Making a church candle at home. Making candles at home. DIY decorative candles

Making candles at home as a business is a rather original and profitable idea. But in order to implement it, it is necessary to initially plan and think over the concept, strategy and plan for the start and development of the company in order to avoid unnecessary expenses and problems.

Feedback from the entrepreneur:

“There are a lot of articles on the internet about how to start a candle business from home. Many of them are absolutely far from reality. Others do not give a clear idea of where to start and what the sequence of steps should be. The first problem I encountered was that candles for sale cannot be made in an apartment. To do this, you need a separate room - a garage, a barn on private territory, but not even allocated an apartment in the property in any way apartment building. Second, it is not clear how to register and where to put the products. If I more or less figured out technology from books, entrepreneurship itself was a dark forest at first, and brought a lot of fuss and useless activities in the first year.

O. Shirokova, Moscow region, entrepreneur.

In order not to face the same problems, it is advisable to foresee all possible risks and reserves already at the planning stage.

First, you still need to master the technology in its most elementary form. Not as a business, but for myself. See what happens, how aesthetically attractive and practical the product is. Then - to plan the organizational and legal aspects of the case.

Room search

It is good if there is a separate garage or other building. Otherwise, you will have to rent facilities suitable for production. The minimum building area is 15 m2. At the same time, it is necessary to divide the space into two zones: work and warehouse. In the production (working) part, machines and equipment will be installed. At the same time, convenient approaches should be provided to them for making production operations, maintenance, cleaning machines. The storage area needs to maintain a constant optimum (18-20 degrees) temperature. The fact is that candles are easily deformed, stick together and do not tolerate temperature fluctuations.

A small light can always remove bad and sad thoughts from the head, and its light is so sincere: any conversation or confession by candlelight has some special aura and creates a truly unusual atmosphere.

Perhaps, just for this reason, a candle has long been considered an excellent gift that can bring not only aesthetic pleasure, but also practical use.

How to make candles with your own hands at home: is it possible?

Naturally, such a thing as a candle can be purchased at a gift shop, because there you can always find many different variations of candles, but if you want to make a gift doubly pleasant, it is better to make it yourself. I would like to devote this article to the topic of how to make candles with your own hands at home.

In fact, making candles at home is not as difficult as it might seem at first, and if you approach this issue correctly, you will realize that in reality everything is quite simple here.

As confirmation, one can cite the fact that people who decide to engage in the production of candles are gradually drawn into it, and for them this is no longer just an income, but also an interesting and an exciting activity. The more often you practice this business, the better you get finished goods.

Making candles with your own hands at home does not require a lot of money, so in addition to the pleasure that you get from the manufacturing process itself, you will also be able to save a lot.

Making candles at home: the necessary materials

Before proceeding directly to the manufacture of the product itself, it is necessary to determine the the right materials, which will help to create the necessary shape for our product. For this, an ordinary pan is suitable, which we need to create a water bath.

We also need some other container in which we will melt paraffin or wax. As a container, it is better to take some unnecessary dishes, since at the end of the process it will be extremely difficult to get rid of adhering wax.

If we take into account that the vessel must be refractory, then we are unlikely to be able to find a better ordinary tin can. So, we take a tin can, bend its edge so that a small spout appears (wax will pour through it).

As for the raw materials themselves, wax, paraffin or specialized helium can be bought at a specialized store or ordered online.

If you decide to start creating a candle for the first time, we recommend starting with paraffin, since wax is much more difficult to work with, it is less light and pliable material. You can also start with old homemade cinders or buy ordinary household candles.

Next, you need to take care of the material from which the wick will be made. Often, 100% cotton paper threads are used for this, since they do not have bad smell and burn much longer. Also for this purpose, we recommend trying floss (threads of different colors), finding them is quite simple and they look very interesting on a candle.

To give the candle an unusual character and color, make decor for them and give the product a certain tone and shade. Such candles will delight you and those around you not only with their warmth, but also with their beauty and unusual appearance.

To give the product the desired color, use children's wax crayons, it is better to choose softer options, since they dissolve better and color the melted mass more evenly. Some people use lipstick and eye shadow for this, this is also a good option if you don't mind sacrificing cosmetics.

There is another common option - staining with special pigments in the form of tablets. They come in a variety of colors and shades, so with their help you can make absolutely any color scheme for the product.

Before you determine how to make candles with your own hands at home, you need to decide not only on the materials, but also on their competent use. This, for example, concerns the wick, you need to learn how to twist it correctly, because it depends on how long and brightly the candle will burn.

For example, if you are going to use paraffin or gel, then it is better to use thin, tightly woven threads for these materials. For wax candles, it is better to take a thickened wick, woven with a “pigtail”, with not too tight threads.

