What a better way to enjoy the nations capital then by making your own home made candles?

Click Here To Find Out More About Candle Making

The national candle association (located at 1156 15th St NW # 900, washington, DC) is the major trade association representing the United States candle manufacturers. It’s members account for more then 90% of the candle made in the US.

Click Here to visit their website

How to Make Container Candles

Many candle makers get their start making container candles – they are fun, pretty easy, and you can use any variety of containers to store them. See how to get started in container candle making.

Raw Materials for Candle Making

Candles have been one of the most traditional means for lighting purposes. Its use has undergone changes, yet it has not been devalued in any form. Today the candles are more admired as decoratives along with different candle holders.

Publish Date: 11/22/2010 5:53

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Information Of How To Select The Right Candle Making Molds

Article from Ubscure and entitled Information Of How To Select The Right Candle Making Molds – By Emily Lister.

Publish Date: 11/22/2010 11:46

http://www.ubscure.com/Art/156289/13/Information-Of-How-To-Select-The-Right-Candle-Making-Molds.html

Candle making it easy. | Owning your own business

How old candles and make them have brand new material that around the house. No speech or expensive technical equipment. Easy to do.See Also : Hotel Business.

Publish Date: 11/22/2010 12:05

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Stay tuned for more information about Candle Making in Washington DC

What makes candles really charming and pleasing is not only because of its beautiful glow when lit but also in the addition of extras such as color and scent. Choosing the right candle making fragrance is an essential step in making scented candles. It is not merely choosing and adding the scent. If you choose the wrong variety of scent, the resulting candle may not be as pleasing as the ones, which fragrance has been carefully chosen. It can lose its scent altogether or it may smell differently from the ones you have expected.

Candle Making Fragrance Properties

Before you begin choosing the fragrance you are going to use in your candle making, it is necessary to have a little background on its properties to see what makes a suitable fragrance for your candles.

Temperature

The main thing or the flash point about scented oils when used in candle making is its temperature or its igniting capability. Remember that it will be in constant exposure to heat especially when you choose to light your candle.

Concentration

Another property to keep in mind when choosing candle making fragrance oils is the concentration. Fragrance oils will have varied intensity of scent. Some will have stronger scents and from this you will be able to determine the accurate volume, which you are going to use.

Polarity

Fragrance oils have polarity. It is an important entity because it will determine how well the oil will mix with the wax to avoid unmixed fragranced on your finished product.

It may all seem like a daunting task to find one appropriate fragrance when you keep in mind all these properties. However, most craft stores are now offering a wide range of fragrance oils ready for use because of the popularity that candle making has gained. When looking for the right fragrance, make sure that your supplies can provide information regarding the oil’s temperature (flash point), concentration and polarity. Most suppliers will also provide you with information on what volume is ideal to achieve desirable results. Usually, this is ounce to pound ratio. Also ensure that the fragrance oil you are going to use is specifically designed or produced for candles.

Aside from the usual fragrance oils, another source of your fragrance is from essential oils with concentrated extracts from a variety of plants, flowers and herbs. Besides, its potency in fragrance, it is also believed that essential oils play a great role in aromatherapy, which they consider therapeutic. However, not all essential oils can be used in scented candle making secondary to its volatility. This means that they evaporate fast and emit a different kind of scent over time.

Be able to create a masterpiece in making candles using candle making fragrance. Once you decided that you can turn it into a profitable business other than a hobby, you will realize it was worth the time and effort after all.

As of today, candle making crafts have continued to gain popularity and a lot of people still engage in this activity, both for fun and money making project. People who indulge in this art have various reasons why they enjoy such craft.

Most families still has the warm glow of candles in their very own home that comes in different sizes and shapes. Many couples share romantic candlelit dinners. Some others love candle making crafts so much that their hobby became a business. Candles also made it to the top list of readily available gifts for all occasions.

Therefore, three major usage of making candles have been drawn out.

·         For business

·         For free giveaways and gifts

·         For personal use

Making candles can be extremely fulfilling and return of investment is achieved the moment you enjoy the look and the scent of the finished product, not to mention your profit should you want to make money out of it.

