CANDLE CRAFT

How to make wax scenties

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:34:00 +0000

Wax scenties is used to fragrance a room by melting them

in oil burners and thereby releasing the fragrance through
heat. The great thing about them is that it can be used over
and over again. As soon as the fragrance in the wax is
exhausted you simply add more drops and of you go.

It is recommended however that you use a large oil burner
as a small amount of wax scenties may overheat and start
smoking. To help prevent overheating of the wax it is also
recommended that only tealight candles be used in the
burner or alternatively use an electric oil or
fragrance burner.

To make wax scenties you will need paraffin wax, stearin,
candle dye and a candle fragrance of your choice. If you
can manage to find a "deepish" baking tray that would be
great, otherwise any old ice cream or plastic container
will work as well.

Pour water into the container untill it is about 2cm deep, then pour the
water into a jug and measure the weight on a scale. If for example you've
measured 1kg of water on the scale you will need to melt approxametily the
same amount of wax to achieve a layer of wax that is 2cm thick.

Roughly calculate about 20% stearic acid and melt it in a seperate pot.
Melt the 1kg of paraffin wax at the same time. The temperature of both
pots is not important because both the wax and stearin must just reach a
liquid state, but if you like you can use a temperature of 70 degrees celcius
and lower as the optimal pouring temperature. At this stage make sure to
add the candle dye to the paraffin wax and then about 5% fragrance oil to the
stearic acid and stir both thoroughly. Now add the paraffin to the stearin
mixture and stir once again.

Now slowly pour all of the contents into the container or baking tray
and leave it to cool untill it reaches a stage where it is solidified but
still warm to the touch. As soon as the wax feels like a very stiff
dough it is ready for the next step.

Now use a paint scraper or similar sharp object and start slicing
through the wax with each slice more or less 2cm apart.
Do this through the length and then the width so that
you will basicaly end up with a tray full of 2cm cubes, it's
almost like cutting up fudge blocks.

Now you can use your hands to start breaking the wax
into cubes, but before you do I advise you slip on a pair
of latex kitchen gloves or otherwise your hands will smell
like a perfume factory. This will also protect your skin from
absorbing any harmfull fragrance compounds.
As you break the cubes place them onto one or two
sheets of grease proof paper to allow them to cool
completely. Once cooled completely your wax scenties
is ready to be used. The entire process is really simple
and the finished product not only looks great but
make very nice and fragrant gifts.

Here's a great tip, add a small amount of red dye to make
rose pienk and package it in a glass sweet jar, it almost
looks just like yummy turkish delight. Enjoy!

How to make a heart shaped floating candle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:16:00 +0000

This project can be a lot of fun because it has endless possibilities
once you let your imagination flow. My kids also have hours of fun
making these very simple candles especially on weekends when they
are bored to death as they put it.

Firstly you have to find a baking tray that you would not get into trouble
for using. I find that the deeper baking trays are better because they
allow me to make thicker candles, but that's up to you and what you
have available to you of course.

The next step is to prepare your work area so that it is ready for action
but above all it should be safe especially if little are going to get involved
making candles.

You will also need candle dye, a basic paraffin candle wax as well as
stearin. The reason for the stearin is that is makes the candle harder and
improves the colour of the dye and the other reason is that it makes the
finished candle float a better. However stearin is not a must if you don't
have it available to you as paraffin wax will float just fine.

Start melting the paraffin wax to about 75 degrees celcius and apply a
mould release agent to the inside of the baking tray. Add wax dye and
about 20% stearin to your paraffin wax and even wax fragrance if you
like. Once your mixture is ready you can slowly pour it into the baking
tray untill the wax is about 2cm or more deep but take care as it can
splatter quite a bit and wax is not easy to get out of clothing.

Make sure there are no heavy drafts as this can cause ripples on the
cooled wax which does not give you a smooth textured finished.
However do not worry to much as you can always overdip your
candles afterwards.

Now you have to wait for the floating candle wax to cool down untill it
is warm but still firm. The wax should almost feel like a stiff dough to the
touch. Now you grab a heart shaped cookie cutter or you easily make a
template from carboard. Start at once side by pressing out the heart shapes
as if you were making cookies, untill the whole tray has been done. Start by
removing the outer wax from the tray by slowly pulling it out. The easiest is
to pretend you are baking cookies and working with dough.

