Plumbing

How to make honey candles How to make DIY natural beeswax candles

Holiday table decoration, interior parts, a lifesaver in case of a sudden power outage, a nice gift for loved ones. What's this? Candles made by hand!

Yes, there is such an activity. Moreover, those who are fond of such a hobby get incredible aesthetic pleasure from this.

You can look endlessly at the photo of candles made by yourself ...

What you need is at your fingertips

Anyone can make candles. What will be needed?

Wax

Sometimes it can be successfully replaced with paraffin. The difference between them is that wax, due to its naturalness, does not emit soot, while paraffin, when completely burned, smokes.

This simple materials, the acquisition of which is not difficult. You can find them in any needlework store or, in extreme cases, melt a ready-made candle, the cost of which is quite low.

Wick

There are also two options here: take it out of an unnecessary candle or make it from cotton-based threads. Twisting them strongly is not recommended - the flame may go out.

It is also worth considering that a wick that is too thick will cause the candle to melt faster, while releasing a lot of smoke.

The length of the wick is determined by the size of the candle plus a small length for easy lighting.

mold

A hollow container made of any material. The only thing: the edges of the form should be straight and not tapered.

Handy materials are:

Saucepan and metal utensils for a water bath;
A stick or any long thin object (pen, match) to fix the wick.

Making a candle

Having prepared everything necessary materials, you can start creating. A detailed master class will show how to make candles with your own hands quickly and beautifully.

Lower the wick into the prepared mold for the future candle, fix one end of it on a stick, and place it on the container.

Paraffin or wax grind and melt in a water bath. The fire should be small, and the process must be observed, and in order to avoid lumps, constantly stir the mixture.

It should be borne in mind that the temperature of the molten material is quite high, so it should be handled with care.

Pour a little melted paraffin (wax) into the mold with the prepared wick. Place the tip of the cotton thread in the middle, and let the material harden a little.

Wax has the ability to quickly cool, so you need to work with it quickly.

Note!

Fill the form with the remaining melted material to the required level.

Wait for the candle to harden and cut off the excess part of the wick. It is recommended that this be done at least 24 hours later.

It remains only to remove the candle from the container. For ease of removal and to avoid damage, the form must be sent to the freezer for half a minute or lowered into hot water.

You can light a finished candle only a day after the end of its manufacture. During this time, it will have time to completely freeze, which will favorably affect its operation.

Candle colors

You can make candles at home not only in the main (white) colors, but also in absolutely any shade.

In order to color a wax work, paints cannot be used. Oil or acrylic, they will not fulfill their purpose, but will only stick together in molten paraffin, turning into unattractive colored flakes.

Note!

Wax pencils will help to give the desired shade. They are perfectly mixed with the selected material by adding small pieces directly during the melting process.

Using several pencils, you can create a real rainbow of shades by gradually pouring paraffin of various colors into the mold.

aromatherapy

When making wax products, it is only painted, but also forced to give aroma. The fragrance of a burning candle can create an atmosphere of peace and comfort, as well as energize or, conversely, relax.

In order to make a beautiful candle that will please the eye and smell, you will need essential oils. They are in great abundance blown in any pharmacy or cosmetic store.

A few drops of oil will give future candle unique flavor.

Note!

When choosing a smell, you need to focus on the purpose or color of the wax miracle:

relaxation will give lavender oil, and a candle, in this case it is better to paint it in a light purple color;
Bergamot can also relax - the green color of the candle is suitable for this;
an orange can improve your mood - a bright orange tint will complement the effect;
ylang-ylang will set you in an intimate mood - lilac or pink color candles will just be in place.

Wax art

Decorating candles belongs to the real top of wax craftsmanship.

You can decorate a candle in various ways:

Natural materials - pebbles, shells, twigs and others. Basically, they are placed at the bottom of the mold before adding the molten paraffin.
Food products - coffee beans and dried fruits. Such materials can be placed throughout the entire volume of the form, pouring wax gradually and giving it the opportunity to fix the decoration.
Decoupage. The technique has been known for a long time and has been successfully used in the manufacture of candles. A colored pattern from a napkin is placed on the surface and fixed with glue designed specifically for candles. This fixation protects the paper from burning.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the carved decoration of candles. Not everyone can do this - it will take perseverance and accuracy, but the result exceeds all expectations.

For cutting you will need: a clerical knife, paper and a pen. Wrapping the candle with paper, determine the size of the future drawing, cut off the excess. A pattern is applied to the remaining rectangle.