If you decide to try making candles, you will need various tools and supplies to make even the most outlandish candles. Some of the supplies necessary are the following:

·         Wax (paraffin, beeswax, soy, palm or gel wax)

·         Candle wicks

·         Candle molds

The supplies you needed are readily available in your local craft stores or if not, you can purchase them online from art and craft suppliers. With today’s wide range of candle supplies, you can create basically every unique candle you wanted.

If you want your candles to be more baffling and attractive, you can add some items on it. Other extras you might want to try adding on your candles include:

·         Color dyes

·         Fascinating decorations

·         Scented oils

The possibilities are endless using your imagination to produce various kinds of candles right from the very comfort of your very own home. You can combine, rearrange and edit some of the existing styles that are available in local craft stores and big suppliers. Many candle making lovers have already embraced making their personal candle molds, enabling them to produce charming and enthralling home made candles.

Whether it is for money or just a hobby, candle making is definitely one of the most rewarding areas you can explore. Not only that it will give you the self-fulfillment you needed but it can also be a source of your family’s income. Discover the wealth hidden behind the candle trade while you enjoy candle making crafts with your family.

This really couldn’t be further from the truth, though.

Candle making is actually a great hobby for people of any craft experience or background, and can be very rewarding if you desire to take it to higher levels, such as making a little money from it. When you make your own candles, your creativity can open limitless opportunities both in your candle creations, and in the ability to make money from them.

In case your new to the game, candle making starts with some basic supplies:

1 – Wicks – These are a braided cotton cord or string with an inner core of lead or zinc. Cheaper candles like birthday candles have paper inner cores.

2 – Wax – If you are a beginner candle maker, you might start by using paraffin wax, then work your way to beeswax, gel or soy wax,.

3 – Wax Melting System – You can set up a double boiler easily at home by using one small and large pot. Direct heating using melting pots and tanks can also be used.

4 – Candle Making Molds – This is where you will put the wax after totally dissolving it, and where the wax will cool in order for it to take the shape of the molds.

5 – Thermometer – This is used to regulate the temperature of the melting system. Direct heat melting pots or tanks have built-in thermometers, but it is ideal that you have a thermometer of your own.

6 – Dyes – You will need liquid candle dyes to color the candles.

7 – Miscellaneous supplies including:

• Fragrances
• Putty

The general process of melting the wax and making your own candles is presented in the following:

• Use the double boiler set up or the direct heating melting pots (or tanks) to dissolve your wax. (Double boiler will make use of two pots namely – small and large. Place the wax on the smaller pot and put it inside the larger pot that is filled with boiling water).
• Place the entire system into a low to medium heat stove or burner.
• As soon as the wax has totally dissolved, remove it from the heat and add the scented oil and dyes at your discretion.
• Pour the melted wax into the candle molds where it will cool down.

NOTE: If you are using beeswax, there is no need for you to melt it. You only need to mold it into a candle size you wished to have.

Centering a wick:

• Cut candle wicks several inches longer than the candle
• Place it into the bottom hole of the mold then plug the hole with putty
• Put a pencil above the mold and tie the top of the wick to it.

More Notes:

• For plastic molds or glass, the wax needs to be heated to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
• For metal ones, heat the wax to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pour the wax into the candle molds, cool it for 12 hours, refrigerate for another 12 hours and remove it from the mold. You may need to utilize releasing agents for some types of molds.

And that’s about it, your candle is ready. Nothing to it really. Those basics will get you started, but the creative part is up to you. Go on, the possibilities are endless. Start making your own candles today!

A fun arts and crafts project for those who don’t know about it is colonial candle making. Making candles in colonial America was essential because it was their only source of light. They had no electricity to light their homes, so it was up to the women in the family to make candles to serve this purpose. The most common candle created at this time was the colonial taper candles.

For a while, animal fat or tallow was used to make candles, but it emits an rather unpleasant smell. In addition to this, it does not smolder that well. Beeswax candles were around at the time, but only available to the elite.

