Making Your Own Candles
Mankind has been making candles for many centuries. While light was necessary in ancient times in order to see in the dark, making your own candles is currently a popular and enjoyable hobby. There are a number of reasons as to why this hobby has become so wide spread. People enjoy burning home made candles in their own home, candle making is an excellent craft in which to involve older children, home made candles are special gifts to give to friends and family, and candle makers may further wish to make a business out of selling the candles they so enjoy to make.
The hobby of candle making for personal enjoyment in the home or to give as gifts is simple and very rewarding. The equipment and materials needed to make candles are available at many craft stores. Almost all craft stores carry wax, molds, and wicks. Because this hobby of candle making has become so popular, craft suppliers have made color, fragrance, and decorations easily available. The hobbyist often already has many of the supplies needed to make candles. After gathering supplies together and preparing the work area, the first step in candle making requires melting the wax in a double boiler which is just a large pot filled with water and a smaller pot that fits and sits inside the larger water-filled pot. The large pot is then placed on the stove burner and unmelted wax is added to the smaller pot to melt after the burner has been turned on. It is important to use a double boiler and not to heat wax in a pot that has direct contact with the burner as wax can easily burn or catch fire. After the wax has melted, the wick is centered and held steady in the mold. The melted wax is then poured. The wax is then allowed to cool approximately four to six hours before it is removed from the mold. Moving the mold with the wax into the freezer for approximately half an hour will help the candle separate from the mold with more ease. Some candle makers spray their molds with cooking spray before pouring the wax which also helps make candle removal from the mold easier. The variety of candles that can be made are almost limitless. With some imagination the use of colors, fragrance, and decorations alone can create very beautiful, unique candles. Liquid latex is sometimes used by some candle makers to create their own molds which can produce interesting, often one of a kind candles. These home made liquid latex molds can be tricky to work with but with a bit of knowledge difficulties can be overcome. The often typical flexibility of latex molds makes it difficult to stand them up in order to pour wax into them. This can be remedied by cutting a hole into a durable piece of cardboard, making sure the hole is large enough to allow the mold to slide up but not further than the rim or lip. Latex molds require this rim or lip so they can be held up using support. The cardboard acts as a support until the candle is hardened.
Some candle makers have turned their hobby into a profitable, sometimes thriving business. They have used their hobby and their skills to make an income. Their profits can be increased by purchasing supplies in large quantities. Time spent on packaging candles in an attractive manner adds to increased interest in buyers. The key is to be creative when it comes to making your own candles, as people are constantly seeking uniqueness, something fun or interesting in this very ancient commodity.
