| Candles |
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Everyone loves candles these days. They are even
more special when you make them yourself. Please
remember that an adult must be present at ALL times.
You must be very careful so you do not get burns.
Make sure that your flat work surface is covered in
news paper for easier clean up. Next, it is very
important that you do not have your stove at anything
higher than medium. Remember that wax is flammable
and we only want to melt it not start the house on fire.
Now with all the warnings out of the way...
Have fun and make memories.
You need a pour pot. You can buy a pour pot made for
making candles or you can just find something that has a
spout and can with stand the heat.I would recommend a
candy thermometer too so you can be sure that the wax
stays below 250 degrees. If your wax should catch fire
DO NOT pour water on top. Instead keep a lid handy to
put on the top.
You will need to melt the wax in a double boiler. If you
have a metal pour pot you can put that right into the
double boiler otherwise you can use a regular pot in a
double boiler and then pour the melted wax into a glass
measuring cup.
Be sure to not let the double boiler run out of water.
When you melt your wax you want to have use smaller
pieces of wax so it will melt faster and more evenly. This
can be done with a hammer, an old cheese grater that
has a slicer, or anything you can think of. You really
should not try to use a knife it will not be as easy as you
think. The wax is very hard. After the wax is all melted
you can add in any additives, fragrance, and dye you
might want. I have even heard of people using crayons
as dye.
Next comes the container. You can use many things as
containers. Old jars and glasses work well if you are
making a container candle. If you want to make free
standing candles you can use metal cans. Just make sure
they are smooth inside. Cans with rings will not let the
candle come back out and you will be stuck burning an
ugly can. If you are using a mold make sure to coat the
inside with vegetable oil so the candle can slide out.
Then comes the wick. You can do anything from thick
cotton string to buying already made wicks. If you want
to use thick cotton string you will need to dip the string
into the wax and lay it out in a straight line on waxed
paper. After you pour the melted wax into the mold or
container you will need to tie the string onto a pencil or
wooden skewer and dip it down into the wax. The pencil
will lay on top of the container and keep the wick
centered and standing up. If you buy already made and
pre-tabbed wicks you can hot glue the tab to the bottom
of the container before you pour in the wax. If you are
making a tall candle or your container is not very wide it
may be helpful to thread the wick through a pulled apart
Bic pen. This makes it easier to hold the wick steady while
you glue it down. You will still need to tie the wick to a
pencil or something that can hold it up.
Now your done. If you are using a mold you still need to
get your candle out of the mold. There are a few tricks to
try. First try to freeze the candle for a few minutes. If
this does not work try to roll the mold around in your
hands. If the candle seems very stuck dip the mold into
warm water. Be sure to this fast. You do not want a
melted candle in a weird shape.
Now that you know how to make a simple candle why not
experiment with different colors and scents.
You could even try some harder to make candles.
more special when you make them yourself. Please
remember that an adult must be present at ALL times.
You must be very careful so you do not get burns.
Make sure that your flat work surface is covered in
news paper for easier clean up. Next, it is very
important that you do not have your stove at anything
higher than medium. Remember that wax is flammable
and we only want to melt it not start the house on fire.
Now with all the warnings out of the way...
Have fun and make memories.
You need a pour pot. You can buy a pour pot made for
making candles or you can just find something that has a
spout and can with stand the heat.I would recommend a
candy thermometer too so you can be sure that the wax
stays below 250 degrees. If your wax should catch fire
DO NOT pour water on top. Instead keep a lid handy to
put on the top.
You will need to melt the wax in a double boiler. If you
have a metal pour pot you can put that right into the
double boiler otherwise you can use a regular pot in a
double boiler and then pour the melted wax into a glass
measuring cup.
Be sure to not let the double boiler run out of water.
When you melt your wax you want to have use smaller
pieces of wax so it will melt faster and more evenly. This
can be done with a hammer, an old cheese grater that
has a slicer, or anything you can think of. You really
should not try to use a knife it will not be as easy as you
think. The wax is very hard. After the wax is all melted
you can add in any additives, fragrance, and dye you
might want. I have even heard of people using crayons
as dye.
Next comes the container. You can use many things as
containers. Old jars and glasses work well if you are
making a container candle. If you want to make free
standing candles you can use metal cans. Just make sure
they are smooth inside. Cans with rings will not let the
candle come back out and you will be stuck burning an
ugly can. If you are using a mold make sure to coat the
inside with vegetable oil so the candle can slide out.
Then comes the wick. You can do anything from thick
cotton string to buying already made wicks. If you want
to use thick cotton string you will need to dip the string
into the wax and lay it out in a straight line on waxed
paper. After you pour the melted wax into the mold or
container you will need to tie the string onto a pencil or
wooden skewer and dip it down into the wax. The pencil
will lay on top of the container and keep the wick
centered and standing up. If you buy already made and
pre-tabbed wicks you can hot glue the tab to the bottom
of the container before you pour in the wax. If you are
making a tall candle or your container is not very wide it
may be helpful to thread the wick through a pulled apart
Bic pen. This makes it easier to hold the wick steady while
you glue it down. You will still need to tie the wick to a
pencil or something that can hold it up.
Now your done. If you are using a mold you still need to
get your candle out of the mold. There are a few tricks to
try. First try to freeze the candle for a few minutes. If
this does not work try to roll the mold around in your
hands. If the candle seems very stuck dip the mold into
warm water. Be sure to this fast. You do not want a
melted candle in a weird shape.
Now that you know how to make a simple candle why not
experiment with different colors and scents.
You could even try some harder to make candles.
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