sudden flare ups, so proceed with caution. Essential oils are powerful, so consult Essential Oil Dos and Don’ts as well as Basic Blending Techniques before you proceed.

The following types of oils should comprise less than 30% of your Essential Oil blend:

• Citrus oils (bergamot, grapefuit, lemon, orange)
• Spicey oils (clove, coriander, ginger)
• Highly resinous oils (benzoin, frankincense, myrrh)

Your candle scent formula will last longer if it includes an oil that serves as a fixative. The resinous oils above will all serve as a fixative, along with patchouli and vetiver.

Because essential oils tend to clog the wick, I have two important recommendations:

One, use a slightly bigger wick than recommended for your candle size.

Two, prime your wick with the essential oil blend before you prime it with wax.

Although lavender, rose and citronella are traditional candle scents, once you learn how to blend essential oils, you can start making your own unique scents.  You may find Creating Your Own Essential Oil Formulas helpful.

Red, yellow and blue are considered primary colors, this is because these are the basic colors used to mix all others.

The primary colors are blended to make secondary colors:
Red + yellow = orange
Yellow + blue = green
Red + blue = purple

Varying the proportions of primary colors will give you different shades of the secondary colors. For instance, red with just a hint of yellow will give you a cherry red.

The color wheel below will help you blend dye chips to achieve the final color results you are looking for.

When mixing colors for candle making, you must remember you are starting with whatever color your wax is, not with color. Therefore, a touch of red in white wax will give you a lovely pink hue. You must always take into account the color of your wax and its opacity when deciding how much dye and which color to use to get the results you want.

Red and blue are both very over powering dyes and can take over your color; proceed slowly.

Start with making pastels colors, and remember you can purchase a whitener, which will make the final color less translucent.

Although adding a bit of black will darker the color, be very cautious, as it can ruin your final results.

Once you have become proficient in making pastel colors, you can move on to the full-bodied colors. Remember that you want to blot out the white base with color, so you will need a lot more dye.

All candle colors fade with time, although you can purchase an ultraviolet inhibitor, which helps to prevent candles from fading.

If you are into using nature to scent your candles through the use of essential oils (and I hope you are!), you may also be interested in using botanicals to dye your candles. Candle color must be oil soluble, so soak your botanicals in oil or melted candle wax and expect relatively pale colors.

Keeping a written history of your candle making sessions is a valuable step for the amateur and professional alike. In the long run it will save both time and money, since it allows you to repeat your successes and learn from your failures.

What should you keep in your candle making notebook? Everything you would need to refer to if you were going to recreate a session exactly several weeks later.

• What kind of wax did you use? Be specific as to type, brand, and quantity.
• If you mixed different kinds of wax, be specific as to quantities.
• What additives were used? Again, be as specific as possible.
• What kind of wick did you use? How did you anchor it?
• What dye did you use? Be specific as to what proportions were used to get what color.
• What scent was used? In what quantities?
• What temperature was the wax when the candle was made?
• How much left over wax was there?
• If the candle was molded, how long did it take to cool? Did you use a water bath to speed the process?
• Where did you purchase your materials, and at what price? (This is very important if you are serious about candle making costs.)

Whenever possible, keep a sample of every candle you make so when you burn it, you can make additional notes. Knowing exactly how the finished product turned out in terms of appearance, burn rate, and scent thrown is invaluable.

You can make your own gel wax, or purchase it from a supplier. This article presumes you will purchase your gel wax.

The supplies you need to get started include gel wax, zinc wicks, fragrance oils if you desire, and dye to add color. Some people love the look of a clear gel candle and prefer not to use any dye. It is important that you only use zinc wicks for gel candles because cotton wicks absorb the gel, causing them not to light or burn well. You can purchase these supplies from a craft store or online.

You will need a hot glue gun to stick the wick to the bottom of the holder you plan to use. Hold firmly in place until the wick sticks. To make centering easier, mark the bottom of the holder with a red or black marker right in the center. The wick should then be placed on top of the mark. Leave the wick long enough to anchor it with a wick holder.

To melt the gel, cut it into small strips. For best results melt it in a double boiler at medium heat. The gel should be heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The gel won’t set properly if you don’t get it hot enough and it will lose the glossy color if you get the temperature too high.

If you desire to add color to your gel candles, add it in slowly. The colors show more vibrantly in gel candles so you will need a lot less than what you making wax candles. Stir the color into the melted wax slowly until you are happy with the color. If you plan to use embedded objects in the candle, it is suggested you keep the gel candle color very light. Next, add fragrance if you desire.

For best results, heat your container in the microwave for about one minute. This will eliminate those unsightly bubbles that can form on gel candles. Immediately after removing the holder from the microwave, start adding your embeds. You will want to dip them in the hot gel to get them to stick in the holder. You can arrange embeds any way you desire. For best results push them towards the edges of the holder so that they can easily be scene. You can create embed patterns or add them loosely.

It is important not to keep the gel very hot while completing the embed process. Once you have that done, pour the gel into the holder. If you allow the gel to cool before pouring it in the holder you will end up with clumps of gel throughout the candle. Once the gel has set, remove the wick anchor and trim.

TIP: If the candle should appear bumpy on top, use a hair dryer to melt the troubled area flat.

Making gel candles is easy, fun, and inexpensive. It is a great way to make beautiful candles for your own use, for gifts, or to sell.