Hobby & Craft Forums

I've always loved my candles and buy loads (shaun will tell you )
But i would love to have a go at making my own, Anyone know where to start?

wax, smell and colour are involved, i never got a huge amount further than that, bought the stuff from hobbycraft before i really knew what i was looking for (still dont really know what the stearin(sp?) was for!) I mixed, i moulded, it had a big dip in the bottom so i melted more wax and filled it up, put it in a bag with a bit of ribbon tied and gave it to my mum!!

It was the kind of project only a mother could love!!

Hopefully someone on here will be able to help you out a bit more!

I made some dodgy curtains once that only my nan could of loved hehe
Was really impressed with them at the time though thought they were amazing but when i see them now i think why she still got them horrible things up

Hoping someone can help me out, i really want to give this a go I'll be hooked once i start

Once you do start, give me a shout and i can teach you how to make your own packaging! lol!

Oooo i will, Thanks

Great. More candles.

lol, probably the best thing to do is buy a kit Sammie and that way you can see what you'll need and go on a shopping spree from there lol (Shaun will be sooooooo pleased lol)! A kit will come with everything necessary so you can pick up the items seperately on the net in bigger quatities to make lots and lots and lots of them...oh lucky Shaun AGAIN lol!!!

Well, for a real low cost beginners candle.. the simplest options are dipped and poured..

When you have all those candles you bought, you have the odd bits where they melt and sag.. and you cut them off.. or bin the candle because it looks horrible.. start saving them..

When you have a goodly amount, get a bain marie from a car boot sale - or two old saucepans, a big one to hold the boiling water, and a smaller one preferably with a lip - like a milk pan but bigger.

melt your wax in the bain marie.. and NEVER leave unattended not even for one second! unless you love firemen, and hate your house and neighbours..

For dipped candles get some wick, you want it 2 times the length of the finished candle plus a bit extra.. fold it in half so the 2 ends hang down, dip it in the melted wax, and when it has soaked in, lift it out.. as the wax cools, you need to tension the wick so you get a long thin straight taper effect.. one at each end of the wick.

Now you need to hang the tapers over a dowel or old rolling pin etc.. (now you see why youre making 2 at a time!) As the wax cools, you dunk the 2 tapers in the meleted wax and remove.. each time, your candles will get a little fatter and sturdier.. allow to cool a little, then dip again, stop when your candle is the diameter you need..

Dont forget to use this method you need a deep pan rather than a wide one - and a lot of wax!!

The other option is simple casting.. you need a container to make the basic mould - old squeezy bottles were great for pillar candles when I was a kid! but you may be able to find a nice container. Make a hole in the middle of the bottom and poke the wick through, we used plasticine to seal up the hole on the outside, and secure the end of the wick!. You also need to roll the other end round a pencil, or some item that will sit across the top of the opening at the other end.. this will keep the wick in the middle, and relatively straight. now you pour your melted wax carefully in to the mould.. I found it was better to do small quantities, as the melted wax shrinks as it cools, also you can do your odd bits of wax in colour batches rather than having a generic blend..! If you want a smooth outer, pour a good quantity of wax in the mould, and then quickly roll it around to coat the whole inside, and allow to cool.. then pour in a layer at a time, and again, allow to cool. when you reach the top of the mould (ie the base of your candle) pour shallower layers to get a good sturdy and level base.

If you used a plastic bottle, you can usually score it with a craft knife and peel it off your candle.. there you go- a whole new "free" recycled pillar candle!

NB: If you make a pillar candle with your left over bits, it may be a colour you dont like too much.. but you can use the dipping method with a solid colour wax afterwards to give the pillar a nice smart coat!

If you found either of those fun, then it's time to blow a bundle at your favorite crafts stores!

Yeh i was looking at kits last night,
thought i might treat myself for christmas and maybe give the finished products as presents,
was thinking of getting a soap one too although dont think i'd want to make ma own soap all the time.
I'll stick to the candles just to wind Shaun up

sparkysdad wrote:Well, for a real low cost beginners candle.. the simplest options are dipped and poured..

When you have all those candles you bought, you have the odd bits where they melt and sag.. and you cut them off.. or bin the candle because it looks horrible.. start saving them..

When you have a goodly amount, get a bain marie from a car boot sale - or two old saucepans, a big one to hold the boiling water, and a smaller one preferably with a lip - like a milk pan but bigger.

melt your wax in the bain marie.. and NEVER leave unattended not even for one second! unless you love firemen, and hate your house and neighbours..

For dipped candles get some wick, you want it 2 times the length of the finished candle plus a bit extra.. fold it in half so the 2 ends hang down, dip it in the melted wax, and when it has soaked in, lift it out.. as the wax cools, you need to tension the wick so you get a long thin straight taper effect.. one at each end of the wick.

Now you need to hang the tapers over a dowel or old rolling pin etc.. (now you see why youre making 2 at a time!) As the wax cools, you dunk the 2 tapers in the meleted wax and remove.. each time, your candles will get a little fatter and sturdier.. allow to cool a little, then dip again, stop when your candle is the diameter you need..

Dont forget to use this method you need a deep pan rather than a wide one - and a lot of wax!!

The other option is simple casting.. you need a container to make the basic mould - old squeezy bottles were great for pillar candles when I was a kid! but you may be able to find a nice container. Make a hole in the middle of the bottom and poke the wick through, we used plasticine to seal up the hole on the outside, and secure the end of the wick!. You also need to roll the other end round a pencil, or some item that will sit across the top of the opening at the other end.. this will keep the wick in the middle, and relatively straight. now you pour your melted wax carefully in to the mould.. I found it was better to do small quantities, as the melted wax shrinks as it cools, also you can do your odd bits of wax in colour batches rather than having a generic blend..! If you want a smooth outer, pour a good quantity of wax in the mould, and then quickly roll it around to coat the whole inside, and allow to cool.. then pour in a layer at a time, and again, allow to cool. when you reach the top of the mould (ie the base of your candle) pour shallower layers to get a good sturdy and level base.

If you used a plastic bottle, you can usually score it with a craft knife and peel it off your candle.. there you go- a whole new "free" recycled pillar candle!

NB: If you make a pillar candle with your left over bits, it may be a colour you dont like too much.. but you can use the dipping method with a solid colour wax afterwards to give the pillar a nice smart coat!

If you found either of those fun, then it's time to blow a bundle at your favorite crafts stores!

WOW thanks Just what i needed