In recent years, needlewomen have slowly moved from making candles in large factories to making them in their own homes. This has turned making candles into a creative activity.
Candles have lost their original meaning. A century ago, they were not only the main source of light, but also a kind of sign of how well a family was doing. Candles were used instead of a smoking torch in wealthy homes. Today, it's important to make your own handmade candles at home so that you can use them in a totally different way: as a beautiful decoration and a surefire way to set a romantic mood.
Making decorative candles as a hobby
Thanks to easy-to-use tools and a wide range of materials for work and decoration, any crafty woman can now open a small "candle factory" at home. This will not only give her pleasure from being creative, but it can also be a way to make extra money.
The good thing about this kind of hobby is that it is easy and doesn't get boring, and it doesn't take long to make something beautiful. Because of these things, needlewomen of all ages and levels of experience will enjoy making candles at home.
What is needed for creativity
The best part is that you need a minimum set of materials to get started:
- candle gel, wax or paraffin;
- wick or cotton threads without synthetic impurities for its manufacture;
- form for pouring a candle;
- elements for decoration.
Candles in your home can be used to get wax or paraffin, but it won't be hard to get the finished wick off of them. Candle gel is also simple to make yourself. Instead of buying an expensive mold, you can use any refractory container that will work, like a pretty cup, jar, or tin box. In a word, it won't cost much to start a new hobby. We could say this is one of the most affordable hobbies.
Based on the main material used to make candles, there are two basic methods: wax and gel. These methods are similar in many ways, but each has its own subtleties.
The secrets of making candles from wax or paraffin
When making something out of wax, the melting of the material is the most important step. Here, you'll need skill and speed, since wax or paraffin that has been melted cools quickly and is very hot and easy to burn.
Also, if you want to make your own candle, the wick needs to be the right thickness. If it's too thick, the candle will melt and smoke too much, and if it's too thin, it will keep going out. The twisting density of the wick is also important. For wax and paraffin candles, the threads must be twisted slightly loosely so that the flame doesn't go out.
There is no one-size-fits-all advice here. The best thickness and density of twisting the threads for the wick can only be found through trial and error and personal experience. Each master eventually comes up with his or her own way to do things well.
DIY gel candles
You can use ready-made gel wax or make your own consumables to make beautiful, clear candles that don't smell or smoke. In the second case, you'll need to buy things like glycerin, tannin, gelatin, and distilled water, then mix them together and boil them over low heat until all of the liquid has evaporated.
This technology is a little more complicated than wax, but the products are very elegant and one-of-a-kind, so it's worth it. During cooking, the mixture might get cloudy, but this is a temporary effect that goes away as soon as the gel cools down.
There are a lot of different ways to decorate with the gel. For example, shells, pebbles, starfish, dried citrus fruits, or flowers filled with clear wax look very pretty. During their time off from work to have a baby, women who want to do something fun can make candles at home with their own hands. No harmful chemicals are released during the process.
Making scented candles at home
Aroma candles are also easy to make at home and are worth mentioning on their own. When you make your own scented candles at home, you know for sure that the scents are safe and won't hurt the environment.
The traditional way to scent wax or gel is to add a few drops of essential oil. In theory, you can use any oil, but keep in mind that some oils can change their smell when they are burned. For example, heating a candle makes the scent of roses stronger and more overpowering, which not everyone may like.
You can use grain coffee, tea mix, or exotic spices, all of which are things that every housewife always has on hand. The algorithm for making them is the same as for making a regular candle in every other way.
Also Read: Handmade Soap: How to make soap at home
Decorating Tips
The most creative and exciting part of making something out of paraffin or wax is decorating it. This is where you can show off your individuality and creative spirit. The only rule that should be followed to the letter is that anything that can catch fire should be close to the burning fuse.
The current eco-style is a good choice for everyone. This can be done with rocks, sticks, cones, dried leaves, flowers, and herbs with a strong smell.
Decoupage is a popular way to decorate candles with ordinary napkins and special candle glue. The glue keeps the decorations in place and keeps the paper away from the flames.
Colored candles are very pretty. Using wax pencils or crayons, whose shavings should be added to the melted wax, is the easiest way to color them.
Some skilled craftspeople decorate their work with carvings, which give the work a beautiful, delicate look. Check out our book on how to decorate candles by hand for even more ideas.
Why learn to make candles
Beautiful interior candles are often used by designers and decorators to make fake fireplaces in homes and apartments. They can also be a good gift or a romantic memento, so if you learn how to make something unique and high-quality, you could make a lot of money from your hobby.
Especially if products with a theme are made right before big holidays that most people know about. Handmade items can also be given to restaurant owners, who often use candles to make the restaurant feel more intimate at night or festive on special occasions.