A new material was later discovered, made from bayberries, that produced a nicer fragrance, pleasant to the sense of smell, that could be added to the wax that made the candle burn better. The only problem they faced was that it took so much bayberry in order to make only one candle, that making enough to light a home was very arduous. Women definitely had a hard time and put in great effort in order to produce such candles.

In the 18th century, another substance came along that could be used in colonial candle making. This was whale oil. It was called the spermaceti wax. The candles produced from this wax lasted longer than the ones made by the other techniques, and the smell wasn’t that repelling either.

Candle Making Molds

Wooden boxes were the only available candle making molds during the colonial times. A wide variety styles and kinds of molds were not available and were not as accessible as the way they are today. Also, women used cotton strands as candle wicks, very different from ours today that are designed to burn longer and cleaner. Cotton strands when used as wicks necessitate constant maintenance in order to keep them burning.

How to Make Colonial Candles

You will need bayberries to make genuine colonial candles. You can buy bayberry wax and completely melt it the way you do with the other types of candle making waxes.

Materials:

·         Wax (Bayberry for genuine colonial candles or paraffin wax)

·         Deep and narrow tin coffee can

·         Non-waxed taper wicks

·         Metal washer

·         Metal hanger

·         Clip

Procedure:

1.     Melt the wax in a deep and narrow tin coffee can. Ensure that the tin can is not wet and dirty.

2.     Candle wicks that were used in Colonial times were ones that are tied at one end to a metal washer. Colonial women did not have any access to pre-tabbed candle wicks. Using a metal washer will weigh down the candle wicks while the washer is sinks to the bottom of the wax.

3.     After completely dissolving your wax, place your tin can into a heat resistant surface.

4.     Start wick dipping into the tin can then take it out as you hold the wick firmly at the top.

5.     It is important that you do not let your wax cool down to a great extent.

6.     While wick dipping, stir it constantly so that heat will be distributed.

7.     If it cools down too much, reheat.

8.     Until you got your candle into the exact size that you wanted, continue wick dipping.

9.     Once you got the candle size, hang it on a metal hanger using a clip at the above end of your wick and leave the candle to cool down.

Colonial candle making is a very monotonous and tedious process and it can test your patience, but stick with it. It’s well worth the trouble!

Another reason why soy candles are more popular than paraffin wax candles is that they have cleaner characteristics in their burning quality. Every candle emits soot to some degree. The main difference between soy candles and paraffin candles is the color of the soot they emit. Paraffin-based candles emit black soot while soy-based candles emit white soot hence the “cleaner” flame. You should note that none of the soot emitted by these candles is harmful to human beings.

What’s the process for making soy candles?

Making soy candles follows almost the exact same process as making other kinds of candles.

• Utilize a double boiler in order to dissolve the soy wax. In case you have forgotten, a double boiler is composed of one smaller pot where you place the wax which is inside a larger pot filled with water.
• Put both pots on a stove.
• Handle the soy wax with extra care, almost like you are baking.
• Set the temperature at around 150-180 Fahrenheit to heat the soy wax.
• Do not leave the soy wax longer than necessary in these temperatures because it can burn and may have a yellowish tint.
• Once you have totally dissolved the wax, you can add dyes.
• If you like to scent the candles, remove it from the stove and add the fragrance of your own choice. Ideally, you will need 5-7% of the fragrance by weight of the wax. This simply means that you will need 1.12 ounces of your scented oil per one pound of your soy wax. Be careful, incorrect dilution of the scented oil and wax will mess up the resulting candle.

NOTE: The moment that you have totally dissolved the wax (temperature 150-180 degrees Fahrenheit), pour the wax into the respective candle molds in order to cool them down. Ideally, you should not let the wax dip below 95 degrees Fahrenheit when pouring it into the molds. The candle might crack if you do. Also, do not try to shorten the cooling process by using cold water.

Since soy wax is softer than most wax, it is not ideal for some applications like pillar candles. It is best used in floating candles. But whether for a money making business or just a hobby, making natural soy candles is fun way of spending your time.

