Candle Making Equipment Supplies

Other than the kind of equipment or supplies you use, it is very important to have practice safety when you work with heat, fire and different types of inflammable wax. An essential thing to keep in mind is that the equipment you will need will be based on the variety of candle you plan to make as well as the budget you have. There are a few things which are a part of all candle making equipment list other than candle wax include double broiler, scissors, melting pots, newspapers, candle wicks, candle molds,  wooden spatula, candle dyes , candle scents, candle or candy thermometer.

You can get candlewicks in various choices, like wire core for pot candles or braided for freestanding and dipped candles. When you buy a wooden spatula, balsa wood is the best wood for mixing candle-making wax, but you can even get other types. Candle molds are available in different shapes and sizes and you can choose according to your taste and requirement. You may like to make round, votive, floater of cylinder candles. It is important that the container you choose for making your wax candles must be made from materials which are heat resistant like metal, glass or ceramic.

Whenever you plan to start your candle making endeavor, you should remember that if possible use the finest kinds of equipment. You could be making them for your home or for retailing them to earn an extra income from home.

Candle making is a very old skill and it began as an expedient method to transport fire. Even ancient cultures used candles in their religious ceremonies. The art of making candles has evolved and there are modern-day candles with stunning and intricate work that the owners keep it as a decorative item and never use them. If you want to make these kinds of candles safely, you will require specific kinds of candle making equipment.

There are some special ingredients for making fancy candles. You can ad beauty to your candle with colors and fragrances. You must try to use a color and scents which has been particularly designed for candles. You will be able to get them in craft supply stores and any other place where you get candle making equipment. There are a number of online stores selling candle supplies and equipments.

If you want you can even decorate your candle from the outside when they are cool. It is safe to use water-based acrylic paints on the candles, but avoid using it for the whole candle. You can even get stickers made with wax which can be stuck on your candle to give it an attractive finish.

The initial candles were made from lard and suet and left a lot of mess all around, but with modern candle making equipments you can make beautiful candles easily and fast.

Candle Making Fragrance

The ordinary candles that we get in the market are made out of paraffin. Paraffin is a petroleum-based product and thus results in more soot and smoke when the candle is burnt. So, if you are using these candles, be prepared for the unclean burning. However, if you want to avoid these, go for aromatherapy candles.

Aromatherapy candles are made from essential oils of plants. And lighting the room is only a secondary feature of these candles; the primary use is in stimulating oneself physiologically and therapeutically. It is well known that aromas and fragrances are effective for evoking mood and emotions. So if you are looking forward to romantic evening, just use aromatherapy candles and see how your beau says just the right words.

The market place has a wide range of options for you to choose in aromatherapy candles. Choose from floating, pillars, gel, votive and jar candles. If you are free and want to do something creative then go for designing aromatherapy candles for yourself. It is easy. You must be aware of the basic preparation method and have a knowledge of essential oils. And lo! Your candle is ready.

Lavender is the most popular oil used in the preparation of these candles. Light a candle when you are taking bath. Or place a candle by the dining table. Lavender has stress relieving features and will keep you stress free for the entire day.

You have a large choice in fragrance too. Just understand the mood you want to stir up and make your choice. If you are suffering from sleeplessness, you can use Sage, Chamomile, and Ylang Ylang. Looking for uplifting mood, use Rosemary and Grapefruit induced aromatherapy candles. Similarly, there are candles with aromas of Eucalyptus, Geranium, Peppermint, and many more.

The wax used for preparation of the candles must preferably be natural. The soot released from paraffin candles has been associated with many diseases. Vegetable based wax like soy, palm and beeswax burn clean and for long. They release less soot.

However, while purchasing aromatherapy candles, one must be cautious. What is sold as aromatic candles may be made of synthetic wax and fragrances. These may be toxic at times. So choose the aromatherapy candles with care.