Paper is wrapped around the candle again and secured with tape. Carefully acting, the knife circles the pattern along the contour, and then cut out the excess layers of wax.

You can use these candles at a wedding, to decorate the table or just for the interior.

Transparent candles

You can make completely transparent candles using a special gel.

The advantages of such material are:

lack of smoke, odors and soot;
transparency (for beauty and decor);
the possibility of self-cooking.

How is the gel prepared? Glycerin, gelatin and tannin are mixed in equal amounts, the same amount of water is added to them, all this must be put on a small fire and boiled until the liquid evaporates.

The gel may be cloudy at first, but will become clear as it cools.

Working with gel is not much different from using wax, but there is still a slight difference:

after the candle hardens, it cannot be removed from the mold, so it is better to use a glass and transparent container;
before the process of adding the gel, the form should be slightly warmed up - this will protect against the appearance of air bubbles in the candle.

You can color, scent and decorate a gel candle in the same way as any other.

Knowing how to make candles on your own, you can always have a wonderful table decoration at hand, an exclusive gift for friends and relatives, as well as use your creations in the interior.

DIY candle photo

Beekeepers love to experiment and can make natural candles with their own hands. beeswax. This substance has unique properties. Candles from it turn out to be golden in color and, unlike artificial ones, smell pleasantly of honey and flowers. Candles made from beeswax burn for a long time, unlike paraffin candles. The product can be classified as natural, environmentally friendly and flavored, which does not contain various additives. You can do it with your own hands different types candles.

Comparison of natural wax candles with paraffin

Paraffin has been popular for a long time. But they are very harmful when they burn, emit such carcinogenic substances as benzene, toluene, form soot. Because of this, a person often suffers from an allergic reaction, the respiratory tract is irritated. In industrial products, the wick has a lead stem, when it burns, a large amount of toxic vapor is released. The disadvantage is chemical additives, which are also harmful to health.

It is better to give preference to a natural wax product, they can be made in different ways, using a foundation sheet, it must be rolled out. You can also do it by lowering the wick into wax, which melts until the desired shape comes out. The most commonly used method is pouring into molds.

Compliance with safety regulations in the manufacture of candles

The wax needs to be melted, the optimum temperature is 70 degrees, if it is exceeded, foam may begin to form. This indicates that the wax is dehydrated. This produces high-quality candles that burn perfectly and do not crack. If the temperature is higher than 120 degrees, the wax may smoke. Higher than 200 degrees starts to burn. It is important in this situation to keep the temperature under control.
You need to melt the product only on low heat, constantly stir it.
Do not add water to finished product, it will start to splatter.
In case of fire, use a fire extinguisher.
Before working with the product, you need to carefully prepare, prepare all the means in case a fire suddenly occurs.
It is best to melt in a water bath, heat it in an electric, gas stove must be constantly monitored.
The inner and outer vessels should not touch, for this it is necessary to put river stones on the bottom, then add water when it starts to boil away.
The room should be maintained at an optimal temperature, constantly ventilate it.

For work, you will need special equipment - a staff, clothes, gloves. You can’t rush when working, you can smear everything with wax. After you have used the dishes, do not wash them under the tap, the product may cause clogged drains.

When you have already prepared the substance, you need to put it in safe place, it is forbidden to put next to appliances, curtains, windows.

Preparing to make beeswax candles

Choose a large table, cover with newspaper on top, remove the carpets from the floor.
Prepare special sticks on which you can put molds, essential oils, dishes, tools.
You need to crumble the product on the old cutting board, here you can put the molten product.
To melt the substance, you can use a slow cooker, a wax melter.
There should be water nearby, because you will need to constantly add it. Some will need to be refrigerated. In the table you can see the forms for candles.

Table "Varieties of molds for making candles"

Tools and materials for making beeswax candles

To grind the product you will need a hammer or screwdriver, a sharp knife.
You need to cut the wick with scissors, also stock up on pieces.
To level the base, you must use a turbo lighter.

To make beeswax candles you will need the following materials:

bee product.
It is important to choose a quality wick. It should be environmentally friendly, it should not include metal cores, twisted cotton threads.
The thickness of the wick must be selected depending on what diameter your candle will have. If the candle has a large diameter, you need to choose a thick wick.
Before pouring candles, the wick is impregnated with wax and dried thoroughly. It must be soaked in boric acid, a saline solution, so that a colored flame can be obtained.

