How to Make a Candle
Simple step by step guide to candle making at home
How to make a candle. Making and selling candles from home is an exciting home business idea.
If you are creative and want to make money from home then a home based candle business might be the perfect
opportunity for you.
These candle making instructions will show you how easy it is to make candles at home.
How to make a candle in a mold
There are a huge variety of molds available. Each type of mold has its pros and cons but the type of mold you select
will depend on the type of candle you want to make and your budget. Molded pillar candles are the most common.
Follow these step by step candle making instructions for how to make a
candle:
- What you need. Wax, any dye or fragrance additives you want, metal pillar mold,
wick, wick bar or rod, wick screw and mold sealer. You also need a double boiler, a thermometer, newspapers.
- Spread newspapers over your working area. Cover your working area
with newspaper in case of spills. If you use aluminium foil you can easily peel off the spilled wax and reuse it.
- Prepare the wick. Select a wick the proper size for the diameter of
your mold. Thread the wick through the wick hole in the base of the mold and pull it through the hole until
it reaches the top of the mold. Keeping the wick within the wick hole secure the wick to the wick rod or use a bamboo skewer or pencil. This
will lie across the top opening of the mold.
- Secure the wick with a wick screw.
With the wick tighly secured to the wick rod pull it taut
at the point where you inserted it and secure it with a wick screw. You will need a screwdriver for
the wick screw. The purpose of the wick screw is to prevent the wick from sliding back through the hole. Overtightening the screw can damage the wick.
Using scissors, cut the wick about half an inch away from the screw. Wind the end of the wick under the head of the screw.
- Seal the wick hole. Seal the wick hole, wick and wickscrew with mold sealer or masking tape to
prevent molten wax seepage. Press the sealer firmly into place making sure you cannot see any of the wick.
- Spray inside the mold with silicone spray. This is an extra
step in how to make a candle. It is done to help the candle release easily from the mold when it is dry.
- Prepare a cool water bath. This helps the candle to
harden. You do not have to use this method and can allow the candle to cool at room temerature but this method is a bit quicker.
Fill the bath to a depth that accommodates the entire length of the candle. A cool water bath is not suitable when using beeswax in your candle making recipes.
- Melt your wax. Begin melting your wax in the double
boiler over a medium heat. Use the thermometer to check the temperature as it melts. Once your wax
has melted cool it to the correct pouring temperature (this depends on the type of wax you are using but for most pillars it is 175 - 185 degrees F)
and add any dye or fragrance additives. Stir and mix thoroughly.
- How to make a candle - Pour the wax. Remove any excess moisture on the side of the pouring pot and slowly pour it into
your mold. Fill the mold to the desired height.
Save about a cupful of wax to refill the well that forms due
to the wax shrinking as it cools.
- Cool the candle. Let the wax in the mold set for about
half a minute. This allows any air bubbles to rise. Wrap a mold weight around the mold base and place it
very carefully in the cool water bath. No water should get into the mold.
- Poke relief holes. About 45 minutes after pouring poke a couple of holes
with a long narrow stick into the wax near the wick, about 1 inch less than the depth of the candle, to relieve the surface tension and accommodate
the natural shrinkage that happens as the wax solidifies. Without these holes air cavities form in the candle that can cause
the whole shape to deform.
- Refill the well. Make sure the candle has cooled to
room temperature before you do this. Remelt your leftover wax and heat it to about 10 degrees hotter than the original pouring
temperature. Pour the wax to fill the sinkhole in your candle. Don't overfill the cavity as wax may seep down between the original wax and the mold. It is advisable to
refill the cavity to within a quarter of an inch of its top. The protruding ridge can be trimmed off easily after you have
released the candle from the mold. When learning how to make a candle you may have to refill the cavity two to three times, allowing about an hour between each refill.
- Remove the mold from the water bath. After you have completed your refills
or about two hours after it went into the bath, remove the mold from the bath. Complete the cooling
process at room temperature. This will take approximately 8 hours from your initial pouring time.
- Release the candle from the mold. Once the mold is cold you can remove the candle. First
remove the mold sealer and the wick screw allowing the wick to hang loose. Remove the wick rod and turn your mold upside
down. Tap the mold gently on a hard surface and the candle should easily slide out. If it doesn't release easily then
put the mold into the refrigerator for about 15 - 30 minutes and try again.
- Trim the wick. The end of the candle that was attached to the wick rod
is the top of the candle. Trim the wick on this end to about half an inch using scissors. Trim the wick at the base of the
candle as close to the wax as possible. Square off the base to make it level by trimming it with a knife or
placing it on a heated cookie sheet to melt away irregular wax until you have a flat base.
Learning how to make a candle at home is simple. The more you practice and
experiment the more proficient you become.
Making your own candles can be fun and rewarding. Start a home based candle business and become part of a successful and profitable industry
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