How to Make a Votive Candle |
If your are interested in crafts, if you like candles, or even if you are simply bored and looking for a new hobby, you may decide to try your hand at candle making. If you decide to do this, you will probably begin looking at supplies and instructions. Suddenly you will be
confronted by a sea of endless choices. 
Will you make votive candles, pillars, or container candles? Will you use paraffin wax or soy? How many colors do you really need? How much
fragrance are you supposed to use? What size wick do you want and what material should it be? How much will all of this cost? The art of candle making can be complex and confusing without proper guidance. If you know what you are looking for, however, it can be fun, rewarding, and even profitable.
The first thing all aspiring candle makers must look at is the supplies. There are three
types of candles: the votive candle, the pillar candle, and the container candle. All of these use different supplies, but I would suggest starting with votive candles. These are the smallest and they take the least supplies. The main two types of wax you should look at are soy and paraffin.
Soy wax is soft and melts down nicely, but paraffin holds it's shape well, has a nice scent throw, and costs less, so I would suggest using it to begin with. The dye is also very important. It comes in a very concentrated fonn, and for home candle making, a one ounce bottle of each color is more than enough. I would suggest only getting brown, ivory, red, blue, and yellow to begin with. Although it may not be the perfect shade, almost any color can be made using these. Next you should choose you fragrance. Pick any smell you like, but be sure to check the flashpoint first.
Dye, like wax, has a temperature at which it will spontaneously burst into flame. This is called the flashpoint; for wax it should be over 250 F, and for dye it should be over 200 F. To begin with, you should probably get a one ounce bottle of each scent. It won't last long, but at least you won't be stuck with something you don't like. As far as wicks go, there are many, many, many kinds to choose from. For a votive candle, however, stick with the pre-tabbed zinc core 44-24-18 wick, because it bums the entire candle down nicely and does not leave any soot.
Finally, you will need some equipment before you begin your candle making. You will need a four pound, stainless steel pouring pot for melting and pouring wax. You will need a kitchen scale to weigh wax. You will need a candle thennometer for regulating temperature, and finally, you will need about twelve stainless steel votive molds. It is best to order all of this online, as they have the best selection and prices. All together, these things should total around sixty dollars. You are now ready to begin.
If you are using paraffin wax, you should begin by breaking the huge slab into meltable chunks using a hammer. Once you have smaller pieces of wax, measure the amount you want to melt using your kitchen scale. Generally, one pound of wax will make eight candles. Once you
know how much wax you will use, dump it into the pouring pot and set it aside.
Next you must set up a double boiler. This can be a large pot, filled with water, with something on the bottom to hold the pouring pot off the surface. Bring the water in the pot to a boil 0 the stove. Using the double boiler method to melt you wax will ensure that the wax will not go above 212 F. Never melt wax directly on the stove, as this could easily allow the wax to get too hot and reach its flash point. Once the water is boiling, set the pouring pot in the water and wait. You may want to stir the wax a it as it melts, although this is not necessary. Keep the thermometer in the wax and monitor the temperature as the wax melts.
As you are waiting, you should prepare your molds for pouring. Set them up in a row on a sheet of wax paper. This will make clean up easy in the likely case of dripping. Have your pre- tabbed wicks on hand so that you can place them into the wax as
soon as it is poured. Once the wax is melted, wait for it to reach 75 F. At this point, you can add your color. Put in however many drops you wish and stir the color in for two minutes.
Next, add your fragrance, using about 1/4 ounce to 1 ounce per pound of wax. Stir everything together gently as you wait for the temperature to reach 200 F. Remember, if you are using a double boiler, the wax will not exceed 212 F, which is well below any flash point. If, for some reason, the wax should catch fire, do not try to put it out with water. Use a fire extinguisher or baking powder to smother the flames. Once the wax reaches 200 F, it will be ready to pour. Carefully, and slowly as to prevent bubbles, fill each mold to the top with wax. There should be a bit of wax left over: set this aside, you will use it again later. Once all of your molds are filled, insert a wick carefully into the center of each candle.
Once this is done, do not touch the candles again until they are completely cool- this should take 4-5 hours. Once the candles are cool, you will notice that a large sink hole has formed around the wick of each one. This is a result of the wax shrinking as it cools. Heat the extra wax back up to 200 F, and fill each candle to the top again.
This is called the second pour, and it will take about an hour to cool. Once your candles are completely cool, simply tap and squeeze around the mold and the candles will pop right out. Congratulations, you have just made your first votive candles. Now that you can make candles, you may want to start selling them to at least cover you costs. The key to selling candles is packaging and pricing. If you start selling, you should probably buy a roll of warning labels. These will go on the bottom of the candle, give safety instructions, and also give the candle a nice, professional, finished look. There are many ways to package candles and you should feel free to use any creative ideas you might have.
One simple, attractive idea is to put each candle in individual clear cellophane bags. Tie each bad at the top with some colored ribbon, and print stick labels with the name of each scent to decorate the bags.
Now the only thing left to do is determine a price. Your price may vary, but hand made votive candles are worth around. 75 cents to a dollar.
With these tips, you can begin candle making and selling in no time. It may seem like a lot of infonnation and hard work, but once you get going it is really very simple. With the proper supplies and information, you can begin candle making as a rewarding new hobby. |
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