Steps for making beeswax candles

It is necessary to filter the wax, for this, take a piece of fabric from nylon. After the procedure, the filter will have to be thrown away, because it is clogged with wax, it is recommended to use a paper funnel that has a paint filter.
Manufacture of wick clips.
You can fix the wick in different ways, using clothespins, hair clips. It is necessary to take the wire, finely cut it up to 10 cm, then bend the pieces. The wick is placed in the middle, twisted with wire and stretched.
Preparing silicone molds for wax filling.
Often the forms are already sold with slots, it is necessary to place a wick there, this must be done with extreme caution, it is impossible for the form to be divided in half. In the photo you can see how to do it right.
The photo shows how the forms are fastened with rubber bands, this is necessary to protect the wax from flowing out. The seams on the walls of the form are not specially smeared, because the wax has a high viscosity and density. In the section of the form, the walls are combined. After you have fully assembled, you need to fasten the wick with a clip from the wire, pre-twist it, adjust the tension.
We grind the wax. To do this, you need a hammer, a chisel, you need to carefully break everything so that the substance melts faster.
Wax melting. It is important to ensure that the vessel with the water bath and the bottom does not interact. To do this, you need to pour wax into a thermal kettle, put pots of boiling water on top. When the wax melts, it will begin to settle, add water, just make sure that it does not get into the wax.
Filter the wax, for this you can use plastic bottle with nylon fabric.
Pour the wax into the molds to the brim. When the form is large, you need to pierce several holes in it, so there will be no void inside. Wait for the wax to cool for about 6 hours, do not cool it in a cold place, this can lead to cracks in the candles.
We take out the candles from the molds. First, the clip that was intended for the wick is removed. After you need to clean and trim the wick. After the candle has cooled, you need to remove the rubber bands and get the candle. See the photo for how to do it right.

Benefits and uses of beeswax ear candles

Ear candles contain natural wax, essential oils. With an inflammatory process in the nasopharynx, throat, nose, it is necessary to use ear candles. They will also help to get rid of tinnitus, increased irritability and headache. Due to beeswax, sulfur plug can be removed.

It is advised to use ear candles at home, they can be used at high temperatures, they have no side effects on the body. It is allowed to use ear candles only for adult children. You must first read the instructions.

Ear candles are one of the healing remedies, with the help of which you can relieve inflammation, pain, calm down, improve hearing. There must be ear candles at home.

The composition of the drug includes coniferous oils, beeswax.

It is important to use ear candles correctly:

It is necessary to take 250 ml of water, 2 candles, ear sticks, a piece of polyethylene.
Lie on your side, cover your hair with a towel.
Apply tape to ear.
Insert the medicine vertically into the ear.
Carefully set fire to the candle, when it burns down to a certain mark, you need to remove it from the ear area.
Take a cotton swab and clean the ear of everything that has accumulated in it, the ears should be warm after the procedure, put on a hat.
Similarly, the procedure is performed for the second ear.

It is easy to make beeswax candles on your own with your own hands, they will be distinguished by their safety and reliability. Beeswax ear candles are the best remedy to relieve the inflammatory process.

Good day dear friends! It's almost winter now. Many beekeepers are now preparing for the next season: they are repairing frames, pulling wire into them, buying some equipment, inspecting their farm, including the honeycomb one, melting wax, etc. So I recently drowned wax in my small one. Immediately after that, the thought arose: where else can beeswax be used, except for how trite to change it to honeycomb? It turns out that you can make candles from natural beeswax with your own hands.

Candles with their own hands. Why and who needs them?

Many may ask: “What is this for?” Well, at least in order to please yourself and your loved ones, as a maximum - to get additional profit from the apiary.

friends, soon New Year! I don't even believe it. Many people associate this holiday not only with fun and holidays, but also with fuss, with gifts. No one wants to deprive loved ones, leave them without attention. But after all, not always and not everyone has the opportunity for this, including the material one. Here's an idea for you: make wonderful fragrant candles with your own hands from natural beeswax, not from paraffin, not from boring chemicals, but from an environmentally friendly natural product and give it to your loved ones! Back in school, primary school, our first teacher Svetlana Alexandrovna told us: “ Best gift this is the one that is made with your own hands and with love!”. Thanks her! I remember these words for the rest of my life.

The second option may be to use the resulting product(s) for commercial purposes. The product line on the counter of the beekeeper should always strive to expand. The market does not stand still. The buyer has become picky, choosy (or vice versa illegible ...), demanding, capricious and stingy. Including stingy and in relation to their health, but that's another topic. The buyer needs to please and hit right on target, to identify and satisfy his needs for the here and now. Why not put five candles on the counter? Beautiful, quite original (so far), exclusive. I think it makes sense.