Candle Making Jars

To start, fill the jar with potpourri. If you desire, add some extras such as dried apples or cinnamon sticks. Fill the jar full enough that when you set the candle holder on top it is even with the top of the jar. Place the candle in the holder once you have got the fit right. Next, glue the ribbon around the top mouth area of the canning jar. You can further personalize your canning jar candles by gluing on decorations. Canning jar candles are a great idea for Mother’s Day or crafts for young children to take home.

Canning jar candles are great for all Holidays as well. Add pumpkin cut outs for Halloween, little bunnies for Easter, and Christmas trees or small ornaments for Christmas. Canning candle jars make excellent fundraisers or items to sell at the next craft show. The internet offers many great canning jar candle décor ideas, especially for the holidays. Your local craft stores and the internet are great places to get canning jar candle ideas. Those of you who are more creative will have no trouble designing your own.

McCall’s canning jar candles are already made. They come with wonderful labels that are very rustic looking. This candle collection comes in many wonderful fragrances with a zinc wick. These canning jar candles come in two sizes, the 5 ounce that burns for about 30-35 hours and the 16 ounce burns for 110-115 hours. The small candles retail for $13.63 and the larger ones are $24.63. While these are great candles as well, you will miss out on the experience of candle making if you choose to purchase them. You will also be able to make several of your own for the cost of one McCall’s canning jar candle.

To save even more money when making canning jar candles, consider making your own votives. You can do this easily in you home. You will need paraffin wax, wick, and candle holders. You can choose to use dye for colored votives or scents to add a wonderful smell to the candles. It is very easy to melt the wax and add in whatever you want to make the color and smell you desire. Then simply pour the hot wax into the candle holders. To save even more, shop at thrift stores and yard sales for canning jars and votive holders at a very low price.

Canning jar candles are very easy to make and they are very beautiful. You can make them in very little time and young children will be able to do this with ease as long as you help them with the glue gun. Make canning jar candles for you own personal use or as gifts. These cute candles are very inexpensive to make and they last a very long time, giving a delicious aroma.

How to make Gel Candles

Gel candles can be made in a variety of holders. Using those made of glass will give you the best results. However, as long as the container is non-flammable you will be fine. To add uniqueness to gel candles, some makers choose to make them in fancy glasses, wine glasses, and vases. To add color and themes to candles, consider using embeds. This can be glitter, marbles, colorful rocks, sea shells, crystals, or anything else that won’t burn.

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 reach outside of the holder. You will trim it later. 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. A quality thermometer is a great investment as 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 than wax candles so you will need a lot less than what you use if you make wax candles. Stir the color into the melted wax slowly. If you aren’t happy with the color you can slowly add more. 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. 1/3 teaspoon is all you need for each glass of melted gel.

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. Make sure the wick is hanging over the top of the holder before pouring in the gel. Once the gel has set, trim it to the size you desire.

Making gel candles is easy, fun, and inexpensive. It is a great way to make your own beautiful candles for using, giving as gifts, or selling. There are wonderful books with plenty of pictures of gel candle designs you can try, or simply create your own.

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• Health Tip: Safe Use of Candles (nlm.nih.gov)

Make Beeswax Candles

Make Beeswax Candles for religious service

There is a lot of candle burning in all religious services, and if poor-quality candles would be used, then there’ll be quite a mess from wax dripping. Fortunately, this is not the case with beeswax candles, there is very little dripping or none at all. There is another great advantage to the use of clean beeswax, it makes very little smoke, thus eliminating the risk of dark smoke spots in the room, and allowing air in to remain fresh. Some Christian institutions make beeswax a must for the candles they use.

For instance, the Eastern Christian Orthodox church uses only beeswax candles during their religious services, and The Catholic Church follows the same example during Liturgy. Furthermore, beeswax is the essential ingredient for the traditional Paschal candles also known as the Easter Candle. For such an important celebration, poor quality is unacceptable.

Many producers try to get to a production compromise, they use a combination of beeswax and chemicals to reduce the costs of candle making. Unfortunately, products lose their top features under such circumstances.

