Candles exude warmth, fragrance and light into the heart of your home. No doubt, you buy a lot of them because you really love to burn candles.
You can save a lot of money by learning to make them yourself.
There are two candle supply companies that come to the forefront
The Candle Science Company is a family owned business handed down from one generation to another. There are a lot of candlemaking supply companies out there, but this one stands out and shines. They have a video on soy candlemaking you may want to view. Thissupplier carries Golden 464 wax which happens to be the best wax for beginners to use.
Another supplier for very good fragrances happens to be located in Indianapolis. The name of this company is the Bluegrass Candle and Supply. The author of the article you are reading does not have experience in using the soy wax they carry. If you want to save on shipping charges, you might want to contact them directly regarding their products and ask them about their soy wax.
No doubt you have stumbled upon this article because you want to learn how to make your own candles. The art of candlemaking is an exciting adventure you can embark upon with a small investment.
The ability of a candle to scent your room is what candlemakers refer to as a candle's "throw". Try to pick strong fragrances. Inexpensive fragrances are not necessarily a deal.
You'll need canning jars and wicks for your project. You will also need to select a fragrance oil of your choice. You also need to buy soy wax, which comes in flakes. Golden 464 wax is highly recommended or beginners. ou will need a hot glue gun and glue sticks. Last but not least, you will need candle colorant. Try to stay away from the liquid colorants because they can be really messy to work with. liquid candle colorant does not wash off of your clothes. Once the color stains your clothing, no amount of laundry products will take it out. Instead of liquid colorant, you'll find success with color dye chips. Once again, Candle Sic
Through trial and error, I have discovered that ECO 14 works best with the glass canning jar.
The size of the wick is really important for the performance of a candle. If you select a wick that is too large, your candle will burn hotter. This can be a fire hazard. You will know that your wick is too large if you see, after burning your candle for a half hour, that you have a thick layer (about 1/2 inch) of melted wax at the top of your candle. If you select a wick that is too small for your candle, the candle will not burn the wax effectively, all the way to the ends of the glass jar and that as a result if this poor performance, the candle will extinguish prematurely.
The video suggests melting your wax in a candle pot over a burner. I use the microwave. I place about 16 ounces by weight of soy wax flakes into a pyrex cup and place it in the microwave for about three minutes. I will have already taken the canning jar and hot glued a wick into the center of it. Candle supply stores also carry adhesive discs. I find that they don't work as well as hot glue does.
When you've melted your soy wax, stir in a few drops of the colorant. You will then add 5% fragrance oil. To calculate the percentage of fragrance you should use for your candle, which ends up being 13 ounces by weight, calculate 10% as being 1.3 ounces and then use half of that. This means either .6 or .7 oz of fragrance oil for your candle.
When it comes to fragrance for your candle, there are a great many fragrances out there. Candle and soap fragrances work well for candles and skin products. However, candle only fragrance will work only for candles, so if you are planning, for example, a gift basket of Dreamsicle scented product, you will need to select a candle and skin safe fragrance oil.
Remember also that candle colorants are not indicated for skin safe products. Skin safe colorants are not used for candle projects.
If you are paying $15 for a fragrant candle, you can save a lot of money by just making it yourself. The average cost to handcraft a canning jar candle at home is $2.50. For the price you pay to buy one candle, you can make 6 candles.
Candles make great gifts. If you are struggling in this tenuous economy, consider handcrafting your gifts for holidays and birthdays. Don't forget to make a candle for yourself. You deserve it!
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