Learning How to Make Candles at Home is Rewarding

• Making candles is a hobby that lets you unwind and sooth your senses
• More than just a hobby – It’s an art form which allows individuality by creation of “signature” designs
• It’s always a pièce de résistance , or so it seems to the maker
• Learning how to make candles at home isn’t difficult
• Remember  – there is no problem with re-melting the candle and starting over from scratch
• Once your “make candles at home” project is completed and you see the results, you get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction
• Candle making can be an enjoyable experience for the whole family

My sister Sarah’s ebook is a great place to start
Secrets to Successful Candle Making
…learn how to make candles at home and bond with the kids

Required Materials

Before you begin making candles gather a few basic materials:

• Candle molds – can be bought at any craft shop
• Paraffin wax – another basic requirement, it can be bought in blocks, granules or flakes…I prefer flakes.
• Wicks for use with paraffin wax
• Silicone spray when using metal molds
• Double boiler
• Oven mitts

It’s time to get started with your delightful candle creations.

The Candle Making Process

This video will walk you through a 10-step process for making votive candles:

My sister Sarah’s ebook is a great place to start
Secrets to Successful Candle Making
…learn how to make candles at home and beautify your home

Be Careful

Like any hobby there are potential dangers lurking:

• Take precautions around open flames if you have a gas stove
• When hot wax is involved, it can be dangerous, do not leave it unattended

Fantastic kits are available on how to make candles at home. Once you have mastered the basic kit, the next step is technique. A technique kit will help you in developing stunning candles!

You may also wish to investigate local candle making classes as a means of learning how to make candles at home.

Did you know that beeswax candles are some of the simplest candles to make? No mess, no fuss. So if you’re an art teacher and would like a nice clean project for your kids, this could be the one! Not to mention that it will make your classroom smell oh-so-sweet! And learning how to make beeswax candles is completely safe.

Here are some beeswax candle making tips that should help. You probably won’t need any candle making books for this exercise. But if you want to get more complicated, illustrated candle making instructions about how to make your own candles may come in handy.

For the moment, we’re gonna keep it simple. It’s your choice if you venture into gel candle making, making soy candles or other techniques to make make your own candles.

Supplies Required when Making Beeswax Candles.

• Beeswax Sheet
• Primed Wicks
• Sharp Knives
• Cutting Boards

Get Started

Let’s start learning how to make beeswax candles.

• Pass out sheets of beeswax and have the children fold it in half. While they pressing slightly on the wax have them pull it a part into two pieces with their hands.
• Have them lay one of the beeswax pieces on a flat surface or any type of table available. Tell them to position the wick along the beeswax sheet’s border, allowing a half-inch of wick to protrude out at both sides of the candle.

Explain that this is so later they will have the opportunity to decide which end of the candle they would prefer to be the top.

Start Rolling the Beeswax

• Once they have positioned the wick, have them begin rolling their sheet of wax, tucking edges as they go, making sure to seal the wick in. Roll slowly, keeping in a straight line until they have reached the end of the wax sheet.
• Seal edges by pressing sheet lightly with fingertips.

Remind them that pressing too much will cause their candles to crack!

Finishing Touches for Your Candle

• Finally, it is time for them to choose which end they want as their top. Have them trim the wick about 1/2 inches above the wax and remove the wick cleanly at the other end.

The children now have something they have made themselves and any parent would be overjoyed to receive as a gift! You see, making beeswax candles has intangible benefits as well…bonding.

Useful Info About Beeswax Candle Making…for the Kids

While they are learning how to make beeswax candles, throw out a few tidbits of information about candles. The kids learn candle making and pick-up a bit of general information at the same time.

For instance: not only are beeswax candles long lasting and clean burning, but in the 14th century they were one of the most preferred candles because of their naturally sweet aroma.

They have also been given a stamp of approval by the ALA (American Lung Association) as the ideal candle. Other candles such as paraffin candles emit tiny amounts of toxins like benzene, lead, and mercury.

Now….send them home and have them tell their parents to shut off the lights, save on the electric bill and let their beeswax candles light the way!

So if you’re tired of paying for those expensive store bought candles and not quite ready to give up on the ambiance, the following candle making recipes will come in handy.

Balloon and Beeswax
Candle Making Recipes

Check out my sister Sarah’s ebook collection
Secrets of Successful Candle Making
…candle making recipes for fun with the kids

Let’s Try a Balloon Candle (pictured above)

Items for a Balloon Candle: obviously a balloon, wax (paraffin) and a sized wick.

Step 1:  Fill balloon with water (No water fights permitted!)

Step 2:  Secure top of balloon

Step 3:  Best using a double-boiler to melt the wax

Step 4:  Keep wax anywhere from 165 to 185 degrees until completely melted

Step 5:  Let cool until almost set

Step 6:  Dip balloon in melted wax, pulling out quickly and letting wax layer cool and set

Step 7:  Dip in wax again, letting that layer cool and set

Step 8:  Continue until a good wax shell develops around balloon approximately 1 cm thick

Step 9:  Pop balloon once satisfied with the shell and remove from candle

Step 10:  While rolling the shell in your hand, add warm wax so that it coats the inside of the shell. Continue adding wax until the inner cavity is nearly filled

Step 11:  Before the last pouring, place a wick in the center of the remaining cavity and then pour wax around it to fill the cavity. The wax will cool and support the wick as it solidifies.

Congratulations! You have completed candle making recipe #1 and created your first candle. You are now ready to get creative and try playing with color, size and style.

The Beeswax Candle

The beeswax candle recipe is even simpler as the wax doesn’t need to be melted.  Items needed are a pair of scissors, a beeswax sheet and a cotton wick.

This candle making recipe involves ten steps.

