Making candles.

[Gianna]

Gotta have a candle-making thread here for Teal and I and anyone else interested.

I'm intending to make candles for the holidays this year. I've made candles on and off for many years, and this year I am at it again. I started by making some votives because I had the wick and wax, and wanted more extras. Then I caught the fever again.

Over the years I've collected any large candles I've seen at yard sales, etc, and use those as my wax source. If you try to buy new wax, it can be very expensive. In our local craft store, its $18 for 4 pounds. Generic wax. Yet I can buy an old, used 3 pounder for 50cents to $1. And sometimes a large bag of pillars for $1. Well worth picking up.

I've also ordered some makings. A good deal on wick on ebay, and some clear polycarbonate tealight cups from candle dealer and some wick pins, and so forth.

On my trip down to the desert, we stopped for some shopping and in a CRAte and Barrel, I found some low, round, glass candleholders that are just perfect what I am making. And they were on a really good clearance sale. Reg $1.95 for 25 cents. So I got 2 dozen. I should have purchased all they had for more gifts. Oh well.

Anyway, I"m having great fun melting wax and pouring and burning the things. Safely.

[MomCares]

I used to love making candles with DD's campfire troup -- we'd make molds in wet sand and pour them or pour different-colored layers into milk cartons or dip candles on long strings or pour wax into seashells -- but I haven't done it in years.

Any tips you'd care to share for holiday gifts?

I saw some lovely candles with coffee scent and coffee beans imbedded in the surrounding wax that I'd considered trying to make. If you use old candles, would they have to be white for the wax to be clear enough to see the coffee beans?


MomCares

[Gianna]

The candles I make tend to be very simple. I like them to have a simple shape, good color, burn well, and sometimes a nice fragrance, then present them well. These sorts of candles I can make moderately well.

As to fancier candles, I dont do those. Teal does however. She had photos of some of the ones she makes posted at CE2 in the prep room I think. I'll go get a link. http://curevents.org/showpost.php?p=33517&postcount=13

Once I was given a coffee scented candle with beans embedded in the sides. I'm not sure how it was done however.

[Teal]

The candles I make tend to be very simple. I like them to have a simple shape, good color, burn well, and sometimes a nice fragrance, then present them well. These sorts of candles I can make moderately well.

As to fancier candles, I dont do those. Teal does however. She had photos of some of the ones she makes posted at CE2 in the prep room I think. I'll go get a link. http://curevents.org/showpost.php?p=33517&postcount=13

Once I was given a coffee scented candle with beans embedded in the sides. I'm not sure how it was done however.

The coffee bean candles look really cool. Be careful putting the beans in the part you burn, they can flare up. You can also put them them on the sides, but i's a lot more trouble. "Beans on the side" is done by using a hurricane mold, or two smooth cans, one smaller than the other. You need clear wax, preferably high melt point, for the outside bean part. You just put a layer of beans, pour. Another layer of beans, pour. Till it's full. Unmold it, then pour the inside.

I have my kitchen trashed with candles right now. I buy the little kraft color votive gift boxes and shrink wrap from Bittercreek Candle. They hold 7 votives and a glass flowerpot votive cup in the middle. I decorate them with mulberry paper tags and tie the boxes with jute and twine.

There are entirely too many ways to SPEND money making candles!

[MomCares]

Thanks for the tips on making the coffee-bean candles! I think I'll give it a try since our family is full of coffee fanatics.

Do you have any tips on the nicest scents to use? I'm going for coffee (though I suppose chocolate or vanilla could also go nicely with coffee beans). Do any brands of scent work better than others?


MomCares

[Gianna]

MomCares, I have a very simple suggestion for your coffee candle. I dont know if it will work. Perhaps Teal will chime in. Why not buy a simple pillar candle that you like, then use that as the 'inner core' instead of a smooth inner mold? Then place that inside somethign smooth-sided but larger diameter (and no lip to hang up getting the candle out), and fill the gap with coffee beans and wax. I would imagine that would cool fast enough to not melt the wax of the larger candle.

And perhaps we can move this thread over to CE. I'll get both your permissions to do so.