Next take out your heart shapes and press a hole in the middle with a
toothpick and insert primed wick that has been cut to size. It is very
important to use a thin wick otherwise your floating candles will not
burn for very long. Wait for your candle to cool down completely and
lastly you should overdip them in wax to create a seal that will prevent
water from seaping into your wick cavity.

The shapes that you can make are endless and kids love helping with
this project because it is like playing with dough. Hope you have fun
with this one.

How to remove wax spills from clothing or fabric

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:13:00 +0000

The simplest and most effective method to remove wax from clothing or fabric

is to boil a kettle of water and allow it to cool down to just under boiling point.

Next find a old plastic container that you wont mind getting rid of afterwards.
I like using old ice cream containers. Take the fabric and position the affected
area over the opening and slowly pour the hot water onto it so that it acts
and looks as if your using the piece of clothing as a strainer of sorts.

Afterwards you can apply some washing detergent or soap to wash the
area that was affected to make sure that it won't have a stain. Make
sure before using this method that the hot water wont ruin the fabric.

If you are not sure there is another method that also works fairly well
and that is to take the fabric and iron it with a paper towel above and
under the affected area. I hope this information was helpfull.

How to make your own one pour container wax blend

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Making your own one pour container blend can be a little tricky
but if you're patient and willing to experiment you can achieve results.
For many candlemakers buying one pour candlewax is just not possible
as it is not available in their country and the cost of importing it is just not
financialy viable which simply leaves no other choice but to go the diy route.

If you have never worked with this kind of wax then you might wonder
what the fuss is about, well in short the benefit of one pour candle wax
is that it sticks to the sides of the container after it has cooled and gives
the candle an almost flat top with just one pour.

This simply speeds up the candlemaking process making things so much
easier for those that make money from candlemaking. Faster production
means more product to sell with less effort and reduces cost on electricity
or gas because you dont have to maintain or reheat wax to top the candles
up in order to achieve a relatively flat surface.

In order to make a one pour blend you will need a base wax and one or
more other waxes and additives. The base wax should be of such a nature
that it hardly shrinks when it has cooled down completely and it should stick
well to the side/s of the container.

There is one very well known wax that comforms to the above and that is
gel wax. If you blend gel wax and paraffin wax together in the right percentage
(I use 60%gel, 35%paraffin and 5%stearin) you get a simple and very easy to
make one pour container wax blend that takes both fragrance and dyes well,
however you will have to experiment as there are many different types of gel
and paraffin waxes available and not all will neccesarily conform to my own
personal formula. If you like you can also play around with some beeswax in
your formula. It is also very important to get the right candle wick for your
wax and container size but this might take some experimentation on your part.

There are other ways of making one pour container blends using natural
waxes but for some natural wax can be very difficult to come by not to
mention that they are pretty expensive as well. I am planning to do a post
on how to use natural wax to make a one pour blend and how you can find
or source natural wax easily in your own country in a future post so stay in touch.

Gel Wax Candle-How to make your first container gel candle in 5 easy steps.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Gel wax candles are the easiest and quickest candles that you
will ever make. If you put your mind to it you can easily make
a few hundred gel container candles in a single day.

The nice thing about gel wax candles is that it sets very quickly
and you only need to melt and pour once, unlike paraffin wax
candles have to be topped up several times before it is set.

You can also easily enhance the appearance and fragrance of gel
candles by simply adding candle dye and essential or synthetic
candle making fragrant oils to molten gel wax.

To make a gel candle you will need:

1-Gel wax from a wax supplier
2-A pot for melting the gel wax
3-A electric or gas stove or hotplate
4-100% Cotton Candle Wick
5-A wick sustainer or wick tab
6-Any glass or metal container
7-A pouring jug or small camping kettle
8-A thin skewer stick or wicking needle

Step 1

Put a sufficient amount of gel wax to fill your container/s into
your pot or kettle and place it onto the stove at medium heat.
It is always best to melt wax slowly so don't get too hasty.

You will notice that at a certain point it will apear as if all of the
wax is melted but just make sure by stirring it with a wooden
stick. It can be quite a messy afair when you try and pour half
molten gel wax into your pouring pot and blobs of wax plunge
in and make a nice splash.

