Candle Making Crafts
Candles have been an integral part of human life for well over a thousand years. When are country first started it was not uncommon for some households to burn over 400 candles a year for lightning purposes.
One of my fondest childhood memories was learning from my father how to make candles. Perhaps a little unconventional hobby for a child, but lots of fun nonetheless. It also gave me something to do with all the broken crayons I amassed.
I was taught that the easiest way to make a candle was by dipping the wick into hot wax. One thing you must do though is to use a pot floating in a full pan of water. If you don’t do this you run the risk of starting a fire!
What can you do with your candle making crafts? Well for starters, it’s a great time killer on a rainy day. What started as a hobby for me though soon turned into a full time business as I discovered that the more proficient I became at the craft, the more attractive my candles became. My little hobby has now morphed into a full time business. I sell my homemade candle making crafts at local flea markets and have found that people enjoy giving my candles as gifts.
So, how do you get started? Here’s a simple tutorial for you:
The first thing you will need is a bunch of wax. You can get wax and most crafts stores, but you can use crayons like I did in the beginning if you are in a pinch.
Second thing you will need is the wick. Don’t skimp on the wick. This is the part that burns. Once again you can pick this supply up at your local crafts our hobby store.
Next you are going to want to fill a large pan about halfway with water. Place another smaller pan or empty can inside. Make sure that this does not tip over.
Next put your wax into the second pan. It should melt provided you have the heat on and since this pan is floating in the water, it will not burn.
When the wax is melted, take your wick and slowly dip it into the melted wax. Slowly lift it back out of the wax, wait a few moments for the wax to cool a bit then repeat the system until y our candle is as thick as you want it to be.
When your candle looks the way you want it, hold it by the wick for a few minutes and to let it cool down before you lay it down. At this point you will want to clip the wick to about 1/3-1/4 of an inch at the top of the candle.
Voila! You have made a candle! Keep the can with the wax for future use. If you were using different colors of crayons, you will end up with several colors to use when you make future candles. You can dip your candles in the different colors, twisting them as you go and really create some beautiful and unique looking color schemes.
