Candle powder. What dye can be used for paraffin candles. Original form templates

Even the most unromantic girls who prefer jeans to a miniskirt understand what candles are at dinner and why they are needed. And there is nothing to explain. It is clear that the desire to light candles visits us much more often than experts think, not only on the first date and on New Year's Eve!

Even fierce opponents of feng shui understand that the fire in the house (well, except for the fire) always makes it more hospitable and warmer.

And if the candle is made by hand, it also warms the heart. Well, the interior decorates, of course.

It’s hard to believe it, but making a candle at home is very, very simple and also pleasant. For inspiration, go to youtube.com and watch the videos of Martha Stewart, a famous American businesswoman and amateur manual labor.

What can candles be made from?
For candles, the following raw materials are used:
- wax. Pros: smells delicious, burns brighter than others, emits disinfectant phytoncides when burning. Completely eco-friendly. Cons: More expensive than other materials, too soft. Candles can be made from it by repeatedly dipping the wick in hot wax. It is often added to a mixture of paraffin and stearin - then the candles are more beautiful and burn longer.
- stearin. Pros: It is a natural product derived from fats, usually as a by-product of soap making. Usually stearin is used in a mixture with paraffin in a ratio of 1 to 10 or 2 to 10, it makes the candle hard, helps the dye to dissolve better and makes the surface of the candles more shiny.
- paraffin. Pros: most inexpensive material, melts at a low temperature - it softens even from the warmth of the hands. Cons: Paraffin candles burn the least brightly, emit some harmful substances when burned, it is a by-product of oil production. For candles, stearin or wax is usually added to paraffin.
- gel. Pros: Burns longer than stearin and paraffin candles.
- soy chips. Pros: environmentally friendly raw materials, low combustion temperature (which means that these candles are less dangerous in everyday life), long term burning. Cons: only sold overseas.

General rules
All candles must be made in a water bath so that the mixture does not overheat. If the candle mixture catches fire, in no case do not put it out with water - just cover the fire with a damp cloth.

Candle molds
Candles can be made directly in molds, such as halves of coconuts (without pulp), shells and shells, beautiful transparent glasses, or candlesticks sculpted from clay yourself. If you are making gel candles, then only transparent forms will do. Another option is to make candles without any containers. In this case, you will need reusable forms. And no matter what fans of the genre “need for inventions are cunning” say, it’s best to order them in an online store. And better abroad - for example, from the American store http://www.candlewic.com. It will be much cheaper than buying forms in Russia (http://vidumshiki.ru), not to mention the huge selection that is not available in Russian stores. Options: round, square, detachable, spherical shapes - which just does not happen in the world. Here is a list of online stores, many of which ship purchases overseas without issue - http://www.candles2buy.com/candle_making.shtml.

The most determined can go to the construction market and buy pieces water pipes- they can be cut to any length, and they will be sold together with a plug. Don't forget to drill a hole in the plug for the wick.

You can make your own form from plaster, repeating the outlines of any object or even molding it from plasticine. You just need to buy gypsum and a thin saw on the market. To do this, lubricate the object that you are going to copy with Vaseline. Prepare a gypsum mixture of powder and water, it should be of the consistency of sour cream. Now pour half of the mixture into any container, let it thicken, and then put an object on top, and from it to the surface of the mold - a cap from a felt-tip pen or something similar. We will need this channel in order to then pour the candle mixture into the mold through it. It remains only to fill the object with the rest of the sweep, let it harden and saw the form into two parts.

Raw Materials
- Two pans so that you can cook candles in a water bath. None glass jars. The pot from which you will pour the candle mixture into the mold should ideally be tall and with a spout - for your convenience.
- Forms for candles.
- Dyes. You can add quite a bit of wax crayons for drawing, grated on a grater, to the candles. Just do not put a lot - otherwise the candles will smoke a lot. Watercolor paints and food coloring are also not suitable. You can use aniline paints or acting makeup, but it is better to buy dyes along with other products in the online store.
- A mixture of paraffin, wax and stearin. You can use ready-made white candles - they are sold in markets and hardware stores, or order mixtures in online stores (see above). They need to be grated on a fine grater. And you can buy separately stearin and paraffin shavings, and mix them in proportions of 1 to 10 or 2 to 10. Add wax at will - quite a bit.
- Wick. General rule says - for candles from natural wax the wick should be "loose", it can be woven from threads. For other candles, it should be tight, and it is better to buy a wick in a specialized store. The wider the base of the candle, the thicker the wick should be. Before pouring the candle mixture into the mold with the wick, you need to dip its tip into the mixture so that it burns better. They strengthen it like this - they pass it through the hole in the form from below and fix it with tape. A round metal holder is needed, if there is no hole, then it can be attached to the bottom of the mold with a drop of wax. The top tip of the wick is wrapped around the pencil and pulled tight so that the wick is in the center of the candle. And the tips of the pencil hold the edges of the form. After the candle has cooled, the wick must be cut off - the longer it is, the more the candle smokes.
- Fragrances. No need to add aromatic oils to candles, candles with them are smoked and smell completely different from what you expect. The stores sell a variety of flavors - there are no problems with this.