Step 2

If you have already bought pre-primed and tabbed
gel candle wicks then great, but if you have only have
braided 100%Cotton wick you will need to prime and
tab the wick.This simply means that you need to first
coat the wick witha substance that has a higher melting
point than gel wax by dipping the wick into something
like molten stearic acid that can be obtained from any
candle making supplies.

There are however special blends of compounds that is
used in the manufacture of special gel candle wicks
that is also used for other container type candles like
tealights. These wicks increase burning time and quality.

If however none of the above is possible then you can
simply go ahead and take your wick and slip it into the
wick sustainer. Once the wick is in pinch it slightly so
that the wick is held in place. The nice thing about this
method is that it creates alot of tiny bubbles in the candle
once it is set.

Step 3

Take a bit of liquid glue and put a drop in the middle
and bottom of the container that you're using. Now place
the flat bottom part of the wick sustainer onto the drop
of glue and leave to dry. If youre using a super glue it will
of course be quick.

Step 4

Take the skewer and place it on top of the container and
wrap the wick around it once or twice. Once you have done
this your wick should be reasonably straight and the wick
attached to the skewer shoud be in the middle of the
opening of the container.

Step 5

Pour the molten gel wax into a kettle or pouring jug and
then slowly pour it into your container to about 1cm from
the top of the container. Now all you need to do is wait for
the gel wax to set. During the cooling stage you can get
creative by dropping anything into the gel wax. Seashells
are always a good look for a bathroom gel candle but
you can be the judge and add anything you like.

Why does my candle wick drown and how to fix it.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:04:00 +0000

I have noticed over the years that many candle
users and makers get extremely frustrated when
the wick of their candles drown. Let me clear up
this frustation by telling you that if the wick
of a candle drowns then it is most often
because the candle is lit for too small
a period of time.

Any candle that is thicker than a dinner
candle must be allowed to burn untill it
has reached its maximum wax pool capacity before
it is blown out or snuffed. The wax pool is the
molten area that starts to form around the wick
of a candle when it is lit. If this is not done
a funnel starts to form over time and molten
wax starts running into this "micro well" and
drowns the candle wick.

The only real way to rectify this is not to pour
out the molten wax(classic mistake) to get
the flame to burn properly again, but to
remake the candle or to cut away the walls of the
"funnel" or "well" around the wick before lighting
the candle again.

Well that's all for now, I hope you have found
this information usefull.

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 9,10&11.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Step 9

Remove the tic tac or candle mould seal at the other end of the mould and simply turn the mould so that the open end used for pouring faces down. Now lightly tap the mould on a hard surface and you will notice that the candle will start sliding out of the mould.
If it doesnt slide out all the way then simply pull the candle out with your hand. If it's still being difficult and refuses to slide out out at all then you can try placing it in the fridge for about 5 to15 minutes before trying again.

Step 10

Take an old frying pan or pot and place it on the stove at medium heat. Take your candle and level it by melting the bottom section untill the rough area is smooth, straight and level. This sounds easier than it sometimes is but if you are a "serious" candle maker then there is some very good professional candle levelling equipment available.

Step 11

Now simply trim the wick of the candle and leave for 24 hours in order for the wax molecules to settle. This is important because the wax is still very "soft" and can cause your wick to drown during burning.

Congratulations - You have completed your first moulded candle!

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 5,6,7&8.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:52:00 +0000

Step 5

It is time to check the temperature of the molten wax. If it is between 85 and 90 degrees celcius then it is ready to be poured, but if not then you need to reheat it to that temperature.

Step 6

Use a small camping kettle to slowly pour the molten wax into the mould untill it is about 1cm from the top. Leave it for about 2 minutes and then lightly tap on the side of the mould with a knife to loosen any bubbles that might have accumulated on the inside wall of the mould.

Step 7

After about 1hr you will notice that a skin has formed, you must open a small hole in the skin as close as possible to the wick, because this is the area where the wax is still at its softest. This is done to prevent a airtight cavity from forming on the inside of the candle.

Once you have done that, reheat the wax to the original pouring temperutare and top up the candle. You have to repeat this step untill the wax is hard to the touch and pulls away from the walls of the mould.