How to make a wax candle with your own hands?

I, as usual, went the way of the least material costs. It is known that molds are needed to make candles. Most often they are made of silicone. After the wax has cooled, it is very easy to remove the silicone mold from the finished candle. Plastic molds or other molds made of hard, non-elastic material can be problematic.

So, where do you get these molds for making candles? Ideally, of course, it is better to buy them in a store. There is a wide choice of shapes and sizes. There is room for fantasy. But there is one point that initial stage can repel - the price. The price varies on average from about three hundred rubles to three thousand for one form.

I chose a different option. I went to one of the household stores and saw a silicone baking dish. I thought, "Why not?" It cost about 300 rubles. But there are six different options candle molds. That is, one comes out to about 50 rubles. Bought.

And here is the view from inside.

Then there was the question of choosing a wick. I have never made candles and, after thinking a little, I came to the conclusion that the wick should be made of natural material, since synthetics will surely burn with release bad smell. Nothing better came to my mind than to buy a jute cord. Two hundred meters in the coil came out about 60 rubles. Pennies. The cost of such a wick does not even need to be taken into account when calculating the cost of one candle.

I came home, took some wax and put it in a glass jar, and put the jar in a saucepan. That is, he made a water bath. Of course, it’s better not to use glass, it can burst, but I didn’t immediately orient myself. Probably because I wanted to quickly try to make a candle with my own hands))

While the wax was melting, I chose the prettiest mold and prepared it. Immediately made a hole for the wick. I did it with a fountain pen refill. He, by the way, was also useful to me in the future. It’s more convenient, of course, with an awl or a carnation, but it was too lazy to go to get it)))

I made a hole right in the middle. It is important. Then he threaded the future wick into it.

The tail of the wick took out a centimeter by 2.5-3. Then he again took the rod from the fountain pen and fixed the wick on the inside of the mold.

The wick must be stretched strictly vertically. If this is not done, then the candle will not burn evenly.

By this time, the wax had just ripened. It remains to carefully and evenly pour it into the mold.

Yes, the form must lie on a horizontal surface. Our candle should turn out to be even.

Literally immediately, the wax began to cool, forming a beautiful pattern. Wife looked at this beauty with rapture))

Well, the wax is almost frozen. There is no need to rush to take the form. Our candle is still soft and can be inadvertently deformed.

While the wax was curing, a small amount of it flowed out through the hole we made for the wick. It turned out not to be critical. So I left our candle to cool.

Here you go. Came in a couple of hours, when the mold had already cooled down. A sign was a noticeable decrease in the size of the candle itself and a small distance appeared between the candle and the mold walls.

Can be taken out. Here's what happened. From above, near the wick, I had to trim a little with a knife, since the wax turned out to be not quite clean and there was a little honey and water in it, which flowed down to the bottom of the mold and occupied part of the cavity there. The first pancake is lumpy. Now I will know that the wax should be as pure as possible. Yes, I trimmed the length of the wick a little more.

Everything, the candle is ready! To my surprise, it even caught fire and did not go out))) You can have a candlelit dinner.

So, a brief summary on using this method of making candles from wax with your own hands.:

ease of manufacture, low cost and availability for the beekeeper of everything necessary is a definite plus;
wax must be clean, without impurities;
the wick must be made of natural materials;
the form must be placed strictly horizontally, and the wick strictly vertically;
do not rush to remove a hot candle from the mold;
minus - poverty of variants of forms.

Conclusion: it is possible to use this method for domestic purposes and for experimental purposes, to analyze the market (demand). However, later it is worth looking at with a more pronounced and interesting volumetric texture and theme.

Well, now, as promised, an interesting crossword puzzle. The first five people who send me a list of correct answers in free form by e-mail will receive an electronic collection of Beekeeping magazines, consisting of 333 issues of this legendary magazine!

My email address is on the page

Please do not write answers in the comments!

Since ancient times, people have looked at the fire and felt safe. Many centuries have passed, but even now, when looking at the hearth, the same feeling arises. But today we do not sit by the fires, they are replaced by us wax candles. They give any room an atmosphere of intimacy, and the smooth fluctuation of the flame fascinates people, just like hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Nowadays, when there are many different materials, you can make wax houses, creating your own masterpieces. They may be various forms, sizes and colors.

Materials needed to create paraffin candles

You will need:

cotton threads;
wax crayons;
regular candles.

These materials are inexpensive and readily available.