How to make candles from paraffin mixture
Step one. What only craftsmen do not smear molds for casting candles: with cream, and petroleum jelly, and oil, and dishwashing detergent. And they don’t even smear anything - and then they put the form in the freezer, so that when the temperature rises, it would be easier to remove the candle. Choose the way you like best. Just remember to wash the molds thoroughly after use.
Step two. Pour the shavings that you bought or received from ready-made candles into a small saucepan, and put them in a saucepan of water. Melt the chips in a water bath, gently stirring the mixture. Once it's hot, turn off the heat and add flavorings and colorings to the mixture.
Step three. Attach the wick to the mold. Make sure that it is pulled quite tight and is in the center of the form.
Step four. You need to pour the mixture into the mold in one go, otherwise the texture of the candle will turn out to be uneven.

If you added coloring, stir the mixture while pouring it into the mold. Otherwise, the paint may settle at the bottom of the candle. You need to cool the candles very carefully - drafts and temperature changes can lead to cracking of the surface of the candles. You can even cover the candle molds with a towel.
Step five. If the paraffin mixture “sets down”, forming an empty space around the wick, you need to heat a little more of the mixture in a water bath and carefully pour it into the hole formed around the wick.

How to make gel candles
The gel is sold as a thick gel. It may seem that he is already ready to become a candle. But that's just how it seems. It must be melted in a water bath and poured into a mold with shells and everything that comes to your mind. The main thing is that these objects cannot catch fire. You can even make a composition of nails or beautiful beads. Attach the wick according to the principle described above.

Ideas
Composition in a glass
Take thin (up to 50 mm) candles that are sold for decorating cakes. For now, put them aside. Take multi-colored candles and keep them in the freezer for half an hour. Then grate them on a fine grater and lay them in layers in a tall glass. Just stick a thin candle in the center of your multi-colored composition - it will become the wick of this unusual candle. And you can use several of these wicks at once - why not.

Candle cutting
Individual masters turn candles into real works of art. The technology looks simple: you need to prepare several containers with hot paraffin of different colors, as well as a bath with cold water. Now you need to take a ready-made candle with a sufficiently wide diameter, and, holding it by the wick, dip it in paraffin, then in water, to create a multilayer candle. The next step is to cut patterns on it so that all this beauty can be seen. Here are examples of such creativity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wQhuyevMc0, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dopSFltncZI , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH8J_aGoTbU.

Candle decoration
Candles lined with cinnamon sticks, shells and straws are made like this. If you decide to make a candle in a palisade of cinnamon or straw sticks, lay them out in a circle of the form as close as possible to each other, and then pour the heated candle mixture into the middle.

Candlestick-herbarium
Small candles in iron stands can be placed in a wax candlestick, through the walls of which, as in amber, they will shine through decorative elements- dried flowers autumn leaves, rose hips, beads, shells. Making it is very simple: you will need two shapes - one is wider, and the other is narrower. Lubricate them with dishwashing detergent or petroleum jelly, put one inside the other and lay out the leaves and other elements in the resulting gap. And then fill them with a heated candle mixture without dye. Inside, you can pour cool water to cool the mixture faster. When the mixture hardens, the candlestick will be ready. Here are photo tips for you: http://www.candletech.com/techniques-and-ideas/hurricane-shells/#intro2 .

Multilayer candles
Everything is simple here. Pour the second layer only after the first is completely dry. Otherwise, air bubbles will form, and this will change the smooth structure of the candle.
After pouring the liquid into the mold, lightly tap the mold on the table to distribute the liquid evenly.

Adviсe
- Very beautiful gel candles are obtained if you pour the colored base into the transparent base already poured into the mold using a syringe.
- If the wick is pre-soaked in a concentrated salt solution, the candle flame will be pale blue.
- Store multi-colored candles in a dark room - they turn pale under the influence of sunlight.
- Cut the wick in time if it starts to smoke.

