Candle Making Basics Part I

In the light of heightened appreciation of candles, it seems as good a time as any to help people come full circle...back to the time when folks made their own candles in their kitchens. My intentions for writing these articles is to provide in a clear and inviting manner, all the information needed for you to make a variety of inviting, aroma filled candles.

The first thing I would like to start with is the safety precautions in candle making, this might not seem necessary to some for most are of common sense, but please humor me anyway.

1. Never leave melting wax unattended, even in a double-boiler.

2. Never overheat the wax. Know the flash point of your wax.

3. Wax will spontaneously combust when it reaches the flash point.

4. Always use a thermometer. It is both for safety and good results that you always be aware of the temperature.

5. Always use a double-boiler. If you don't have one, use a old pot for the water and a coffe can to melt the wax.

6. Don't pour wax down the drain unless you want frequent visits from your plumber.

Now that these few but very important facts have been mentioned, on with the show. First we need to get all our tools and supplies together before we can make a candle.

Tools: Double boiler, thermometer, molds, scissors,wooden spoon.

Supplies:

Wax - There are many waxes available for candle making. I recommend that beginners start with a general purpose paraffin wax for molded candles and the new "One Pour Wax" for container candles.

Wicks - There are more than thirty-five different wicks on the market, but Im going simplfy that a bit. Wickin can be broken down into three catagories - Flat, Square, and Wire Core. Flat and square are used for molded and dipped candles, wire core for floating, votives, and container candles. The starting point for the wick selection is to match the wick to the mold iameter. For a small mold use a small wick, etc...

Dye - For the best results always use a dye specifically made for coloring candles. Wax colors will be lighter than they appear in the melting pot. To get the best idea of the finished product pour a half inch of wax in a paper cup and place in the freezer, when cool, this will give you the exact finished product.

Scent - Ahhh, my favorite part. There is no limit to the imagination when scenting a candle, just a few tips so you will have an idea on what type to buy. Scent is marketed in two forms, liquid scent oil, and scent blocks. Although the liquid scent is a higher cost, I feel it works much better than scent blocks.

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