How to make candles for pleasure and profit - gel, soy or paraffin wax
Some quick questions and answers about making candles....
Is it easy to learn how to make candles? Yes.
Is it worth the effort? Yes.
What will it cost? Not very much.
Do I need special equipment? A few items in addition to the tools you already have at home.
Judging by the enthusiasm with which people take to making their own, there is nothing quite so pleasing as a
handmade candle - it enhances any occasion, satisfies that creative urge, and saves money....
Some people find the process so uplifting they turn it into a business, sometimes a fulltime one. While this
brief article can't give you all the detail you will need, it will outline the process and provide enough
information to allow you to decide whether to take the next step or not.
First, the essential tools of the trade.
- A heat source - stove, hot plate etc.
- Some sort of double boiler.
- A thermometer reading up to 220F (essential)
- A pouring pot
- Scale
- Wax
- Hammer
- Wax dye
- Wicks
- Safety goggles
- Fire extinguisher
Then, the optional ones:
- Mold
- Wicking needles
- Stirrer
- Silicon spray
- Wax glue (a sticky wax used to glue pieces of candle together or apply decorations to candles)
- Mold seal - does exactly what the name suggests; stops wax leaking from molds when you're filling them.
|