Individuality in the design of your interior will always be its winning side. Nothing gives it home comfort apartment, like things made by the hands of the owners. And if until now you could not boast of such fruits of needlework, you have a great opportunity to fix it. We suggest you try to make candles with your own hands.

Candles are a wonderful souvenir that, on occasion, can decorate the atmosphere of any family holiday. Candles have long been an attribute of celebration, significant dates, romantic evenings. Yes, just sit in silence, listen to your favorite music under the trembling of a gentle flame - this is sometimes not enough.

For some, a candle is nothing more than a cute piece of decor. And there's nothing wrong with that either. similar products serve as a wonderful decoration in the house. But scented candles can become a real psychotherapeutic tool: they will help create the necessary atmosphere for relaxation, take a person into the world of dreams and pleasant memories.

In addition, a candle is a wonderful gift. The warmth of your hands and the flame of a beautiful candle will best wishes close person. Candles will decorate even the most modest environment, emphasize color scheme your apartment, will become evidence of the owner's excellent taste.

Needless to say, mothers who are on parental leave can even earn extra money on such a pleasant activity. And not only mothers - everyone who is fascinated by the process of creating a candle. And those who wish to acquire such man-made beauty, be sure, there will be.

So, we have many reasons to finally start our creative process. But to make a candle, we need to stock up on certain materials and tools.

Materials for making candles

Indeed, how to make candles with your own hands without special materials? In our work we will need:

Vessel for melting wax
Candle molds
Saucepan (for a water bath)
Sticks (the first is to fasten the wick, the second is to stir the wax)
Decorative elements to decorate the product
Wax crayons
Household candles or stubs of old candles
Paper threads (cotton 100%)

All this will help us create, if not a wax masterpiece, then a beautiful original candle. So let's get started!

Candle wick

Now we have to learn how to make a candle wick with our own hands. We make a gel, paraffin or wax candle, in any case, we will need a wick. In order to make it, we need a natural cotton thread without any impurities. Alternatively, take colored floss as a wick. Looks very cute and unusual.

The thickness and texture of the wick depend primarily on the thickness of that part of the candle that should burn through. For example, there are candles, partly consisting of combustible materials. Only the core burns in them.

For those who are going to cast a candle from wax, you need to take thick threads and twist them not very tightly. Paraffin and gel candles, on the contrary, need a tight weave of threads (otherwise, the wick will smoke when burning).

Wick for wax candles

Wick for gel candles

You need to be attentive to the following detail: if the candle is painted with wax crayons, small chips can clog the wick without dissolving in paraffin or wax. In general, there are a lot of nuances in this matter, be prepared for the fact that you will have to select a wick for a certain type of candle by trial and error.

If you take a very thick wick, excessive melting of the candle is possible, and this is fraught with soot. If you make a very thin wick, it will constantly go out.

There are several design options for the wick: it can be crocheted, braided, twisted with a rope. Before pouring the candle, you can impregnate the thread with wax, or you can do both filling and impregnation at the same time.

If you do not want to waste time making a wick, then use a wick from ready-made household candles.

candle mold

In this matter, your imagination plays a decisive role. You can use any plastic or metal molds that you find cute and appropriate for making candles. Don’t limit yourself to ready-made molds: yogurt packaging, cream jars, baking molds, tins, glasses or mugs that can withstand high temperature heating. Some even use milk tetrapak as a mold for a future candle.

Candles poured into tea cups

Candles made in egg shells

But for your first experience, it's better not to philosophize slyly: take something simple. For example, a glass of yogurt. Be sure to remove the paper label first, as it may catch fire.

We take our glass and in the middle of its bottom we pierce a hole with a thick needle - we insert a ready-made wick there. WITH reverse side cup, the wick must be tied in a knot. In this very place of the knot will be the top of our candle, because filling it will be “upside down”: the knot minimizes the flow of paraffin, stearin or wax through the hole we made at the bottom of the glass.

Go ahead. We need to put any stick across the glass - a toothpick, brush or pencil. On it we need to tie the other end of the wick. It should be placed strictly in the center in a vertical, even position. So, you guarantee yourself that the candle will burn evenly and melt.

Candle coloring

Really beautiful candles you will succeed on the condition that you do not forget to color them. The easiest and most acceptable way is to color candles with simple children's wax crayons.