You also need to worry about special forms, because the main shape and appearance of the product will depend on them. Here it is best to use dishes that you do not really need, that can withstand elevated temperatures. For this, containers of yogurt, creams, bottles, small bubbles and so on are suitable.

To give the product not only an attractive appearance, but also a pleasant aromatic content, add a few drops of essential oil to the total mass, the aroma of which is similar to the appearance of your candle. For example, the smell of lime or mint is perfect for a light green shade of the product, while vanilla or berry scents need warmer shades.

How to make candles with your own hands at home: technology step by step

So we come to the most important point: the process of making candles at home. For example, we will consider the option of making candles on wax.

Preparing wax for melting

First, decide on the type of wax on which the candle will be prepared. Keep in mind that wax can irritate some people, so take it seriously.

The most popular today is soy wax, because it is easy to work with, it is environmentally friendly and burns more slowly than other types.

Before you get started, prepare your workplace. To do this, you need to lay on work surface newspapers, prepare cardboard and towels. You should also always keep warm soapy water nearby, it will come in handy in case you spill wax.

Prepare an ordinary water bath, the same as you do during cooking.

Attention! It is impossible to melt wax on direct fire. The melting process must be slow, otherwise it may burn out and evaporate.

Pour half a saucepan of water and put a smaller saucepan on top of it, you will need it to melt the wax. Do not forget that it is almost impossible to clean the wax, so use dishes you do not need.

Lay the wax on a board and cut or plan it. The smaller the pieces, the easier it will be to work with.

Wax melting

Put the pieces of wax or shavings in a small saucepan, and set the fire to high. When the water boils, it will begin to gradually melt the wax, do not slow down the fire.

Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the wax. A pastry thermometer or a meat thermometer is suitable for this.

Depending on the type of wax, it melts at different temperatures.

Consider the main types:

paraffin wax melts at 50–60 °C;

bee - within 62.7–79.4 ° C;

old candles - 85 ° C (before using them, do not forget to remove the old wick with tongs).

Then you need to add the flavoring to the melted wax, select the flavor at your discretion. Flavors are sold in all craft stores. To determine the right amount of flavor, read the instructions, then stir well.

After that, according to the instructions, you need to add the right amount of dye. Ordinary food colorings are not suitable in this case, since they are water-based. It is better to opt for oily dyes or special dyes for candles. You need to add dyes until the mixture acquires the desired color, after which the mixture must be stirred.

wax casting

Place the wick in the very center of the candle mold. The wick must be fixed at two points outside the mold so that the fixation is in the very center. For convenience, you can attach the wick to a pencil or pen, and then move it to the center. After setting the wick in the right place, fill the form with wax. If there is a long clip, you can use it. Pinch the wick in the very center of the form, while it should be long enough so that you can lean on the entire form.

After that, you need to pour the melted wax into the prepared molds. You need to pour slowly so that the wax does not spill, while you need to make sure that the wick is securely fixed in one position.

Important! If you're using beeswax, remember that it shrinks a bit when it cools, so keep this in mind when pouring your moulds.

Each type of candle has its own cooling:

paraffin candles cooling takes 24 hours;

soy will be enough for 4-5 hours;

candles on beeswax require at least 6 hours, the best solution is to leave them all night;

2-3 hours are enough for old candles.

The last steps are left - remove the product from the mold and cut off the wick, leaving no more than 7 mm from the source of the candle. This length will provide your candle with the desired fire height. If the wick is left too long, the fire will be too big.

All yours homemade candle ready, fire up and enjoy!

All over the world, candles are more often used for decoration, making the interior more comfortable. To make a candle at home, you must adhere to several rules, for example, the fact that a wick made correctly is of great importance, because it determines how evenly the candle will burn.

Also, do not forget that the more threads that are used in the manufacture of a candle, the thicker it is. For example, to make a candle with a diameter of 2-7 centimeters, you need to make 15 threads, but for a candle with a thickness of 10 centimeters, you need 24 threads.

Useful information about candle making

To melt the wax, you need to use a double boiler. If you don't have one, you can use an electric oven. Important: do not use glassware.
There are many types of wax, but almost all of them melt at a temperature of 90 ° C.
You should also get a thermometer that will allow you to monitor the temperature. It is better to purchase a thermometer with a scale on top and a steel rod. It is sold in specialized stores of laboratory equipment. You can use this thermometer to stir the wax.
If you want to melt the wax on an open fire, then you must be careful, because in this case the wax may catch fire. If this happens, then to extinguish, you need to use soda, not water.
Also remember that overheated wax releases a toxic by-product, acrolein. So make sure the room is well ventilated.

