Do you love burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know
that you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not
at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating unique
candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts, or even sell.
Materials for gel candle making You will need: - gel - zinc
wicks (cotton wicks can?t be used for gel candles because they
absorb too much gel) - essential oil for fragrance - liquid
color dye - embeds (optional) All these materials can be
obtained online from candle making suppliers. It is important to
use essential oils and colors specially made for gel candles;
fragrance oils you can buy in a cosmetic shop are not suitable.
Also, you can buy a gel candle making kit. Getting a kit is the
best solution for a beginner, because it will include everything
you need to make your first few candles. And of course you will
need a container. The best container for a gel candle is glass,
so people can see the embeds you put inside the candle, but any
non-flammable container would do. You can use any glass, wine
glass, or even a small wide vase, but your container should be
at least 2 inches in diameter. Garage sales and second hand
stores are gold mines, when it comes to candle containers. For
embeds you can use anything non-flammable - colored aquarium
gravel, marbles, glitter, sand, sea shells, pebbles, crystals,
polished stones, artificial jewels or pearls. Steps to making a
gel candle 1. Place a little bit of hot glue in the center of
the container bottom. Stick the wick in it and let the glue set.
2. Cut the gel into small pieces so it melts faster and more
evenly. Melt it in a stainless steel pot over a medium heat. 3.
The trickiest part is the temperature - you should get it to
exactly 200?F, because overheated gel looses its clarity. For
that, you will need a suitable thermometer. 4. Maintain the
temperature at 200?; all the gel should melt and become smooth,
like syrup. 5. Add color dye to the melted gel, a little bit at
a time, until you get the desired color - remember, you can
always add more dye to make the color stronger, but you can?t
take dye away. For a candle with embedded objects, you should
use only a little color, so the objects remain visible 6. Add
the fragrance - 1/3 teaspoon for each glass of melted gel will
give it a nice scent. For a stronger scent, add a bit more
fragrance. 7. Heat the container in the oven or microwave to
about 150-160?F. This will help to reduce the appearance of
bubbles 8. If you want to use embeds, dip them in hot gel first
and then arrange them in the container as you like. It is better
to keep the objects closer to the sides of the container - they
will be easier to see, this way. 9. Now it is time to pour your
gel into the container. Place your container on a level surface
and pour the gel slowly and carefully down the side. If it is
your first time, you will probably get a few bubbles; to avoid
that, the gel should be still very hot. 10. Pull the wick up.
Roll it on a pencil to keep it straight. 11. Let the candle
cool. Trim the wick and you are done! You have a beautiful,
unique gel candle, made by yourself.
About the author:
Tanya Turner is a candle-making expert and a founder of www.BestScentedCandles
.info, where you can find information about all types of
candles, how to make them and where to get bes
t scented candles
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