Auxiliary materials for the production of candles

You will also need:

old saucepan;
a container where the wax will melt;
two plastic or wooden sticks to stir the wax and attach the wick;
molds for creating candles, these can be children's toys or plastic cups;
decorative embellishments for future creations.

In this case, you can select materials at your discretion.

Nuances in choosing a wick

Any candles: church, wax, gel, paraffin - have a wick. It must be made from 100% cotton. It can be a ribbon of fabric or a rope. The main thing is that there are no synthetics in the composition. Multi-colored floss thread wicks look especially good on transparent candles.

For each candle, the wick is selected individually. Its stiffness and thickness depend on the part of the candle that will have to burn through. Also from her material. For wax candles, it is worth making thick wicks, the threads of which are not woven very tightly. For paraffin or gel, on the contrary, you need to tightly twist thin threads. Such a wick will not smoke when burning. It must be remembered that if used for dyeing, their shavings may not dissolve in the candle material and clog the wick.

In a word, there are many nuances that can only be understood in practice. If the wick is thick, then the wax candles will smoke and burn out too quickly. And very thin ones will often go out. In general, you need to try and experiment.

The wick can be twisted (like a rope), braided or crocheted. Immediately before pouring, it is better to soak the threads with wax, but many believe that this is useless and simply fill them with wax, paraffin or gel.

The principle of creating a candle

To make wax candles with your own hands, you need to find a suitable shape. You can use any plastic cups, children's toys, that is, anything where you can pour paraffin. However, this container must withstand a temperature of 100 °. Better for the first time simple form to understand the principle of candle making.

A knot is tied at the end of the cotton string. After that, a hole is made at the bottom of the mold in the center. This cotton wick is inserted into it so that its knot is outside. He will subsequently be the top of the candle, and will also prevent wax or paraffin from flowing out of the mold when it is created. Next, you need to fix the second end of the wick, which will be at the bottom of the finished product. It should be in the middle of the form. To do this, take any stick, you can take a toothpick or a match. It is placed across the form, and the second end of the wick is tied to its center. It needs to be centered and tight. After everything is fixed, you can start creating a candle.

We need material to fill out the form. Therefore, they take church candles, wax, paraffin, in general, everything that is available. It is better to chop them finely to make shavings. It is folded into a tin can and placed in a water bath. That is, a pot of water is taken, put on fire, and after it boils, a container with material for a candle is immersed there. It becomes liquid under the influence of temperature, and then it can be poured into a candle mold. In the process, you can use any container, most importantly - not glass.

Materials for coloring candles

In order for the product to be of the desired color, for example, you want to get wax green candles, red, blue, or even multi-colored, then a dye must be added to the composition. The most widely used material for this is children's wax crayons. In general, you can use any fat-soluble dye. If you take gouache or watercolor, then they will not work, because they will not be able to dissolve in the material, and will simply float in pieces, and subsequently settle at the bottom.

Some masters use lipstick and shadows to color their masterpieces. However, in the process of burning a candle, lipstick emits a smell. If it is pleasant, then this is an excellent option not only in terms of color, but also in terms of aromatic effect.

Also special dyes for candles are sold, where there are many colors and shades. Using them, you can make both snow-white and black candles (wax or paraffin). By adding them in various proportions, you will achieve both delicate pastel tones and bright saturated colors.

Pouring material into a mold

If everything is ready, we proceed to the main stage. Lubricate the mold from the inside vegetable oil or a liquid that is used when washing dishes. This is necessary so that the frozen candle is easier to remove. First, a little material is poured to the bottom to close the hole with the wick. After all, if you immediately fill the entire space, then the wax or paraffin will strongly flow out. And this is inconvenient, and it will take much more time.

After the bottom has hardened, pour the rest of the wax or paraffin until the entire container is filled. When it's ready, wait for the wax to cool at room temperature. In this way, the wax candles will cool gradually and evenly. If you try to speed up the process and immerse the product in the freezer, the surface of the candle may crack, which will spoil its appearance.

Removing the candle from the mold

It is necessary to untie the knot on the wick, where the top of the product will be, then pull it from the other side. The candle should come off. If the product does not come out, there are two solutions: the first is to cut the mold, the second is to put everything in the freezer for two minutes. After that, the candle is immediately doused hot water. Due to the sharp temperature difference, it can be easily removed.

After that, the wick is shortened to the required size, and the seams that remain from the mold must be doused with hot water - then they will disappear. However, the product loses its original luster. Therefore, when you create wax candles, molds should be selected without seams, so that later there will be no problems with their elimination.

