Candle making is an art that has been around since primitive times. Candle making today has become much different in design than they were back then. Candles made in  early times were a necessity for providing heat and light. Today they offer light for romantic dinners and baths, serve as decorations, and
are wonderful smelling mechanisms in our homes.

Clay candle holder remains that were recently found in Egypt, dates back to 4 BC. Although these remains have given us the knowledge that they have been in use for a very long time, we are still unsure when exactly these candle holders were first used.

Candles of both ancient China and Japan were made of wax extracted from insects and seeds. While in India, wax extracted from boiled cinnamon was used to make it's well known Taper candles. Rumor has it that the Native American’s burned oily fish and the back of the Cerio before for light and It was not until 1 AD that the first candles showed up in America. 

The first  technique used by the early settlers to New England was extracting  wax from bayberries to make their first candles. That same process is still use today by many modern candle makers to make bayberry candles. However,this process is very  expensive to do.

Candles made in the 1600’s and 1700’s were of a  product called Tallow, which was a byproduct of animal fat. Although the Tallow worked well, it had a foul odor, and especially so when it was burning. The use of Tallow  was halted with the introduction of both the Bees wax and paraffin wax in the 1800’s.

Taper candles began in 13 AD; and its dipping process as we know it still continues today .  Taper candles were made for individuals in their homes by traveler merchants who went door to door from town to town making these candles themselves. The idea to use molds for various types of candles was introduced in Paris. While this greatly improved the candle making process, there were still issues with getting the candles to burn properly.

Candle makers of the 1800's felt the wick was the weakest area of the candle as it would cause defective burning patterns.  In 1825 a braided wick was developed that seemed togreatly improve the burning of several types of candles.  Another process in place to By 1830, produced candles using paraffin wax and molds. These paraffin candles burned well and were of good quality.

Candle making process continued to evolve even as gas and electricity were introduced. It is believed that with the paraffin wax being much easier and faster to melt was the main reason why so many of the elements of candle making stayed the same, of which included the hand dipping process. Even with its popularity, candle making did diminish with the introduction of electricity.

Nowadays, candle making is a well known form of art. Wonderful candles with some very unique fragrances are manufactured by many companies. Some small home based businesses still make their candles their kitchen. What a great hobby candle making is and it is a fun activity for the whole family.

As the candle industry grows, new types of candles are being introduced. Candles are no longer used for just light or heat and are more of a luxury and pleasure to most users. It is absolutely amazing, there are so many colors, fragrances, and types of candles to choose from in the marketplace.

Candles used for home decorating are a very common items, they are used to accent any room in your home as well as for dinner parties and formal occasions where they are a common centerpiece. Presiding over at many weddings are the unity candles of which holds a deep sense of tradition in the American culture.

Over time the art of making candles has definitely changed . You should try your hand at it if you are interested , you may want to choose a candle that is fairly easy to make such as the the votive or the container candle . Allowing yourself the chance to get used to the process.

Choosing a good candle making kit should be easy, there are a lot available for a low price. Also you should be able to find in your local bookstore or from free blogs or forums, some good material  to give you tips and assistance along the way.