Do you think it would be wiser to use watercolor or gouache? Indeed, the palette of these colors is richer than the color variety of crayons. But the problem is that both gouache and watercolor are made on a water-soluble basis: these dyes are unsuitable for working with a candle. They do not mix well with wax or paraffin, they can float in them in flakes of an incomprehensible color, and then completely settle to the bottom.

The decoration of candles can and should be carried out only with fat-soluble dyes, and these are our wax crayons.

Often, many craftsmen use lipsticks or shadows in the decoration of candles. If you don't feel sorry for your makeup, please follow their example. But be sure that the scent of lipstick will soar throughout the house, which is far from always pleasant. To many, this smell may seem intrusive.

If you already undertook to make decorative candles with your own hands, it is better to use less aggressive materials. Choosing wax crayons, we dwell on the soft types of this dye. Candles made using mother-of-pearl wax crayons are especially good.

If you come across hard crayons, the procedure for melting them will be difficult. And yes, it's pretty hard to cut them. So, we chose a piece of crayon, with the help of a grater, we cut it off and added this shaving to the wax stubs. Thoroughly mixed the chips and cinders with a stick.

However, there is another coloring option. It is easy to find tableted pigments of different colors in special stores. They can be mixed with each other, dosed. Using such pigments, you will be able to make a truly unusual, bright or delicate candle. Pigments in tablets greatly expand the possibility of obtaining interesting shades.

You should not refuse to use dyes: they give the candle a unique look, create a unique pattern.

Pouring a candle

Now the wick is ready, it's time to fill. We need a regular tin can. It will have to be flattened a little to form a kind of nose. This is necessary in order to facilitate the process of pouring the molten material.

It is better to lubricate the pre-prepared form with a thin layer of dishwashing liquid or a simple vegetable oil. Both of them are equally good.

We need to put the fragments of candles into the jar (the candles must be of the same quality). If we are going to make a paraffin or wax candle, you can take a saucepan or a ladle for melting, which are not very pitiful. In any case, this container must be placed in the pan that will be used as a water bath. In principle, you can use whatever you want, except for glassware.

So, we fill the pot with water, boil the water, and then immerse the container with wax or paraffin there. So our material will melt.

When the material and chips are completely melted, you can start pouring the candle.

We fill the bottom of our mold with wax, let it cool. Do not rush to fill the entire mold at once, otherwise a lot of wax or paraffin may leak out through the hole in the bottom. Wax is poured in layers, what has leaked out is re-sent for remelting. When the candle is already completely filled, it must be cooled. The temperature should be at room temperature.

Many people make a mistake at this point: they try to speed up the cooling process by placing a candle in freezer. In this case, it may spread unevenly.

This is not critical if we fill the candle upside down. If you use another method, then you should leave a little wax in order to fill the depressions next to the wick. And after drying, they will definitely appear.

When the temperature of the candle already becomes equal to the temperature of the room, you need to untie the knot at the bottom of the mold. At this moment, we remove the product itself by gently pulling on the wick.

If this is not possible, the form can be cut. Or put it in the refrigerator for a minute, and then substitute it for a few seconds under hot water.

After that, we cut off the excess part of the wick, leaving a tip of 1 cm. If ugly seams remain from the form, they can be removed hot water. But with these manipulations, the candle may become cloudy, its brilliance may fade. Therefore, the best solution would be to choose a candle shape that does not contain seams.

Do-it-yourself aroma candles

It is quite possible to make scented candles with your own hands. In particular, this is worth doing for those who are true fans of aromatherapy. In order for you to get just aroma candles, you need to add some essential oils before pouring into wax. The choice of oil depends on your taste: you can add any oils, except that you should not take pink. After all, its smell when burning will be suffocating, heavy.

It's great if the decor of the aroma candle matches the plant whose oil we use. For example, taking lavender oil as the basis for the aroma, pink or lilac dyes should prevail in the decor of the candle.

Using laurel or mint oil, it is better to decorate a candle with green shades.

Vanilla or cinnamon will go well with warm, beige-brown candle tones.

Not only oils can make your candle scented, regular coffee is a strong and pleasant scent.

In principle, it is not so difficult to achieve the fragrance of a candle. Aromatic oils are added to paraffin, wax or gel. And then the process of making an aromatic candle is no different from creating an ordinary candle.

Experimenters are advised to mix oils: unusual bouquet flavors are guaranteed. If you are afraid to “fuck up” and synthesize incongruous smells, look at perfume recipes. Follow their directions, just don't add rose oil.

Gel candles

And now let's talk about how to make gel candles with your own hands. In order for us to get gel candles, it is better to use ready-made gel wax. On packages with it, the recipe for creating candles is often written, and you can use it.