Aroma candles

They are made in the same way as wax ones, but with the addition of essential oils. When burned, they will fill the room with a pleasant aroma. You can use any essential oil but not pink. It gives off a pungent odor when burned. In liquid wax, you need to add the necessary flavoring, and then mix everything thoroughly. After everything becomes homogeneous, the wax is poured into the mold. Further actions identical to those above.

Self-made wax candles burn and look very beautiful. However, you can make such accessories completely transparent, as if it were water. They are made from a gel that is specially prepared for this.

Gel candles

To create such a lovely miracle, you can buy gel wax in the store. But if you wish, it is easy to make it at home. For this you will need:

water;
tannin;
glycerol;
gelatin.

Take 5 parts of gelatin (necessarily colorless) and dissolve it in 20 parts of water. After that, you need to add 25 parts of glycerin and mix everything thoroughly, after which a transparent essence will begin to appear. 2 parts of tannin are added to it, which are previously dissolved in 10 parts of glycerin. Immediately after the connection, a dirty precipitate is formed, which disappears when boiled. After creating a transparent mixture, it is poured into a mold, like ordinary wax candles, the manufacture of which we discussed above.

The appearance of such candles can be made even more spectacular by adding dyes to them. Thus, they can be given gentle tones of any color. Or you can pour different colors into the uncured mixture to get fancy abstractions.

Individuality in the design of your interior will always be its winning side. Nothing gives it home comfort apartment, like things made by the hands of the owners. And if until now you could not boast of such fruits of needlework, you have a great opportunity to fix it. We suggest you try to make candles with your own hands.

Candles are a wonderful souvenir that, on occasion, can decorate the atmosphere of any family holiday. Candles have long been an attribute of celebration, significant dates, romantic evenings. Yes, just to sit in silence, listen to your favorite music under the trembling of a gentle light - this is sometimes not enough.

For some, a candle is nothing more than a cute piece of decor. And there is nothing wrong with this either, such products serve as a wonderful decoration in the house. But scented candles can become a real psychotherapeutic tool: they will help create the necessary atmosphere for relaxation, take a person into the world of dreams and pleasant memories.

In addition, a candle is a wonderful gift. The warmth of your hands and the flame of a beautiful candle will be the best wish for a loved one. Candles will decorate even the most modest environment, emphasize color scheme your apartment, will become evidence of the owner's excellent taste.

Needless to say, mothers who are on parental leave can even earn extra money on such a pleasant activity. And not only mothers - everyone who is fascinated by the process of creating a candle. And those who wish to acquire such man-made beauty, be sure, there will be.

So, we have many reasons to finally start our creative process. But to make a candle, we need to stock up certain materials and tools.

Materials for making candles

Indeed, how to make candles with your own hands without special materials? In our work we will need:

Vessel for melting wax
Candle molds
Saucepan (for a water bath)
Sticks (the first is to fasten the wick, the second is to stir the wax)
Decorative elements to decorate the product
Wax crayons
Household candles or stubs of old candles
Paper threads (cotton 100%)

All this will help us create, if not a wax masterpiece, then a beautiful original candle. So let's get started!

Candle wick

Now we have to learn how to make a candle wick with our own hands. We make a gel, paraffin or wax candle, in any case, we will need a wick. In order to make it, we need a natural cotton thread without any impurities. Alternatively, take colored floss as a wick. Looks very cute and unusual.

The thickness and texture of the wick depend primarily on the thickness of that part of the candle that should burn through. For example, there are candles, partly consisting of combustible materials. Only the core burns in them.

For those who are going to cast a candle from wax, you need to take thick threads and twist them not very tightly. Paraffin and gel candles, on the contrary, need a tight weave of threads (otherwise, the wick will smoke when burning).

Wick for wax candles

Wick for gel candles

You need to be attentive to the following detail: if the candle is painted with wax crayons, small chips can clog the wick without dissolving in paraffin or wax. In general, there are a lot of nuances in this matter, be prepared for the fact that you will have to select a wick for a certain type of candle by trial and error.

If you take a very thick wick, excessive melting of the candle is possible, and this is fraught with soot. If you make a very thin wick, it will constantly go out.

There are several design options for the wick: it can be crocheted, braided, twisted with a rope. Before pouring the candle, you can impregnate the thread with wax, or you can do both filling and impregnation at the same time.

If you do not want to waste time making a wick, then use a wick from ready-made household candles.

candle mold

In this matter, your imagination plays a decisive role. You can use any plastic or metal molds that you find cute and appropriate for making candles. Don’t limit yourself to ready-made molds: yogurt packaging, cream jars, baking molds, tins, glasses or mugs that can withstand high temperature heating. Some even use milk tetrapak as a mold for a future candle.

