CozYours Candle Making

HOW TO CENTER A CANDLE WICK WITH CHOPSTICKS

This one also follows the idea of the first method. This one can be used if the excess wick is not long enough to be wrapped around a pencil. Just get two thin sticks, probably a pair of chopsticks or two toothpicks, depending on the size of the container or mold. The main idea is the number ‘two’. Tie both sticks together with a string. A rubber band would do too. Set the tied sticks accross the top of the container, or mold and gently let the wick pass through in between. You should not tie the sticks too tightly, else the wick would not pass through. And do not tie too loosely too, else the wick would not stay firm.

HOW TO CENTER A CANDLE WICK WITH A CENTERING TOOL

You can also decide to go extra mile by purchasing wick centring tools. These tools are available in various sizes and are not expensive. Wick centering tools are the best option when double wicking a large container candle. Large ones have more than one hole for this purpose.

There are really many ways you can make your wick centered using common household items. Some even use cardboards/cardstocks and other materials. Just choose an item that suits you and apply either method one or two to make your wick centered.

In case your wick goes off center during the pour process. You can adjust it quickly, but gently before the wax gets too cool.

WHAT CAUSES FROSTING ON SOY CANDLES

If you belong in that category, note first that frosting does not only affect soy wax. It, in fact, appears on all types of vegetable wax and is a sign that the wax is 100% natural. So you see that frosting can actually serve a good purpose. Natural soy wax has greater tendency to frost. So should we now refuse to use 100% natural wax just to avoid frosting? No. There are other solutions apart from that. Besides, frosting is more noticeable in coloured candles. Natural soy wax is creamy white. So, white patches of frosting would not be so obvious. So a fast measure is to avoid colouring your candles. But what is the fun in candles if you cannot colour them? There must surely be better ways to avoid soy candle frosting.

HOW TO FIX FROSTING ON SOY CANDLES

Do the following on your next soy candle project if you want to reduce the chances of frosting on soy candles.

1. Preheat your glass jar before you pour the wax. You can place it in an oven for 2 to 3 minutes to get it a little hot. But the temperature should not more than 100°F. Many who have tried this method have testified to its efficacy.

2. Try pouring the wax at a lower temperature in the jar. Note the temperature at which you currently pour your wax and reduce it by 10 to 20°F. This may take a few tries but you would find the best temperature to avoid frosting.

3. Let your soy wax candles cool at room temperature. The temperature of the room should just be about 70°F. If the room is too cold, there would be a higher tendency of frosting. Frosting tends to be an issue more in winter because of the temperature. Regulate your room temperatures with appropriate equipment depending on season.

4. Air bubbles too can cause frosting. To avoid air bubbles, keep things a little slow. Stir the wax gently while it is melting. And pour it in the container slowly too.

5. I have mentioned that not colouring your candles would make frosting not obvious. But note that in colouring your candles too, some candle dyes have a higher tendency to frost more than the others. It may take some trials to notice it. Use a little dye for your candles and do away with ones that cause frosting.

6. Adding a little coconut oil to the wax is an effective way too. Coconut oil as an additive is also natural so you do not need to worry.

Finally, soy wax is known to get worse if not used for a long time (about a year) after manufacturing. So, above all, do not use old soy waxes if they have not been preserved properly. There is higher risk of frosting with old soy waxes.

To make your own ice candles you will need:

Old candles you want to recycle or soy wax if you want to start from scratch.

Cardboard containers, like a milk carton.

Wicks.

A pencil.

Waterproof glue.

Ice cubes.

Step 1: To recycle an old candle in a glass container, tie it in a plastic grocery bag and smash it till the glass breaks. The driveway works well for this. Yes, it’s very therapeutic to break something but be very careful! After the glass has been removed, rinse off the candle to get rid of any shards. Then cut it into thick chunks.

Step 2: Cut the top off an old milk carton and thoroughly clean it. Then glue the wick to the bottom of the carton with water proof glue. Wrap the top of the wick around a pencil and set it on top of the carton.

