It is snowing outside and scented candles are gently burning inside. Can you imagine coziness and romance without this element? No, right? When a candle burns, all the receptors in our body are activated and we are all transported to another reality. Aroma, vision, packaging... everything is important, but I think I started from the back to the front. Be patient and let's first look at the metamorphoses that candles undergo.
History of wax. The materials we use to make modern candles are not at all similar to those used by our ancestors or perhaps great-grandparents. Well, maybe there are a few things that have kept their relevance to this day, such as beeswax. Its fame has not faded to this day, but let's see what else they used in burning candles. Perhaps many of you will be surprised if I tell you that in ancient times wax was produced from animal fat, such as that of cows and sheep. Wax was even extracted from the blubber of whales or insects. They all did a good job, but beeswax excelled in one respect, namely that it did not emit an unpleasant odor and burned extremely cleanly. Of course, then the price of beeswax was very high and few people could afford it, therefore in the 19th century rapeseed oil took first place in the ranking of the most sustainable and economical wax material. Maybe many of you feel bored reading history, so we'll skip a few years to the present day.
Types of candle wax. The variety today is really huge, but we will focus on the most popular options:
1. We'll start with the veteran - beeswax. It is an organic wax produced by bees. In addition to its excellent physical properties in terms of combustion, it is believed to be extremely beneficial for health if used in the form of a tincture. It does not emit soot and smoke and has a pleasant natural smell, but it is difficult to clean if you stain surfaces with it. It has a yellow color, which makes it unsuitable when you want to make candles in some other color.
2. Coconut wax candles. Coconut wax is another organic wax in our ranking. It is produced by pressing the fleshy part of the fruit. Just like beeswax, here the damage to the environment after burning is reduced to a minimum. This type of wax has a natural white color and no, it does not have a coconut scent. However, the absorption of aromas and colors here is remarkable, making it a preferred material by candle makers.
3. In third place, but not least, we put the soy wax. It is the next organic product that is widely used to make candles. I can even boldly say that it is currently the market leader. This raw material is extracted with a special machine that extracts the fat from the soybeans. After them, a product remains, which is used for animal feed - or as they say "two birds with one stone". Harmless to the environment and to us, soy wax is also preferred for its long burning time. Another important advantage is its excellent absorbency, i.e. it can easily be colored, as well as adding a drop of essential oil for aroma. Perhaps surprising to everyone is the fact that soy wax is relatively easy to clean and you can just rinse the burnt candle jar with warm water and soap, which would save you a lot of money on candle jars.
4. Palm wax. It is obtained in the same way as coconut. Palm wax has extremely good characteristics in terms of strength, therefore it is recommended for making upright and tall candles.
5. Clear wax. Its name makes it clear that we are talking about wax, which has no color. Even hardened in the jar, it still looks like you poured water inside. It is extracted from resin and burns slowly. I do not recommend you to add color to it as it will lose its transparent effect. It is suitable for any decorative elements on the surface of the candle, but it has 2 disadvantages. The price of this product is higher compared to the others and the burning of gel wax emits harmful gases. And speaking of harm, it's time to mention our last representative in this ranking.
6. Paraffin. The most common product for making candles, but I put it last because of the harm it causes to health. And if there are people who think that this is not the case, I will only tell them that paraffin is a petroleum product. Its popularity comes from its affordable price. Although a candle probably won't do that much harm to health, I personally prefer to avoid this product. The only positive thing we can say is that it retains a fragrance and is colored extremely evenly.
How are candles made? Let me tell you how I make candles. First of all, you need to get everything you need. A melting pot (for some types of wax, a microwave oven may also work for you), wax dishes, silicone molds, wicks, wick holders, jars, wooden stirrers, a special thermometer, colors, essential oils and of course wax.
1.Prepare the candle jars/molds (if you will be pouring them into them). Clean and dry the wax containers carefully. There should be no liquid or food on the sides of the dishes. I advise you to use only those that are intended for candles, as we are sure that they can withstand heat. If you still like another container in which to start creating with wax, you should check its resistance to high temperatures. The simplest test you can do is to pour boiling water for about a minute, then pour it out and immediately pour cold water. If the surface of the container does not crack, you can safely use it. Personally, I went through a lot of trial and error and changed several carpets and tables until I realized that I can't pour wax wherever I think of it.
2.Melt the wax in a special container or in a water bath. With the candle thermometer, watch when the temperature reaches 80-85 degrees, because that's when the magic happens. At this temperature I add the fragrance, because in my opinion it is best absorbed by the wax. Then turn off the heater and wait for the liquid to cool down to 60-70 degrees Celsius. The color can be added whenever you want, as long as the wax is in liquid form. Mix well and we are ready to create beauty.
3.Fastening the wick to the bottom of the vessel. This is done with special metal elements attached to the wick. After centering the wick, we need to fix its upper part with a special fixer or a simple clip for extension so that it does not move while pouring the wax. However, this rule only applies to cotton wax wicks. If you have chosen the recently fashionable wooden wicks, you will not need a holder, as they are durable and strong. Then fill the jar or glass with the appropriate amount. The amount depends on whether you will put decorative elements on top, such as flowers or candies for example. Cut the wick to 5mm high after the wax has hardened as it will probably stick out well above the candle.