Candles poured into tea cups

Candles made in egg shells

But for your first experience, it's better not to philosophize slyly: take something simple. For example, a glass of yogurt. Be sure to remove the paper label first, as it may catch fire.

We take our glass and in the middle of its bottom we pierce a hole with a thick needle - we insert a ready-made wick there. On the back of the cup, the wick must be tied with a knot. In this very place of the knot will be the top of our candle, because filling it will be “upside down”: the knot minimizes the flow of paraffin, stearin or wax through the hole we made at the bottom of the glass.

Move on. Across the glass we need to put any stick - a toothpick, brush or pencil. On it we need to tie the other end of the wick. It should be placed strictly in the center in a vertical, even position. So, you guarantee yourself that the candle will burn evenly and melt.

Candle coloring

You will get really beautiful candles on the condition that you do not forget to paint them. The easiest and most acceptable way is to color candles with simple children's wax crayons.

Do you think it would be wiser to use watercolor or gouache? Indeed, the palette of these colors is richer than the color variety of crayons. But the problem is that both gouache and watercolor are made on a water-soluble basis: these dyes are unsuitable for working with a candle. They do not mix well with wax or paraffin, they can float in them in flakes of an incomprehensible color, and then completely settle to the bottom.

The decoration of candles can and should be carried out only with fat-soluble dyes, and these are our wax crayons.

Often, many craftsmen use lipsticks or shadows in the decoration of candles. If you don't feel sorry for your makeup, please follow their example. But be sure that the scent of lipstick will soar throughout the house, which is far from always pleasant. To many, this smell may seem intrusive.

If you already undertook to make decorative candles with your own hands, it is better to use less aggressive materials. Choosing wax crayons, we dwell on the soft types of this dye. Candles made using mother-of-pearl wax crayons are especially good.

If you come across hard crayons, the procedure for melting them will be difficult. And yes, it's pretty hard to cut them. So, we chose a piece of crayon, with the help of a grater, we cut it off and added this shaving to the wax stubs. Thoroughly mixed the chips and cinders with a stick.

However, there is another coloring option. It is easy to find tableted pigments in special stores. different colors. They can be mixed with each other, dosed. Using such pigments, you will be able to make a truly unusual, bright or delicate candle. Pigments in tablets greatly expand the possibility of obtaining interesting shades.

You should not refuse to use dyes: they give the candle a unique look, create a unique pattern.

Pouring a candle

Now the wick is ready, it's time to fill. We need a regular tin can. It will have to be flattened a little to form a kind of nose. This is necessary in order to facilitate the process of pouring the molten material.

It is better to lubricate the pre-prepared form with a thin layer of dishwashing liquid or simple vegetable oil. Both of them are equally good.

We need to put the fragments of candles into the jar (the candles must be of the same quality). If we are going to make a paraffin or wax candle, you can take a saucepan or a ladle for melting, which are not very pitiful. In any case, this container must be placed in the pan that will be used as a water bath. In principle, you can use whatever you want, except for glassware.

So, we fill the pot with water, boil the water, and then immerse the container with wax or paraffin there. So our material will melt.

When the material and chips are completely melted, you can start pouring the candle.

We fill the bottom of our mold with wax, let it cool. Do not rush to fill the entire mold at once, otherwise a lot of wax or paraffin may leak out through the hole in the bottom. Wax is poured in layers, what has leaked out is re-sent for remelting. When the candle is already completely filled, it must be cooled. The temperature should be at room temperature.

Many people make a mistake at this point: they try to speed up the cooling process by placing a candle in freezer. In this case, it may spread unevenly.

This is not critical if we fill the candle upside down. If you use another method, then you should leave a little wax in order to fill the depressions next to the wick. And after drying, they will definitely appear.

When the temperature of the candle already becomes equal to the temperature of the room, you need to untie the knot at the bottom of the mold. At this moment, we remove the product itself by gently pulling on the wick.

If this is not possible, the form can be cut. Or put it in the refrigerator for a minute, and then put it under hot water for a few seconds.

After that, we cut off the excess part of the wick, leaving a tip of 1 cm. If ugly seams remain from the form, they can be removed with hot water. But with these manipulations, the candle may become cloudy, its brilliance may fade. That's why optimal solution will choose a candle shape that does not contain seams.