Step 8

Once the wax is hard it would have pulled away from the mould due to shrinkage. Now use a craft knife to cut the wick by pushing the tip into the wax, just next to the wick, but do this at an angle untill the blade ends up cutting the wick below the wax surface line. This is done so that the end of the wick will not interfere when you level the bottom of the candle. If a piece of wax breaks off during this excersize, then simply pour a little molten wax into the small cavity.

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 4

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:48:00 +0000

Step 4

Use a candle mould release agent or simply use spray&cook and give the inside of your mould a quick spray. I have found that baby vaseline also works well, but sometimes leaves a oily residue on the surface of the candle.

This is done so that the candle releases easily from the mould. At this point I would also like to add that when you choose any candle making mould or perhaps a plastic tumbler from the kitchen it is preferable for the inner surface to be nice and smooth or you might encounter difficulty when it is time to remove the candle from the mould.

This however is not a must because you can simply add more stearic acid to your wax that will allow your candle to shrink even more and thereby release easier from the mold. It is typical for rough pvc drain pipes to create difficulty with releasing.Your mould is now prepared and ready for you to hand pour the molten wax.

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 3

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Step 3

Take the one end of the wick and tie it around the middle of a skewer or use a candle wicking needle. Now push the other end through the hole at the bottom of the mould and pull the piece that comes out the other end tight so that the skewer moves against the opening of the mould.

The wick should be nice and straight and now while keeping it tight and straight you'll have to take a piece of tic tac or candle mould seal and press it tightly against the hole at the bottom of the mould so that it will create a seal and hold the wick in place.

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 2.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:43:00 +0000

Step 2

You will need to buy some candle wick from your local craft store or specialised candle making material supplier. There are many different types of wick but for a simple pillar candle a flat or round braided 100% bleached cotton wick should do the trick.

Assuming you have your candle wick you'll need to measure and cut a piece that is roughly 10 cm longer than the mould you have chosen to use. Take the wick and "soak" it in the wax untill all the air bubbles that was trapped in the wick is no longer visible. Remove the wick with a wooden stick or skewer.

This process is used to prime the wick and helps to prevent your candle from flickering when lit. It is advisable to rather prime your wick in molten stearin first as it has a higher melting point than wax, and will assist the wick to stay up straight in the molten wax pool resulting in better burning.

Candle making instruction-How to make a moulded candle-step 1.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:39:00 +0000

Step 1

Firstly you'll need to buy some paraffin wax from your local craft shop or from a specialised candlemaking supplier. Wax is available in block, pellet or granule form. It is advisable to get fully refined candle making wax instead of semi refined because it is alot cleaner and is a better quality candle making wax.

Let's start melting some wax. If you have blocks of wax you can easily break them into smaller pieces using a hammer. Place the wax into your pot, kettle or double boiler and place it on a electric or gas stove. If you're or planning to get serious about candle making then you can get a professional candle wax melter. If you do have stearin, then melt that first and use roughly 10% stearin to wax.

Slowly start melting the wax by turning the heat to medium. As soon as all your wax has melted use a candle making thermometer and hold the bottom end in the wax for about a minute or so to take a reading. Continue heating the wax untill it reaches 90 degrees celcius.

Remove the pot from the heat or switch the stove off!

How to complete the arum lily candle.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:45:00 +0000

What you should have:

The Lily petal
The Lily stalk
The Lily stamen

Firstly heat up a pot of wax to about 80 degrees celcius, make sure that your pot is big enough for the lily petal to be dipped in. Once your wax is ready take the lily petal and just dip it into the wax almost as if you are dipping a biscuit into coffee.

Do not hold the petal in the wax, just dip it and take it out again. Repeat this process for the top and bottom of the lily petal so that the melted wax can heat up the entire petal untill it is soft and pliable. This usually takes about 5 dips on each side of the petal.

Now that your petal is soft, warm and pliable take the petal and place it into your left hand, then take the stamen and place it in the middle of the petal and slowly wrap the bottom left of the petal over the bottom of the stamen, make sure that you leave some space for the stalk to go in.

This is where things get a little tricky.

Take the green stalk while holding the stamen and petal in place with your left hand and insert the the tip of one side of the green stalk into the overlapping tunnel at the bottom untill it touches the yellow stamen. Now fold the bottom right of the lily petal over the the stamen, stalk and the left part of the petal that should be wrapped tightly against the stamen and stalk.