Here are some of the popular ones available today:

Plastic Candle Molds – In candle making, this type of mold is the cheapest, but they can be plenty useful to the average candle maker. You might find as you gain experience that plastic molds usually last in correlation to its price. Its shelf life is shorter then the rest because they are more frail and delicate. They are the easiest to clean, though. Ordinary soap and lukewarm water is all you really need to clean it up. Make sure they are absolutely dry before using them again, otherwise you will get bubbles in your next candles. If is it your first time at candle making, this type of mold is for you. Only as you take your hobby into higher levels will you find you should use other types of molds.

Aluminum Candle Molds – This particular mold is popular because its durable and light. The candles made from this mold will have a smooth and seamless quality that might be mistaken for those made by professionals. This mold is especially good for votive and pillar candles. Compared to rubber candle making molds, it is relatively cheap and affordable. They are also somewhat easier to clean than most rubber molds.

How to clean aluminum candle molds?

• Put the aluminum candle molds upside down on top of a baking sheet
• Make sure that you line the baking sheet with wax paper
• Place it inside the oven
• Set the oven temperature to around 150 degrees
• Left-over wax will melt right into the baking sheet

Disadvantages of aluminum candle molds

• Lack of flexibility making the choices very limited regarding the shapes and textures
• Releasing agents are necessary to get the finished candles out of the molds

Rubber Candle Molds – This type of mold – polyurethane molds – are flexible however you can’t stretch them out well when trying to release the candle. They also have a pungent odor that is comparable to a tire store. Because they don’t stretch well, rubber candle molds also require releasing agents in order to take out the candles from the mold. Usually candles used in pillar and taper are molded using rubber candle molds.

Silicon Candle Molds – Another variant of a rubber mold is the silicon candle mold. This type of mold is the most expensive but the investment is worth it. No parting seams are evident on your resulting candles. They are highly flexible and stretchable, which makes the candles easy to take out from them. Plus they require no releasing agent.

Latex Candle Molds – This particular type of mold used to be popular, but with the newly released types of candle making molds, it took the back seat. Pros with latex candles are its paint and its ability to take whatever shape you want.

Choose wisely, then shape away!

Paraffin Wax

This is the most common and readily available type of candle wax. Paraffin wax is refined from petroleum and is excellent for beginners. One good thing about it is that it is not expensive.

Natural Wax

Waxes that are refined from soy, palm, beeswax and bayberry are natural types of wax. People enjoy the fact that they are renewable resources, yet still get optimum performance from these waxes, even in the case of soy. A few examples of natural waxes:

• Soy-based wax is produced by processing soybeans by hydrogenation, making it extremely suitable for candle use. Even if it is more expensive than other wax, the fact that it is from renewable sources wins people over. Year after year, more and more soybeans are being produced, making soy waxes more readily available for candles.
• Palm-based wax is another renewable source for making candles. However, its gain in popularity raised red flags regarding environmental issues, so it took a back seat to other more environmentally friendly resources. It turned out, growing palm trees for wax was slowly causing more harm than good. Fortunately, there are now methods used to be sure that the source of your palm-based wax will not cause environmental issues. This means you always have to be cautious and perceptive when choosing palm wax though.
• Beeswax is derived from bees and is available in either yellow or white. This type of wax is expensive but many candle-makers are attracted to its scent, burning qualities and robustness of the resulting product.

Gels

An entirely new way of making candles is with the use of gels. Gels characteristically are transparent and rubbery in texture, but they operate basically the same as other types of candle making wax. It is available in three densities – low, medium and high. The density of the gel affects your desired final product, as well as the amount of fragrance planned to be used. Candles with 0-3% scent are made from low density gels, which are poured in lower temperature. Medium gel density is ideal in making candles with 3-5% fragrance, and is the most popular of the three densities. More than 5% fragrance load should be done in high gel density only.

With all of these options available for you, choosing what will work best entirely depends on you and your candle tastes. The most important thing is that you need to understand each type of candle making wax so that you can maximize your success.

