Here are instructions and tips for making candles. Candle making and candle pouring are the most well-known techniques.
Candlelight for a more feel-good atmosphere
Candles provide a cozy living light and a special atmosphere. They are also nice for decoration and are well suited as small gifts. If you would like to make candles yourself, you don’t actually need much to create something really beautiful and individual. Depending on whether the candles are drawn or poured, different shapes and color patterns can arise.
Materials for making candles yourself
You can buy the wax you need in the form of granules, but you can also use old leftover candles that are then melted down again. White wax granules can be colored with special color pigments that you can get in craft supplies.
You also need candlewick and – if you want to pour candles – heat-resistant containers to fill them with.
The wax can be heated and liquefied in a tin or bowl in a water bath. You should make sure that the water does not boil and that the wax does not come into contact with the water. It is best not to use grandma’s good crockery for this, the wax residue cannot be removed so easily!
Candle making
A knot is first tied at the lower end of the wick so that it stays straight when it is immersed in the wax. The wick is then repeatedly dipped into a container of liquid wax in several passes. This creates several layers of wax. This technique works especially well for multicolored candles. For this, you need several containers with different colored wax. The length and thickness of the candles can be varied according to taste. The finished candle is hung up to dry by the wick. With thicker candles that are to stand without a candlestick, you can smooth the underside with a knife before the candle has completely hardened.
Candle making
When casting candles, the liquid wax is poured into a heat-resistant mold. For example, small glasses are suitable for this. The wick is first knotted to a skewer or something similar, which is placed over the glass so that the wick hangs down from the center. The liquid wax is then carefully poured into the jar.
Tip: To keep the wick straight, you can attach it to the bottom of the mold with some modeling clay. If you want to have several layers, you only fill the glass partway and let the first layer harden. It is important not to fill in the next layer too early, otherwise, the colors will mix.
You can be creative when choosing the shape. Various glasses or bottles, but also small flower pots, eggshells, paper cups, and other vessels can be used. Containers in different shapes, such as spheres or pyramids, are also available for purchase.
Except for the jewelry glasses, the molds are carefully removed from the candle after it has hardened.
Tips for making candles
If you not only make candles yourself but also want to design them in a very special way and add a highlight, you can add special scented oils to the wax. The finished candles can also be decorated with glitter powder and napkin glue. Here the imagination can run away with you a bit. Also, note ideas for making Christmas candles yourself.
What should you pay attention to?
You can also make candles with children. Since the liquid wax can get quite hot, children should never be left alone with it. When working with granules, it is also important to ensure that they are kept out of the reach of small children.