Now simply use your one hand while holding the complete assembly with the other and shape the top parts of the petal untill it looks like a arum lily. This whole assembly can get you in a bit of a knot the first few times but just keep at you will get it better.

If the petal starts to harden you can try to redip it or just start over. Now take the lily and place it into cold water and then dry it with a soft towel. Melt the pot you used to make the stalk with and overdip the lily so that you end up with a smooth finish, make sure you dip over the bottom assembly section because this will neaten it up and hide most of the finger prints.

Congratulations you've just completed your first floral candle!

Arum Lily Candle - How to make the stem.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Firstly you will need to buy a dowel that has a 5mm diameter.
Cut the dowel into lengths that correspond with the depth of
your dipping pot. Next you need to melt green wax to 75
degrees in your dipping pot, I prefer to use a dark green
but that is entirely up to you.

Start by priming the dowel as you would prime a wick.
This is done so that the surface result at the end is
smooth. Start dipping the dowel/s but allow some time
in between each dip. Continue with this process untill
you can no longer see any wood or untill it is approx.
1cm thick. Leave to cool completely. Sounds alot like a
cooking recipe - Lol.

In the next post we'll put everything together.

Arum Lily-How to make the stem.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 09:45:00 +0000

Melt a pot of wax to about 75 degrees celcius. Take a 5cm piece of thin flat braided and
primed wick. Remove the pot from the heat and start dipping the wick into the wax
allowing time for it to dry between each dip. Layers of wax will start building up.
Continue with this process untill you have a candle that is 0.5 to 1cm in thickness.
If lines start to form under each layer then you need to reheat the wax. The aim is
to make a small dinner candle. You can use yellow dye for this task as it will make the
end result look more naturall.

In the next post I will cover how to make the green stem.

Arum Lily Candle-How to make Sheet Wax

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:42:00 +0000

To make a arum lily candle you will firstly need to make sheetwax, which is very simple to do.
Firstly you have to select a wax that is relatively pliable in the semi-solid state, which is not
very difficult as most paraffin waxes have this ability.

Once you have selected your wax, you need to melt it down to a temperature of about 70 degrees celcius, after which you have to pour it onto a smooth surface like a melamin top
or a metal tray that has been treated with a release agent like cookin oil or spray and cook.

The wax will cool very quickly and you need to wait untill it is no longer in a liquid state but
in a warm semi-solid state as this is the exact time that you will need to cut the wax sheet
with a craft. You will need to make a paper or carton template which you will place on top
of the semi-solid wax sheet and cut just outside the border of the template.

The arum lily template is very simple to make, simply cut out a shape of a large leaf or use
a artificial lily by opening the petal up and use that shape as your guide to cut the template.
Once you have your template and the wax is ready, place the template on top of the wax
and cut around the borders as mentioned earlier, once this is done, you simply remove the
template carefully as not to damage the wax and then use a paint scraper or similar tool
to lift the arum lily wax petal from the surface by carefully sliding the scraper underneath
the wax while lifting at the same time, this process may take some practice.

In the next post I will cover how to make the stem of the lily after which we will move on
to the rest, so be sure to check in regularly.

Candlemaking materials-Fragrant oils

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:17:00 +0000

One of the advantages of paraffin wax is that it burns with hardly any smell which makes it a perfect candidate for adding a variety of special wax perfumes to. Essential oils can be used as an alternative to wax perfumes, although care is needed as some of them give of a nasty bitter smell when burnt.

I absolutely love experimenting with fragrances by blending different fragrances together, this can give your candles their own unique blend of aroma's and gives you the benefit of having your own personal signature range of aroma's. It has also been proven, that fragrant candles sell better than unfragranced.

Candlemaking materials-Colours/Dyes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:11:00 +0000

One of the great beauties of candlemaking is that wax can be dyed an infinite variety of colours and shades. You can use al sorts of substances to colour candles, this includes wax crayons and poster paint. It is important however to use wax soluble substances because any other substance can cause the wick to get clogged due to small particles.This will cause the candle to smoke and sputter, and eventually it will lead to the candle going out.

Specially prepared wax dyes is the easiest and safest to use, these are available in either disc, powder or chip form. For overdipping, you should use about 4 times the normal strength to achieve the desired colour, however this is a bit of trial by error excersize. When you dye wax to make a solid colour candle, you need to bear in mind that you will only see the true colour of the wax once the it has cooled down completely and usually the wax becomes slightly darker overnight.