Step 3: Melt the wax using a double broiler. When it’s ready to pour, fill the milk carton with ice cubes. (Try not to use too many small pieces of ice or your candle might fall apart in the middle.) Then pour the melted wax into the carton and cover the ice.

Step 4: Let the candle sit for a couple of hours and pour out the water from the melted ice. Then tear away the carton from the candle. Depending on how the ice melted in the milk carton, you might have some missing pieces from the candle. This adds character!

Adorable Wax Melts

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TEALIGHT CANDLES

Candle Wax

Soy wax is very popular for making tealight candles. And considering too that it is eco-friendly, it is a very good choice. A better, but more expensive alternative, is beeswax. And if you do not mind a little pollution, paraffin wax is a great choice, and very affordable. Feel free to experiment with various types of wax. If you want your candles scented and/or coloured, consider this also in choosing your wax. Some types of wax hold scent and colour better than the others.

Candle Wicks

You can choose any from the various types of wicks that suit you. And you can get wick tabs too. You will need them. But to make your work easier, pre-tabbed wicks are the way to go.

Tealight cups

The most common types are made of metal or plastic. You can choose any as it suits you. If you want a cheaper option, your kitchen muffin pan works well too. This works well as mold though muffin liners are needed as well if you go for this option.

Candle Additives

Fragrance oils can be used but follow the instructions that come with anyone you use so that you would know the appropriate loading for your work. Many waxes give the candle a creamy white colour which is beautiful on their own. But you can tint your candles with dyes the way you want. Liquid candle dyes work best for this.

Other Candle Making Supplies

Just like in making other candles, a double boiler and a stove seem to be permanent materials needed for candle making. Opposed to this, some people use an oven but the former is an easier and more popular choice. You would also need a pouring pot or measuring cup for pouring the wax. You may not be able to pour the wax into your containers directly from the double boiler pan. Other necessary materials are a thermometer and a pair of scissors. Old newspapers would prevent mess by collecting wax spills while paper towels can be used for cleaning afterwards.

HOW TO MAKE TEALIGHT CANDLES

The actual candle making process is next.

Step One

Spread old newspapers across your work area. With this, cleaning is much easier when you’re done with your work. Then heat up your wax, in a double boiler of course. Stir gently with the thermometer. Break wax blocks into smaller chunks for quicker melting. This should only take some minutes to watch the wax and monitor the temperature. It should not exceed 185°F. If you are using a muffin pan, arrange your molds carefully in the holes and set your wicks.

For tealight cups, you only need to attach your wick to the bottom of the container. This is easy with pre-tabbed wicks. Otherwise, you can use glue or even the melting wax to make sure the wick is attached firmly to the container. Set the wick in the centre of each cup, and make sure it is straight. This ensures effective burn. You might want to use some hairpins to make sure the wicks are straight.

Step Two

Add your fragrance oil, following the instructions carefully. Usually, you would need a fragrance loading of about 6-10%. Fragrance oil can be added before you turn off the heat or after. Many advocate the latter. But for colour, add dye before turning off the heat. After adding fragrance and dye, stir the wax gently for better mixing. This step is optional. Candles are still good without colour or scent. But if you are using either, or both, do not use too much. For example, too much fragrance can affect burn quality.

Step Three

Turn off the heat when the wax completely melts. Then let the wax cool for some time before pouring. Use the pouring pot (or a measuring cup) to pour the wax into the cups. Do this slowly to avoid air bubbles in your candles.

Step Four

Leave your candles for some time so the wax can cool and harden. This would take about an hour or so but may take up to 24 hours for the candles to be fully ready for use.

Step Five

If you had used a muffin pan with liners, remove the molded candles when the wax cools. If this seems a bit difficult, just put the candles in the freezer for some minutes. For regular tealight candle cups, you should not pop the candles out. Whatever method you use, trim the wicks before burning the candles. Candles with long wicks would cause smoke and not burn well. Following these processes, your beautiful candles are ready for use. And then you can package the new candles as gifts to friends, coworkers etc.

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR TEALIGHT CANDLES