Do-it-yourself aroma candles

It is quite possible to make scented candles with your own hands. In particular, this is worth doing for those who are true fans of aromatherapy. In order for you to get just aroma candles, you need to add some essential oils before pouring into wax. The choice of oil depends on your taste: you can add any oils, except that you should not take pink. After all, its smell when burning will be suffocating, heavy.

It's great if the decor of the aroma candle matches the plant whose oil we use. For example, taking lavender oil as the basis for the aroma, pink or lilac dyes should prevail in the decor of the candle.

Using laurel or mint oil, it is better to decorate a candle with green shades.

Vanilla or cinnamon will go well with warm, beige-brown candle tones.

Not only oils can make your candle scented, regular coffee is a strong and pleasant scent.

In principle, it is not so difficult to achieve the fragrance of a candle. Aromatic oils are added to paraffin, wax or gel. And then the process of making an aromatic candle is no different from creating an ordinary candle.

Experimenters are advised to mix oils: an unusual bouquet of aromas is guaranteed to you. If you are afraid to “fuck up” and synthesize incongruous smells, look at perfume recipes. Follow their directions, just don't add rose oil.

Gel candles

And now let's talk about how to make gel candles with your own hands. In order for us to get gel candles, it is better to use ready-made gel wax. On packages with it, the recipe for creating candles is often written, and you can use it.

For those who are used to doing everything themselves, the following recipe can help:

5 g gelatin

2 g tannin

20 ml water

35 ml glycerin

First we need to dissolve the tannin in the glycerin during the heating process. We continue to heat, adding the remains of glycerin and gelatin to the composition. Add water to the resulting clear solution. Bring the mixture to a boil. Some turbidity of the solution should not frighten you: it will soon disappear. Until the water completely evaporates, you need to boil the solution.

Essential oil can also be added to gel candles, this does not contradict the recipe. A separate, especially pleasant process, decorating gel candles. We freely lay decorative elements at the bottom of any transparent container: beads, beads, pebbles, shells, sequins, coffee beans, dry plant stems or flowers. Then fill everything with gel transparent wax. Such a candle looks simply incredible: transparent, delicate, with a magical pattern inside.

coffee candles

Decorative candles are also easy to make. For example, you can make an original coffee candle. Decor - naturally, coffee beans. The principle of operation is as follows: a small one is inserted into a large form. Between the walls of the two forms, you need to fill in coffee beans, and then fill them with candle mass.

As soon as the mass with coffee beans has frozen, the walls need to be blown with a hot hairdryer. Thanks to this, excess paraffin will drain, the coffee beans will be clearly visible.

So the outer layer with coffee beans is ready. We put it back into the mold, fill it with paraffin / wax of a different color from the inside.

Coffee candles can be:

Sea candles can be made in the same way: instead of grains, they will contain pebbles or seashells. As an option - transparent gel candles with small pebbles or coffee beans.

Candle decoration options

How else can you decorate a candle made by yourself? The first way to give your candle originality is to use unusual, unexpected shapes. Sometimes an interesting shape can be more advantageous than even the most skillful decor. A wonderful element of decor for candles - different kind glass coasters.

In a specialized store you can find special stickers for decoration. Or decoupage is a great way to decorate candles. By the way, it is very fashionable among professional candle makers. Most often, napkins are used as the basis for decoupage. Do not forget about safety: use a special varnish for candles.

For lovers of original decor, the following option is suitable:

Before pouring, lay out shells, pieces of dried fruit, cinnamon, seeds, dried flowers around the edges of the mold. Or let it be coffee beans in an ensemble with rhinestones and beads. But in the latter case, it would be more appropriate to talk about the decor of the finished product: we insert decorative elements into melted paraffin / wax.

An already frozen candle can be pasted over with bamboo or cinnamon sticks. You can add star anise stars or all the same coffee beans to them. It will be a beautiful decoration for aroma candles.

If you are using dried plants (or any other decorative items that can become combustible), the candle wick should be thin so that the candle only melts in the middle.

In principle, if you have the opportunity to apply for material in specialized stores, there you will acquire a lot of useful tools. For example, markers and contours are sold there, they do not burn, and during smoldering the wick melts together with wax / paraffin.

If you don't want to collect old candle stubs, use paraffin beads or candle gel. In specialized stores, you can even find ready-made wicks (with a metal holder). For floating candles, you can purchase specially formulated wax.

Today, the imagination of a creative person is practically not constrained by anything: the prices for materials for making candles do not bite, the process is exciting and not as long as it might seem. Having once created a beautiful candle with your own hands, you are unlikely to deny yourself the pleasure of experimenting again.

And for inspiration, we invite you to watch a wonderful video master class on creating carved candles