LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE WITH HOMEMADE CANDLES!!!

Candles have a very universal appeal. They are both functional and beautiful, and can turn a plain room or table into something more special. Candlemaking seems to be an art which is drawing more and more interest as of late. Perhaps much of that interest has been generated by the fresh new looks of gel candles, treasure candles, beeswax candles, and the like. And certainly we can thank the fairly recent interest in essential oils and the concept of aromatherapy to the latest wave of candle-mania! I myself have quite the candle "fetish" and of course could not settle for simply buying candles in a store...I had to get my nose in yet another crafty endeavor!

I always think it is nice to know a bit about the history of the craft you about to undertake. It's nice to know where the craft and its ideas coming from, where it began, and perhaps it will help you figure out where the craft is going...perhaps you will be the one to help the craft evolve and take it in new ideas. Anyway, I digress! Here is a "bare bones" site which does a wonderful job of laying out the history of candles and candle-making: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/50... It's a good idea to at least take a look and find out a little about your new craft.

If you need a bit of inspiration, you should find all you need at the following sites. I've searched the web and I came up with some lovely pictures of various candles. Take a look: http://www.candlemaking.org.uk/cupcakeca... http://www.peaceloveandme.com/cat_candle... http://www.beeswaxcandles.com/cgi-local/... http://www.howtomakegelcandles.com/image... and http://www.deelights.co.uk/marbledcandle... I am amazed at the variety of candles there are on the market today...but keep in mind that in creating candles, like all other art forms, opportunities are limitless! I do suggest that, if you are a novice, you should perhaps purchase a candlemaking kit, simply for the purpose of introducing you to the general concept of candlemaking.

One of the major candle-making sites on the web( http://www.candlemaking.org.uk/ ), this site covers everything from candle safety to scenting to troubleshooting and beyond. It's a "must-see" site in your candle-making education! If you're interested in rolling your own honeycomb beeswax candles, the basics can be found here: http://www.borsheimarts.com/lumina/instr... Perhaps, for the novice to more advanced candlemaker, you may find a forum setting more preferable. And for you folks, I strongly suggest you check out the following site: http://www.insidetheweb.com/messageboard...

Gel candles seem to be "all the rage" lately, and I personally find them quite attractive. Perhaps this picture will help you see the appeal they hold with many: http://www.howtomakegelcandles.com/image... There are a few message boards dedicated solely to those interested in gel candles, and they can be found at: http://www.candlegel.com/cgi-bin/index.c... and http://pub11.ezboard.com/bgelcandles. I also suggest you visit egroups.com and search for gel candles. I've heard there are some lists that cover this topic. Additionally, I found the following site to be very informative and helpful in many aspects of making gel candles: http://www.chemistrystore.com/Candle_Gel... The Chemistry Store site covers so many topics dealing with gel candlemaking, such as proper wicks, melting the gel, embedding, and so forth. Definitely check that one out. For additional links, please check out this site: http://candleandsoap.about.com/msubgel.h...