Materials Used to Make Candles
- Consider making your own candles for a fun hobby and inexpensive gift.Set of lit candles. Lighted candles. Glowing candles. Flames image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
Candles are easy to create and require only a few inexpensive materials. Most craft shops carry everything needed, including molds, wicks, fragrances, how-to books and wax. Gather your supplies, learn the safety basics and start filling your home with candles. - Made from a variety of materials, candle wax comes from the fats and oils of plants, animals, rocks and insects. The term "wax" encompasses a number of materials which are solid at room temperature, liquid at high temperatures, mainly hydrocarbon in structure, water repellent and insoluble in water, and feature smooth texture, low toxicity, low reactivity and low odor. Choosing wax is a matter of preference since no specific wax works best for candle-making. Paraffin is the most commonly used, but beeswax, palm wax, gel wax, soy wax, synthesized wax and wax blends are also available.
- Making a fragrant candle by simply adding a few drops of fragrance to melted wax before pouring the wax into the mold. Fragrances are derived from natural essential oils and synthetic fragrances. Make certain to purchase fragrances meant specifically for candle-making.
- Designed to carry fuel to the flame, candle wicks remain essential ingredients in candle-making. Wicks are divided into four main categories: flat wicks, square wicks, cored wicks and oil lamp/specialty wicks. Flat wicks, the most common, have three bundles of fiber and burn consistently. Use flat wicks for pillar and taper candles. Cored wicks, for jar candles, pillars and votives, remain rigid while burning. Square wicks are thicker braided/knitted wicks which work well for beeswax candles and fragrant candles. Specialty wicks have unique characteristics meant for specific candles like insect-repelling candles.