You need to remember that success in making candles relies on your ability to choose the kind of wax suitable to the type of candle you are going to make. A lot of time and effort will be wasted if you don’t know what about your waxes!

Recently, gel candles have been gaining popularity. They look like ordinary candles, but have a few differences. Gel candles, compared to ordinary candles, last longer. It is also possible to decorate the wax making designs “float” in the finished product. Because of these thing, gel candles make wonderful gifts.

Gel candles are composed of 95% mineral oil, 5% polymer resin. They are unlike wax candles in that they are not created from pure oil.

Polymer Resin – This is a type of powder which is mixed with mineral oil. It acts as a thickening agent.

The three major states of gel wax include:

• Low density
• Medium density
• High density

High density states are ones that are used mainly for mixing mineral oil with fragrance (when making scented candles). Decorations, like glitter, can be added to thicker gels. If the decorations are small enough, they will suspend or “float” in the candle. Bear in mind, however, that these gels take longer to melt, and are harder to pour.

A double boiler is used to dissolve the wax in other types of candles, but using this method to melt gel wax will take twice as much time as with typical wax. If you are impatient, use another method. A multi-cooker is one of the options that can do this job well for you. This is similar to a deep fryer, which is typically a metal coated non-stick substance. It has different heating constituent with a temperature dial in order to regulate the temperature used in melting the wax.

The process will be similar to this:

• The gel will be put directly into the cooker to dissolve.
• Using a thermometer is ideal in order to achieve the right temperature when dissolving the wax, shoot for 180-220 Fahrenheit.
• Hard plastic or metal should be used in stirring the gel wax to prevent bubbles.
• CAUTION: Gel wax is flammable. Make sure you have fire extinguisher nearby. In case the gel catches fire, do NOT throw water onto it!

Finishing touches at the end of the process can be made by using dyes to change the color of the wax. Liquid candle dyes are ideal because they retain the transparency of the gel. Maintaining this transparency will let you see through the candle. Crayons, food coloring, clothing dyes or soap dyes should not be used. They do not burn like the liquid candle dyes, and are not made specifically for candles.

As far a creating scented candles, most stores offer a variety of special scented oil that you can use for candles. If you can’t find them in your local craft store, you can buy them online. Read the label before you purchase one. Do not buy water-based or alcohol-based fragrance. When making scented candles, oil-based fragrance the way to go.

Even without lighting a candle, you still can appreciate it’s beauty. Candles can make excellent gifts for all seasons and occasions, especially homemade or personally crafted scented candles. Always keep in mind the person’s health before giving them as a gift, as some of the scents can irritate others allergies.

The procedure for making scented candles is pretty much the same as with other types of candles, there is just an extra part added near the end of the process.

1.     Choose your wax. This can be soy, palm or beeswax for natural ones and paraffin wax for synthetic ones. Gel wax is not ideal for scented candle making because of the difficulty of keeping the ratio of the wax and scent in an exact balance. Only if you are up for a challenge should you choose gel wax.

2.     Totally dissolve your wax. Make sure that you melt it completely before pouring it into the candle mold. Some people neglect this step and achieve somewhat unsatisfactory results. A double boiler can assist you in totally liquefying your wax. This is as simple as putting the pot of wax into a larger pot filled with water. Caution: Do not set the stove-top temperature too high to prevent the wax from burning.

3.     When you heat the wax, maintain temperature at 170-180 Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to regulate this.

4.     Place wick into the candle mold.

5.     After totally melting your wax, take the pot off your heat source and add the scented oil. For every pound of wax, you need to add one ounce of scented oil. This is about 6% and is considered to be the optimum fragrance to wax ratio. It is not ideal to go over this ratio, so less is more here. Your base should be wax, not oil. Wax will facilitate more flame than oil, resulting in bigger brighter candles.

6.     Experiment on your candle making adventure. Keep all records of what you try, and what you find works for you. It’s best to start simple, and experiment as you gain confidence.

The possibilities are endless in making scented candles. Enhance them through the use of creative scents and colors. You can mix and match them to create masterpiece after masterpiece. Then share your creations with your loved ones.