Do not be afraid to experiment with dyes, this is all part of the fun and for really bright colours you need to ad stearin to the wax. Wax pigments can also be used and their main benefit is that they do not fade and is used for special techniques like dip and carve, as well as applique'.

Candlemaking material-Wicks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:08:00 +0000

Candle making wick is generally made from bleached/plain braided cotton and is the means by which liquid wax is delivered to the flame of a candle. It is the vapour of the wax that burns and not the wick.

Wicks can be obtained in various sizes and each is used for a different diameter of candle. Some wick suppliers have no indication to the user of this, but within time and with a bit of testing you will be able to establish which type of wick is used for which diameter of candle.

Beeswax is more viscous than paraffin wax, and therefore needs a wick one size larger if ordinary wicks is to be used. Round wicks are best for beesax candles and also for tall pillar candles made from paraffin wax.

Candlemaking materials-Mould Seal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:07:00 +0000

This is a putty-like substance used to secure the wick in the mould and to prevent any leakage of molten wax. I simply use the normal"tic tac" available from your local supermarket.

Wax glue

This is a soft, sticky wax used to glue two pieces of wax together.

Vybar

This product is used as an alternative to stearin in latex moulds.

Candlemaking material-Micro waxes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:05:00 +0000

Also a by-product of the pertoleum industry, these are used as additives to alter the appearance and behaviour of paraffin wax. Micro wax soft is tough, pliable wax that is the main ingredient of modelling wax. Micro wax hard is a brittle wax that is used in very small quantities (less than 1%) to improve burning time and surface finish of candles.

Candlemaking materials-Beeswax

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0000

I absolutely love the decadent sweet honey aroma of pure beeswax.The great thing about beeswax is that it's a 100% natural product made by busy little bees, which gives it a fantastic appeal. Beeswax is available in bleached white and shades of golden brown and is quite expensive.

In earlier centuries pure beeswax candles were a luxury only the rich and wealthy could afford, this included the christian churches at that time. Today this statement is still partially true, because Modern church candles only contain 25% beeswax, this is done to make church candles more affordable.

Adding 1% of beeswax to paraffin wax will increase the burning time of a candle, but if you ad more you will need to apply a release agent to the mould that you use. One of my personal favorites is to take beeswax sheets and wrap them around pillar candles, which gives them a fantastic olden day feel especially when lit.

Waxes-Stearin(Stearic acid)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Stearin was the first major advancement in candlemaking material and was produced from refined animal tallow(fat) in 1820. Stearin is a hardish white compound used as an additive in paraffin wax to assist in the shrinkage process which improves the ease with which a candle
is removed from a mould.

Stearin improves a candle's burning quality and duration, as well as ads brightness to candles that have been dyed, but this depends on the percentage that is added to the wax. Another great advantage of stearin is that it can be used for overdipping, which creates a very interesting crystalline finish, and it can also be used to make frosting.

Waxes-Paraffin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:47:00 +0000

These are colourless, odourless waxes produced and refined as a by-product of the oil refining process. They are all solid at room temperature and melt at temperatures between 40 and 71 degrees celcius. There are various different types of waxes used in different purposes e.g. cardboard box coatings, glossy magazine pages, chewing gum and medicines, but the wax most suitable for candlemaking melt at 57 to 60 degrees. Paraffin wax can either be obtained in pure form or with products like stearin already added for convenience.

Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:40:00 +0000

To make candles you need wax and wick. Both are available from craft shops or specialist commercial chemical suppliers. If you are going to make candles at home just for fun then supplies obtainable from craft shops should be adequate, but if you would like to make candles for the purpose of generating income then it is best to find chemical companies or spesialist candle making suppliers as you will need bigger quantities and better prices.

There is a range of different waxes available, each used for different purposes. Wicks are more straightforward, as most are manufactured to an internationally recognized set of sizes and standards, however there are some wicks that are of a sub standard and they are usually to blame for candles that smoke excessively.

To make coloured or scented candles, specially prepared wax dyes and perfumes are needed, although aromatherapy and some synthetic fragrant oils can be used as well. Pigment dyes, in my opinion, provides far better quality colours than the traditional powder dyes and is similar
to those used in the manufacture of wax crayons.