Step 1:  Fold beeswax in half

Step 2:  Cut along the fold

Step 3:  Lay out one of the pieces

Step 4:  Place wick on edge of beeswax

Step 5:  Leave wick, half an inch, extending over each edge of beeswax sheet

Step 6:  Slowly roll edge of beeswax around wick

Step 7:  Press edge of beeswax gently with fingertips sealing wick in place (Allowing the warmth from your hands to melt the wax, thereby sealing the seam)

Step 8:  Roll candle slowly – keeping a tight, straight line while doing this

Step 9:  At end, attach edge of beeswax to candle with the heat of your fingertips

Step 10:  Trim wick flush on one end for the base and snip wick 1/4 inch from top on the other

Voila!  You have mastered candle making recipe # 2.

Watch this video for a complete demonstration on making beeswax candles.

Remember – it’s all about the fun!

Check out my sister Sarah’s ebook collection
Secrets of Successful Candle Making
…learn candle making recipes for hobby or profit

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This article will brief you on what to expect from candle making classes and how to find a class that is right for you.

Candle Making Classes
Business or Diversion?

Whether you are thinking about a new hobby or perhaps investigating the possibility of opening a candle making business of your own, candle making classes can be an entertaining and simple way to carry out your intentions.

Candle making classes are:

• For young and old alike
• An fun and productive way to spend time
• An inexpensive way to learn a skill
• A way to acquire a new hobby
• An option for adding to the candle making skills you all ready have

No time for candle making classes?
Check out my sister Sarah’s ebook collection
Secrets to Successful Candle Making
…learn to make candles for hobby or profit

Candle making classes can be accessed at various locations and offer:

• Exclusive children lessons in candle making
• Both online and offline availability
• A superb way to learn about the different types of candle wax
• Information on required equipment
• Various skills used to create each type of candle…learn to make gel candles, scented candles, etc.

For lots of people, creating candles in a person to person situation is more motivating and appealing then with an online course. You can locate hands-on lessons in the area by:

• Checking with local craft stores
• Calling candle supply shops
• Contacting your library
• Finding a recreational center
• Going to your community center
• Dropping by a civic center
• Surfing online
• Reading the local newspapers

The following illustrations are samples of candle making programs set in a variety of locations:

• One Stop Candle offers classes at Williston Park, NY. Hands-on classes limited in size. Enrollees receive individual attention.
• In Point Richmond, CA, The Nova Studio provides general candle making classes plus those specializing in natural aromatherapy candles.
• Michaels Arts & Crafts located all over the country offers classes in a variety of crafts, including candle making classes.

Taking candle making lessons is a perfect way to find out everything you ever needed to know in order to have a creative, rewarding pastime that may even escalate into a profitable business. Entrepreneurs of all kinds have used what they learned from their candle making courses to begin their own business while doing something they get pleasure from and earning money at home.

No matter what your reason is for participating in a candle making class, go ahead, jump in with both feet and discover  the art of candle making.

No candle making classes in your area?
Check out my sister Sarah’s ebook collection
Secrets to Successful Candle Making
…candle making for hobby or profit

Put simply, the main challenges of the homemade candle business are as follows:

• Make your candles
• Sell your candles
• Get paid for your candles

Learn the Candle Trade

The venues mentioned below typically offer instructional videos, courses and programs geared toward to starting up a business venture. Gel candle making and making scented candles can fit in to this plan quite nicely.

• Local libraries
• Colleges
• Community centers
• Neighborhood craft stores

Take advantage of what they have to offer. When you make your own candles every bit helps.

And don’t ignore the internet as it is undoubtedly the world’s #1 source of information on how to do just about anything you could imagine. Google is a treasure chest of information on making soy candles, making scented candles or any other of the candle making recipes.

Concentrate First Efforts Here

You need to come to grips fast with homemade candle basics such as:

• Creating or copying unique designs that will sell in your market.
• How to source molds and, preferably, how to make them yourself.
• Where to find reasonable prices for materials like soy wax, beeswax, paraffin and cotton wicks.
• How to select the most appropriate kinds of wicks.
• How to enhance your candles with coloring, decorations, fragrances and special techniques.

No only will you need to know how to make a candle, but you’ll also need some basic business skills.

Attention that Pays

When it comes to producing a saleable product, it also pays to:

• Be aware of who your buyers are
• Be aware of what their needs consist of
• Be original in everything you do
• Be innovative with your packaging, using unique boxes, vibrant ribbons, and ornaments to adorn them
• Be clever by topping off with appropriate gift cards and tags.

Keys to Success

The success of a beeswax or gel candle making business, as with any type of business, is dependent upon your willingness to take the extra steps and put forth a continuous effort to:

• Staying alert to developments in the industry and rolling them out if appropriate to your market.  This applies particularly to product design.
• Perfecting your production process, thereby avoiding waste and producing a consistent quality product.
• Developing a core of regular customers that buy in volume and pay your invoices on time.
• Establishing a policy for setting credit limits and sticking to those limits without exception.   Bad debts are the bane of most businesses, large or small.   You cannot afford to ignore your account receivables.  Appreciate the fact that new customers may not deserve credit terms and insist that they pay cash.
• Being alert to new markets for your candle making recipes, but entering them cautiously when it comes to customizing products and offering credit terms.
• Seeking your buyers suggestions as to what they like about what you do and, on the other hand, areas in which they would like to see improvement.

Inherent Advantages of the Business

Without question, the homemade candle business has the “4 P’s” working in its favor.

• Popular for gifts
• Pleasing to the eye
• Pleasant to the nose
• Pleasurable to the sole

Be Alert But Cautious

However, you must create an efficient, well managed operation to capitalize on these inherent advantages.  Otherwise, consider your homemade candle making purely as a hobby and enjoy using your candles in the home and giving them away as presents.