How to make a candle with your own hands

What you will need:

Special holder to stretch the wick in molten paraffin.
Wand.
A pair of wicks, which can be either wire or paper core.
Heat-resistant molds in which there will be candles.
The old bowl is not needed.
An old pan is not needed to melt paraffin in it.

To get 3 candles you need:

Flavoring (you can replace it with essential oil).
Dye, to give color.
Four hundred grams of granulated paraffin.
Forty grams of stearin powder.

Make the base for the candles:

Pour the stearin powder into a bowl and place it over a pot of boiling water.
Wait for the stearin to melt and add ¼ color tablet.
Place paraffin in a bowl and heat to 80°C.
Stir well all the time.
As soon as the whole mass is melted, drip a couple of drops of flavor or essential oil.

Prepare the wick:

Soak the wick in melted paraffin for 5 minutes.
Then let it dry.

Making a candle:

Cut the wick a little longer than the height of the mold.
Dip one end around a stick (for example, a pencil) and secure, and the second must be passed through a special holder and clamped with pliers.
Lower the holder with the wick to the bottom of the mold and fill it with paraffin.
Once you have filled the paraffin to the brim, you need to put a stick on the edges of the mold so that the wick is in the center.
Now wait until the mixture hardens.
Trim the wick at the end.

How to make a gel candle at home

During the preparation of candles, you must follow all the safety rules and just be careful, and especially if you want to place some kind of decoration inside the candle. It is also worth paying attention to the choice of dye and aromatic oil.

Now decide which candles you want to make. Gel candles are different, they are divided into the following groups:

Festive decoration.
Desserts and ice cream.
Fruit preserves.
Neon glows, fireworks, swirls, rainbows.
Coca-cola and other cocktails.
Cappuccino with foam and beer glasses.
Candles with treasures, Terrariums and Aquariums.

Once you decide on a theme, choose glass vessel for a candle. A mug, a jar of jam, a glass, a square vase will do.

For example aquarium candles, which contains marine decorations, consider the cooking process.
You will need:

Form.
Wick.
Gel for cutting
A couple of decorative items that will be inside the candle. Since the theme is nautical, you can use, for example, nautical-themed toys or shells.

Cooking:

Put candle gel in a water bath.
Heat the gel over low heat to 100°C.
Using glue at the bottom of the mold, fasten the wick with the stem so that the wick is located in the middle. This will provide the most better burning candles. It is also necessary to fix the wick on top of the form (you can use ordinary threads).
Now you can use decorative items, of course they must not be flammable. You can put a few items at the beginning, and the rest at the end of cooking.
Decorative items must not be placed closer than 6 ml. to the wick, but rather closer to the walls of the form.
Before pouring the gel, it is better to heat the mold. This can be done with a hair dryer, so you can get rid of the bubbles.
You also need to monitor the temperature of the gel, when it is 80-90 ° C, you can start filling the candle.

It is best to fill in layers, that is, first fill in a little bit of gel and after a while, when the gel hardens a little, fill in a new layer and so on until the end.
Don't wait too long if you don't want layer boundaries to form.
If you have made several colors, you can make it look like they are shimmering, while you need to wait a little while the bottom layer hardens, otherwise the colors will simply mix.

The candle can be used only after a day.

Precautionary measures

The souvenirs with which you decide to decorate the candle must be non-flammable and clean.
To extinguish wax that burns, in no case use water, it is better to take a rag.
If the wax has reached a temperature of 180 ° C, it will ignite.
Wax should be melted only on water vapor and only according to the instructions of the wax and the mold, because the melting point of the wax is different, it depends on such factors: the quality of the mold and wax, the type of candle you are going to make.

Video lessons

Learn how to make your own candles at low cost and have fun.

Interest today is more common among women, however, the manufacture of this device is a manly skill that has been traced over the years. Especially in medieval times, their trade was vital to kingdoms and villages because light was a necessity.

Today, when candles are of no practical value, they can add an atmosphere of comfort, coziness, and romance to any room. They have a very meditative relaxing effect, and can lead to reflection. Their main drawback is their relatively high cost. What is needed to do it yourself?

Materials: what you need to make

The process will not take you more than two hours, but the resulting products will complement your home or work interior, and will be a good gift for loved ones.

Wax

This is the heart of the candle, of which there are three main types.

Paraffin. Traditional, used for hundreds of years to make a light. Now it continues to be the most common among all species. It's cheap, you can easily add color and scent to it. The main problem with paraffin remains its potentially toxic nature. Paraffin is a by-product of oil, which automatically gives it a bad rating for most consumers. If natural products are your credo, your best bet is to look for an alternative.