How to choose beeswax candles

Beeswax is a used in the compositions of many scented candles; there’s no dark smoke, dripping or bad smell. However, beeswax candles are not a must for daily use. It is important however, that the candles you buy contain a specific percent of beeswax. It may not prevail, but at least it improves the burning quality of the products.

Beeswax candles are considered the most ecological variant of candles existent on the market. There may be jelly-like candles that look and smell great, but remember they change the structure of the air you and maybe your family breathe; whereas, clear beeswax can bring no harm. That’s why it is so important to read on the package before purchasing anything, check for the beeswax content of the candles you want to buy when you decide to Make Beeswax Candles.

Making Soy candles

Soy wax is a vegetable wax that is made from soybeans.  The oil is extracted from the soybean flakes and hydrogenated.  The majority of the world’s soybeans are grown in the United States in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.  It is believed that soy candles burn cleaner then paraffin candles.  This is true to an extent.  All candles emit soot.  There is no way around that.  But, paraffin candles emit black soot while soy candles emit white soot.  While soot is not harmful to people, white soot is a little cleaner then black.

The only thing that is really different about making soy candles then paraffin candles is the wax.  They both use the same techniques and equipment.  You can use a double boiler to melt the soy wax.  A double boiler is a smaller pot with the wax is placed in a larger pot full of water that is placed on the stovetop.  Heat the soy wax to 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.  Be careful not to keep the melted wax above 150 degrees Fahrenheit for too long because it could burn which will give the wax a yellowish appearance.  Ounce the wax is fully melted you can add the color you would like.  You can then remove it from the heat and add the fragrance.  It is best to use 7% fragrance by weight.  That simply means that for every one pound of soy wax, you can use 1.12 ounces of fragrance oil.  If the fragrance concentration is too high, it may bleed through the candle.  The soy wax can be about 140 – 150 degrees Fahrenheit.  You can then pour the wax into the mold to cool.  Be careful not to pour the wax at too low of a temperature or the candle could crack.  The wax should be between 95 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  You should also not use water to cool the candle quickly.  This could also cause the candle to crack.

Although soy wax candles and paraffin wax candles are mostly the same, there are a couple of differences.  Soy wax is a softer wax so it is not suitable for some types of candles.  For instance, soy wax does not work well when you are trying to make novelty candles.  It also do not work well for pillar candles.  You can also not make taper candles with soy wax.  Floating soy candles can be made if they are up to 3 inches in diameter.

If you can make candles with paraffin wax, you can make candles with soy wax.  Making candles is kind of like trying out a new food recipe; sometimes you have to try things one way then the other to see which works best for you.  The bottom line is that soy wax and paraffin wax both hold scent and color the same in candles but, it is great to learn how to make a new kind of candle and offer a variety in your candle making whether you are making candles for pleasure or a business. So if you have started learning how to make candles with paraffin wax, once you get ready to restock your supply of was, think about making soy candles.

Make Scented Candles

You can use fragrance oil that is available at most craft stores or online for your scented candles.  It is better to use oil rather then a water-bases or alcohol-based perfume in wax because most waxes are close to oil in their chemical composition.  Water and oil do not mix.  So, by using water-based perfumes, the liquid will simply float to the bottom of your melted wax.

The wonderful thing about scented candles is that the fragrance is noticed even when the candle is not lit.  They make wonderful gifts and are appreciated even more when they are handmade.  The process of making scented candles is the same as making regular candles.  You will need to consider which kind of wax you are going to use.  There are several kinds of wax that are available today.  There are natural waxes like soy, palm, or beeswax.  There is also paraffin wax which is your basic wax that most candles are made of and there are also gel candles.  Both of these types of wax can be used to make scented candles also.  Although, with gel candles, you have to consider how much fragrance you are planning to use before you choose your wax.  Gel wax with a lesser density can not hold as much fragrance as gel wax with a higher density.

