Candle making is an old age craft which has been in existence for thousands of years. Candles were first made to satisfy two purposes: providing heat and as a source of light. The methods of making candles have changed considerably over the years from the earliest method of making candles from twigs tied around a stick, to rags tied around a stick and dipped in a flammable liquid to the present day wax candles.
Gel Wax
Over the years there have been different products that have been used for making candles, such as one of the most recent, gel wax. Gel candles have proven to be very popular as they can be made to look so beautiful given some practice and with the various embeds they can be made to be very personal as well.
Melting Wax
What does need to be kept in mind though is that when wax is being melted on an element it needs to be done with care. Candle wax has a flash point and if the temperature is not controlled with a thermometer a serious fire can be caused.
When starting out making candles it is important that if the melted wax methods are going to be used, then the hobbyist should the time to learn about:
what equipment is needed
how to melt wax, safety precautions
how to prepare the molds
other parts of candle making before they start their new hobby
Two other steps of the candle making procedure that a beginner candle maker needs to learn about before starting, is the adding of color and candle scent. These also need to be done with care and it is best to remove the wax from the heat before adding them and to stir them in with a wire whisk as this mixed them through the best.
Some popular candle types that beginners can make are:
pillar candles (round or square)
ball candles
votive candles
floating candles
ice candles
beeswax candles
Adding Scent and Fragrance
Generally speaking, votive candles are the easiest to start with as they are small and not a lot of wax has to be used to get good results. It is possible to buy a set of molds in a silicone tray and this does a great job or otherwise an investment in six single molds would work well.
Molds
When a beginner starts out they do not need to invest a lot of money in molds and can start making their first pillar candles in waxed milk cartons and these work really well. It is just a matter of peeling the wax carton away when the candle is set.
Beginners need to do a little experimenting to start with and the great thing is that all wax can be remelted so nothing is wasted. I hope these candle making basics have helped you get a picture about starting candle making and that you enjoy your new hobby.