4.Decorative elements of wax. Some of you probably think that it is very difficult to make a decorative element from wax. However, things are far simpler. Online stores sell silicone cases for wax with a variety of beautiful and whimsical shapes. The only difficult task here is if you decide to make the shapes "come to life" ie. the overflow of colors. To achieve this fabulous effect, you need experience, creativity, a lot of passion and love for what you do. I won't explain to you how I make the transition from color to color, simply because you yourself have to build your own way of working to be unique, but don't give up, because the path to perfection goes through trial and error. Sometimes we can't wait for the wax to harden and we try all sorts of things to speed up the process, but I recommend you not to do that, because you might end up making a mistake that you'll regret. Wait patiently and after the wax cools, we can move on to decorating the finished candle. With the help of a hair dryer, you can slightly heat the surface of the candle, so that the flower, butterfly, fruit or anything else that you have previously prepared from wax can be stuck. Beating wax into snow with the help of a mixer is very popular and fashionable recently, where "delicious candles" are created and their preparation resembles the preparation of a real cake. I will not delve too much into this topic, because social networks are overflowing with videos of various creative people. Ideas galore...use your imagination. I finish the "teaching" and appeal to you to be responsible when you light candles at home. To minimize the risk of fires, always extinguish the flame before going to sleep or before going outside.
The love for aromatherapy and beauty is responsible for my passion for making candles, so I'm already impatient to show you my work. All the candles I make are made from ecological materials with minimal harm to the environment.
1.Fragrant and luxurious wedding candles. What better occasion to thank your friends and guests for sharing your celebration together. You can choose free-standing candles with engraved initials of the newlyweds or small and cute candles in jars. The decoration can be any. From delicate lace to ribbons and beautifully decorated box. We will make the candles entirely according to your choice and thus you will guarantee the originality and uniqueness of your gifts. Of course, we are ready to fulfill more non-standard orders. Don't hesitate to look us up.
2.Gift candles for baptism. Baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, so it is important that you and your guests remember it. And what could be better than seeing every day in your window at home a small candle with two baby feet, or an angel with the initials of the little baby. Let us help you choose the right candle shape and make us a part of your celebration. Browse our wide range of handmade candles.
3.Christmas candles. It is impossible for Christmas to pass without a beautiful and fragrant candle on the table. It's just a must! We understand this perfectly, that's why we create Christmas magic in jars or glasses. Deer, snowy trees, juicy cookies in combination with the aroma of white pine will transport you to Lapland and make the holiday even more magical. We can make both single designer candles and a whole set of them. We look forward to your personal orders and inquiries at the email address support{@}ladiesworld.eu. Leave us your number and we promise to contact you as soon as possible.
4.Romantic scented candles. By presumption, the candle is a symbol of light and love. Of course, we have prepared a whole collection for you lovers too, because love is more pronounced when a beautiful scented candle is burning. Check out all our products here.
Here are some common mistakes:
1. Incorrect centering of the wick. This can lead to so-called tunneling, or in other words the wick flame will not reach every part of the candle evenly and a hole will result. (When the candle is bigger, you can put 2-3 or more wicks, making sure that they are also evenly distributed). Of course, the uneven burning of the candle can be caused by circumstances beyond your control, such as the fact that when you light a candle, it should not be extinguished until the entire top layer has melted. If, for example, your candle burns for 10 minutes and you decide to put it out, the wax will melt only around the wick itself, which will lead to a hole again. My advice is to let the candle burn for 2-3 hours and then put it out.
2. Carefully monitor the temperature at each stage. It's not a soup or a stew, and you can't just let it simmer on the stove. Overheating the wax can lead to quite unpleasant consequences, such as a broken structure of the candle or an unpleasant smell. There is also a real danger that the wax will spontaneously combust. However, if the wax is too cold and you pour it into the jar, it is possible for it to shrink and form holes, which will lead to the wrong burning of the candle. Read carefully what the working temperature range of each wax is before you start working with it. Always heat with a hair dryer or otherwise the vessels in which you will pour wax!
3. Safety first. Although it doesn't seem dangerous, melting wax in large quantities can cause headaches, so ventilate. Use goggles and an apron to avoid getting anything in your eyes or on your clothes. If you accidentally burn yourself with wax, never rub it, but submerge the affected area under running water and wait for the wax to harden. Then you can remove it from your skin.
4. Calculate the right amount of flavor. Here you should not add fragrance at your discretion, but calculate the exact amount. So, if you put too little, your candle may not smell at all. However, if you overdo it with the aroma, you run the risk of it coming to the surface and burning soot and extremely unpleasant smells.
5. Always test your products. If you have ordered even just one candle, make two and light the second one. Watch it burn and decide if that's what you want your customers to get.
6. Last but not least, keep notes and write down the exact quantities. You never know when a true masterpiece will be born and it's "nice" to be able to reproduce it again. This, of course, cannot happen if you don't keep notes.