In order to make any type of candle, you have to first melt the wax before you can pour it into your candle mold.  You have to use a double boiler to melt the wax.  Place a smaller pot that has the wax in it into a larger pot that is filled with water.  Be careful not to put the temperature of the stovetop too high because wax can burn.  You can use a thermometer and heat the wax to be around 170-180 degrees.  Add the wick to the mold.  After the wax is melted, you can remove it from the heat source.  It is now time to add the fragrance oil.  You can add one ounce of fragrance oil to one pound of wax.  This will give you a 6% fragrance concentration.  Make sure that you do not add too much fragrance.  Although it may seem like the more fragrance the better, this is not always the case.  Certain problems can arise from using too much fragrance.  One thing that could happen is that the candle will not burn properly because of the higher concentration of liquid.  You might end up with pools of liquid in the candle.  You can always experiment with you candle making.  You can keep records of how much fragrance you use to how much wax and find you own scented candle recipe.


How to Make Scented Candles -- powered by eHow.com


Using things like scents and colors gives you much more variety of the things that you can create in your candle making.  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to give a loved one a gift of a candle with the essence of relaxation and a calming sent to go along with it?  Now that you understand a little bit more about how to  you can do it, now get to work and make some scented candles.

Making Gel Candles

Wax candles are made from oil.  The same is true with gel candles but they are made of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin.  The resin starts out as a powder but when it is mixed with the mineral oil it is transformed into a solid state.  Gel wax comes in three different states: high density, medium density, and low density.  The higher the density, the more fragrance the oil can hold.  Plus, the thicker gel will hold the suspended decorations with in the candle.  But, keep in mind that the thicker gel takes longer to meld and it is harder to pour.

The steps that go into making a candle out of regular wax such as melting the wax and pouring it in a mold to dry are the same steps you need to do in making gel candles.  But, the equipment you use and the techniques are slightly different.  With other types of candle wax most people use a double boiler to melt the wax.  But, trying to melt gel wax in a double boiler would take way too long.  Some gel candle makers have turned to multi-cookers to get the job done.  A multi-cooker is kind of like a deep fryer.  They typically are metal with a non-stick coating.  They have a separate heating element with a temperature dial so you can get the proper temperature to melt the gel wax.  Rather then using two separate pots one with water and one to melt the wax in, the gel wax is placed directly in the multi-cooker to melt.  Although the multi-cooker comes with a temperature dial, it is still a good idea to use a separate thermometer to make sure that the gel is melted at the proper temperature.  Use something metal or hard plastic to stir the gel wax.  Wooden spoons can sometimes add bubbles to the gel.  The most important thing to remember is that gel candle wax can catch fire.  Make sure you have a chemical fire extinguisher near by.

It is also possible to change the color of the gel candle wax by using dyes.  Liquid candle dyes are perfect for gel candles because they can maintain the translucency of the gel.  It only takes a very small amount of the dye to actually change the color of the wax.  Sometimes even a drop of dye is too much.  You should never use crayons, clothing dye, food coloring, or soap dyes in gel candle wax.  They will no burn right because they are not made specifically for candles.

Learning how to make gel candles is fast and easy.  There are so many possibilities when it comes to creating wonderful candles with gel wax.  The best thing about gel candles is that you can add decorations directly to the wax so that they float within the candle.  This is a clever and unique way to personalize a gift if you are making the candle for someone else.  Plus, gel candles burn slower then regular wax candles so they will last a little longer. So if this will be your first time learning to make candles you might want to give it a try for your first attempt by making gel candles!

