Making candles can be great fun. It is exciting to decide what type of candle to make and get your supplies. However, some individuals quickly become disappointed and frustrated with the process and give up. There are some common problems that beginners experience with candle making. Most of them have quick and easy solutions. Beginners should start with the basic candle-making process so you to learn the basics and then you can move on to making the types of candles you want to.
One secret to making great candles is to use quality products. In general, candle-making supplies are inexpensive. If the wax you purchased is of poor quality, it is never going to make quality candles. Heating the wax to the proper temperature is very important. The temperature will change depending on the type of candle you are making with it. If the wax isn’t hot enough, it won’t form correctly. Likewise, wax that is too hot will lose luster and won’t be as sturdy once it cools.
Have you ever made a beautiful candle, but when you lit it, the room filled with smoke rather than the fragrance of the candle? This problem has to do with your wick as it is too long. Cut them shorter for future candles. You can snip the tips of the candles you have already created and this should remedy the situation.
Some candles burn and smell great, but they look ugly after a few uses with a crater in the middle of the candle while the edges of the candle jar haven’t even been touched. This is the result of a wick that isn’t wide enough. It isn’t much you can do for candles you have already made except melt the wax in them and start over. You can purchase a wider wick or braid three together to get a good thickness. The wider the candle jar, the wider you need your wick to be for the candle to burn evenly.
Cooling candles is an area of trouble for many beginners. Don’t rush the cooling process or you will damage the hardness of the candle. Forcing the candle to cool will also result in bubbles forming in the top and middle of the candle. While it won’t be a physical defect, the melting wax will go into these bubbles when you have the candlelit resulting in the wick going out. Candles should be allowed to cool in an area where they won’t be moved until completely cool. The area needs to be flat and out of direct sunlight. You will also want to make sure there aren’t any heating or cooling vents in the cooling area.
If you notice that your cooled candle isn’t as appealing as you’d like because the wax pulled away from the glass jar in some areas, try heating your jars in the microwave for a minute or two right before you fill them. This will help the wax adhere to it correctly with a very smooth look around the jar.
It is important to remember that candle-making involves some basic concepts. It will take a few tries to complete the steps properly, but give it some time. You will have to experiment to find the methods that work best in your work environment to make the candles you want.