Soya. New to the market, becoming an increasingly popular main ingredient. Soy was created in the 90s, when the movement for natural products was actively gaining momentum. It is usually made from soybean oil, but is sometimes mixed with paraffin and other waxes (palm, bees, etc.). It also readily accepts colors and odors.
Beeswax. The oldest crafting ingredient; beeswax candles have been found in the great pyramids of Egypt. As the name suggests, it is produced by bees and is a by-product of the honey process. Because of this, it has a natural golden color and a subtle sweet aroma. This is a completely natural product, but you won't be able to add other flavors to it. The natural scent will overpower other scents. Bee is also the most expensive option.

Most of the types that are sold in the store are sold in the form of granules. This makes the job easier as the pellets melt faster. If you bought a block, use a sharp knife to cut it into small pieces.

Wick

The wrong wick can ruin your homemade candle. The main problem is the size, or rather the width. For container ones, which will be discussed, you need a wide wick. The length of the wick is not important - you can cut it.

Aroma oils

Without smell, you just burn wax. It looks pretty but doesn't create the subtle scent that candles are used for. There are thousands of fragrances to choose from - just search the internet. you can use essential oils, but with them the final product will not be so good. For men, it is better to choose from such "masculine" fragrances as a mixture of clove, amber and sandalwood, apple and maple bourbon, blue spruce, Buttered Rum, Coffee, Whiskey.

Dishes for melting

A pan with a double bottom will do the job best. Melting directly over the flame in a conventional saucepan will be too strong, so use a steam bath.

Form

coffee mugs, glassware, jars - anything that can withstand heat is used as a container. With a lid, they can be transported, sent, so you can easily give to loved ones.

Accessories: thermometer, spatula, old pen

With a thermometer handy, you can quickly take your temperature. When you buy wax, especially the one used to make it, there are instructions on it as to what temperature the fragrance oil is added to, when to pour it into the container, etc. Use a spatula or spoon to thin it out and dissolve large chunks. Later you will learn why old pens / pencils are good helpers for homemade candles.

Workflow: how to do?

Prepare your workspace

Waxing is a messy business. It melts, drops can go anywhere, you won't even know it until it dries. Lay down a newspaper or paper towels around the work area. Use them to set the thermometer, spatula - be careful, they will probably stick a little. Luckily wax isn't that hard to clean, you can just scrape it off with your fingernail. Get your molds and wicks ready.

melt the wax

Using a double bottomed saucepan or water bath, melt the wax. Put about 200-300 grams, watch it melt by breaking it into pieces with a spatula and stirring it. It melts in about 10-15 minutes. Do not forget to monitor the temperature - you need it to be between 70 - 75 degrees. If the temperature starts to rise, remove it from the heat.

Fasten the wick

While it is melting, attach the wick to the container. Rare wicks have a small sticker embedded on the bottom, but the main body does not. Super glue is one option, but you can use the old candle trick: dip the metal tongue of the wick into the melted wax, then quickly attach it to the bottom of the container in the center. After a couple of minutes, when it hardens, the wick will be fixed at the bottom.

Add aromatic oils, stir

When completely melted, add the desired aromatic oils. Each species is different and requires a different amount per 1 kilogram, so follow the instructions on the package. Having taken a block that is suitable for different purposes, remember the following proportion: 60 grams of oil per kilogram of wax. Pour it into the pan, stir for one minute to ensure even distribution.

Add color as desired

This is an optional step. Your candles will come out a natural milky white, but you can add some color by using a non-toxic colored pencil or block. For example, you can add half a millimeter of red pencil to 500 grams of wax to get a soft pastel shade. Want a bright color? Use more pencil.

The color will be much brighter in the melted mixture, but will become milky as it cools.

Let the mixture cool down

After adding the aromatic oil, turn off the heat and let it cool down for a couple of minutes. Optimum temperature for pouring into a container is about 55-60 degrees. It won't take long - just a few minutes, so pay attention to your thermometer. Once it has cooled properly, pour it into a container. Hold the wick so that it stays in the center, don't overtighten it. We advise you to leave a little in the pan - it will come in handy at the end.

The secret of attaching the wick

The wick attached to the bottom may wobble a little in the liquid wax at first. You definitely want it to stay level, in the center, while everything hardens. Just put the pen on top of the mold, tie a wick to it, leave it to harden for several hours.

As the candle cools, you will notice a slight dip in the wick. The wax will also come off the edges of the jar. Reheat the mixture remaining in the pan, fill the holes that appear with it.

cut the wick

You will probably have a few extra inches of wick sticking out. Too long a wick will burn with too much bright flame. Light it up and test it: if the flame is more than 2.5 centimeters, cut the thread.