Candle Making Wax

Most of the wax used in candles today is refined from petroleum like paraffin wax.  This is the type of wax that is in most candles.  Paraffin wax is readily available and inexpensive.  Other types of waxes are natural and refined from vegetable or plant materials like soy, palm, or bayberry.  A natural wax growing in popularity is soy based wax.  It is processed by hydrogenating soybeans which makes them suitable for candles.    Soy wax is a renewable resource that is eco-friendly.  The best part about soy wax is that the majority of soybeans are grown in the United States primarily in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.  Palm wax is also natural and a renewable resource.  Unfortunately with the growing popularity of palm wax, countries like Indonesia and Malaysia were clearing our vast areas of rainforest in order to plant palm plantations.  This is devastating to ecosystems and compromises the populations of endangered animals like orangutans, rhinoceroses and the Sumatran tiger.  Thankfully, the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) stepped in and founded RSPO.  This organization was founded to develop and define the best practices for sustainable palm cultivation.  They also help member organizations to implement and verify the procedures.  So when you are shopping for palm wax make sure that they are obtaining wax in an eco-friendly way.

Some candles are made from animal based materials like beeswax.  Candles made from beeswax, palm, and bayberry were offered by companies in the past.  Recently there has been a new and growing interest in making candles out of these natural products.  One of the more popular natural waxes is beeswax.  It is available in yellow or white.  Although the cost of beeswax can be expensive, candle makers are drawn to its pleasant fragrance, the burning characteristics it contains, and the hardiness of the product.

Gel candles are also a new kind of way to make candles.  It is a clear, rubbery texture but works the same as wax.  Gel wax is available in three different densities.  The density of the gel that the candle requires depends upon the type of candle you are planning to make and how much fragrance you are planning to use.  Low density gel wax is best for candles with a 0-3% fragrance load.  Also, the low density can be poured at a lower temperature.  The medium density gel wax works well with candles that have a 3-5% fragrance load.  It is probably the most popular gel wax to work with.  High density gel wax is better for candle with a heavier fragrance load.

With so many different kinds of wax available, candle maker are able to pick the type that works best for them.  When a candle maker is able to understand each kind of wax, they are able to fully experience every inch of the candle making market and get double, triple or even quadruple the fulfillment, by using the right candle making wax.

A candle mold is a container that the wax is poured into while it cools.  The wax will hold the shape of the mold when it has cooled completely.  Candle molds are made out of a variety of materials, sizes, shapes, and styles.  They also offer a variety of different uses.  Aluminum molds are a very popular type of mold candle makers use.  They are durable and heat resistant.  Plus, they leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle.  This gives the candles the appearance of being professionally made.  These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles.  They are also inexpensive when compared to rubber molds.  A plus about aluminum molds is that they are easy to clean.  All you need to do is to put them on a baking sheet in your oven.  By placing them upside down and heating them to about 150 degrees the leftover wax will milt and run out of the mold onto the cookie sheet.  Just remember to line your cookie sheet.  The down side to aluminum molds is that they are not flexible so there are very little choices when it comes to varying the shapes or textures of the candles and that they require a releasing agent to get the candle out of the mold.

On the other hand, rubber molds like polyurethane, silicone, or latex molds are very flexible.  Polyurethane molds are flexible but they do not stretch well.  They are usually a little bit cheaper then silicone molds.  Unfortunately, they have a strong odor that may be able to be passed along in your candle and they will need a releasing agent to get the candle out of it.  Often times pillar and taper candles are made from these types of molds.  Silicone molds are another type of rubber mold.  They are the most expensive molds because of their outstanding qualities.  They leave no parting lines, they are flexible but also stretchable to a point so getting the candles out of the molds is easier and requires no releasing agent.  Although latex molds used to be used very often, with the advances in other types of rubber molds they are loosing their luster.  But, it is very easy to make your own molds at home by using liquid latex and painting it onto a structure at home.  This process requires a lot of coats of latex but, the options of different types of unique molds are endless.

Plastic candle molds are the cheapest but they are not always the best.  They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle.  On the plus side, plastic molds are easy to clean.  All you need to use is some warm water and a little soap.  Just make sure that the mold is completely dry before you use it again or you will get water bubbles in your candles.  They are good molds for beginners but if you were to take your candle making hobby into the next level and turn it into a business you are probably going to have to invest in different types of candle making molds.