Gel Candle Making
This article lays out 16 easy-to-follow steps for making gel candles and is chock full of gel candle making tips & suggestions that you would normally only learn through experience.
Gel candle making (jelly candles) often appeals to artisan type candle makers. Why’s that? Well, because a gel candle glows when lit, and by adding embedded objects you can create unique glowing scenes that add beauty to your home. How’s that sound, my friend?
Gel candles are also easy to make and burn longer than wax candles. Gel wax is a combination of mineral oil and plastic polymer.
16 Steps of Gel Candle Making
Things you’ll need:
- Several glass candle containers…one for each candle you plan to make.
- Zinc core wick
- Wick tabs and glue
- Gel wax
- Stainless steel or glass pot for melting your gel wax
- Glass measuring cup with spout for pouring your wax
- Liquid dye made for gel candles
- Fragrance oil
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Gel Candle Making without Embedded Objects
Step 1. Pick the right containers for your gel candles. Sundae dishes, mugs and glasses will all work fine. Avoid extremely thin glassware as it may crack at high temperatures. Rule of thumb – if the glassware is dish washer safe, it should be ok for gel candle making.
Most candle makers use transparent glass for gel candle making, but you can also try other non-flammable containers. Make sure the container is large enough so that the wick will be at least 1 1/2 inches away from the sides.
Step 2. Place a small amount of hot glue on the bottom of the container.
Step 3. Press the wick tab onto the hot glue and let it cool. It is best to use a zinc core wick as cotton will absorb the gel and won’t burn as well.
Step 4. Slice the gel wax into small cubes so it will melt faster.
Step 5. Place the gel wax in a stainless steel or glass pot and place it on medium heat. Monitor the temperature using a thermometer.
Step 6. Heat the gel wax to 200 degrees F and maintain that temperature until the gel becomes smooth and syrupy.
Step 7. Add your coloring drop by drop. Use it sparingly…one ounce should be enough for about 100 lbs of gel wax. It is best to use only liquid dyes in gel candle making. Paste dyes and color blocks are normally made from wax and will make your gel cloudy.
Step 8. Start by adding ½ ounce of fragrance oil per pound of gel wax. This can vary due to the density of your gel wax so be mindful of the gel wax manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid using alcohol-based fragrance as they evaporate and leave you with an aroma-less candle.
Step 9. Make sure that the gel mix is not cloudy. If it is, try adding more gel cubes.
Step 10. Important! Record the kinds and amounts of gel wax, dye and fragrance that you use as a reference for making future adjustments.
Step 11. Warm the candle containers to 150 degrees F to minimize bubbling…use your kitchen oven or microwave.
Step 12. Place the warm candle containers on a level pouring surface.
Step 13. Carefully pour the wax into the containers. The objective is to prevent bubbles so pour like you are pouring a beer…down the side of the container. Take note that a high pouring temperature produces fewer bubbles. If you want bubbles for effect, let the gel cool to about 175 degrees F before pouring.
Step 14. Straighten the wick. Make sure that it is on the center of the candle.
Step 15. Allow the candle to set for about four hours.
Step 16. Trim the wick to about ¼ inch.
How to Add Embedded Objects when Making Gel Candles
Step 1. In making gel candles, it is best to use non-flammable objects such as glass beads, marbles, glitter, sand, shells, colored aquarium gravel, crystals, pebbles, polished stones, artificial jewels or pearls and/or metal charms.
Step 2. Dip your embed objects in hot gel before adding them to the candle.
Step 3. Putting some of the objects at the bottom of the container before pouring the gel will help camouflage the wick tab.
Step 4. Pour the gel in layers and add objects as you go. Keep the objects away from the wick if possible. The objects will be more visible if they are placed near the outside of the container.
Tips & Warnings
- Do not let the temperature of the gel wax exceed 225 degrees F. Burned gel will turn yellow or brown and give off a foul odor.
- Avoid spills as much as possible as gel is harder to cleanup than wax.
- Keep spills away from the heating elements of your stove as the smell is horrible and the burned gel will be difficult to remove. You may want to cover your burners with aluminum foil.
- Avoid very narrow containers. Pools of gel sometimes catch fire briefly and may blacken the sides of narrow containers.
Ok, my friend…you should have your hands full for awhile making gel candles. After that, you may want to go a little more au naturale and try, maybe, making soy candles.
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