For those who are used to doing everything themselves, the following recipe can help:

5 g gelatin
2 g tannin
20 ml water
35 ml glycerin

First we need to dissolve the tannin in the glycerin during the heating process. We continue to heat, adding the remains of glycerin and gelatin to the composition. Add water to the resulting clear solution. Bring the mixture to a boil. Some turbidity of the solution should not frighten you: it will soon disappear. Until the water completely evaporates, you need to boil the solution.

Can also be added to gel candles essential oil, it does not contradict the recipe. A separate, especially pleasant process, decorating gel candles. We freely lay decorative elements at the bottom of any transparent container: beads, beads, pebbles, shells, sequins, coffee beans, dry plant stems or flowers. Then fill everything with gel transparent wax. Such a candle looks simply incredible: transparent, delicate, with a magical pattern inside.

coffee candles

Decorative candles It's also not that hard to make. For example, you can make an original coffee candle. Decor - naturally, coffee beans. The principle of operation is as follows: a small one is inserted into a large form. Between the walls of the two forms, you need to fill in coffee beans, and then fill them with candle mass.

As soon as the mass coffee beans frozen, the walls need to be blown with a hot hairdryer. Thanks to this, excess paraffin will drain, coffee beans will be clearly visible.

So the outer layer with coffee beans is ready. We put it back into the mold, fill it with paraffin / wax of a different color from the inside.

Coffee candles can be:

Sea candles can be made in the same way: instead of grains, they will contain pebbles or seashells. As an option - transparent gel candles with small pebbles or coffee beans.

Candle decoration options

How else can you decorate a candle made by yourself? The first way to give your candle originality is to use unusual, unexpected shapes. Sometimes an interesting shape can be more advantageous than even the most skillful decor. A wonderful element of candle decoration - different kind glass coasters.

In a specialized store you can find special stickers for decoration. Or decoupage is a great way to decorate candles. By the way, it is very fashionable among professional candle makers. Most often, napkins are used as the basis for decoupage. Do not forget about safety: use a special varnish for candles.

For lovers original decor the following would work:

Before pouring, lay out shells, pieces of dried fruit, cinnamon, seeds, dried flowers around the edges of the mold. Or let it be coffee beans in an ensemble with rhinestones and beads. But in the latter case, it would be more appropriate to talk about decor. finished product: we insert decorative elements into melted paraffin / wax.

An already frozen candle can be pasted over with bamboo or cinnamon sticks. You can add star anise stars or all the same coffee beans to them. It will be beautiful decoration for aroma candles.

If you are using dried plants (or any other decorative items that can become combustible), the candle wick should be thin so that the candle only melts in the middle.

In principle, if you have the opportunity to apply for material in specialized stores, there you will get a lot useful tools. For example, markers and contours are sold there, they do not burn, and during smoldering the wick melts together with wax / paraffin.

If you don't want to collect old candle stubs, use paraffin beads or candle gel. In specialized stores, you can even find ready-made wicks (with a metal holder). For floating candles, you can purchase specially formulated wax.

Today, the fantasy of a creative person is practically not constrained by anything: the prices for materials for making candles do not bite, the process is exciting and not as long as it might seem. Having once created a beautiful candle with your own hands, you are unlikely to deny yourself the pleasure of experimenting again.

And for inspiration, we invite you to watch a wonderful video master class on creating carved candles

For the manufacture of candles, you will first need wax - you can use any.
buy powder dye (choose the color you need), a lot of wax (you can buy church candles).
then create a candle mold.
if you need decor candles - i.e. in the form of dogs or squirrels - then first make a mold for such candles.
the shape is made by papier-mâché, i.e. a newspaper is taken, torn into pieces and kneaded with wallpaper glue (klester).
then a figure is taken (on which you will make a candle) and stuck around in several layers with this same paper.
leave this design to dry for a day, then carefully cut the sticky paper in half - and if you don’t mind, then the figure too.
pull the figurine out of the paper, glue the paper evenly, and you will have a prototype of the figurine. make a hole on top, insert a candle thread.
then melt the wax on the fire, add the dye as much as needed.
stir, and holding the thread, pour the wax into the hole.
let it freeze and that's it - the candle is ready.
if you want to make candles often, then you will need to cover the paper structure with plaster and not glue both halves, but simply lean against each other when making candles.

a simple candle is made from a pen into which wax is poured. - an elementary handicraft method.

Additional information on the topic:
It is often not possible to buy suitable candles either by color or by desired form. We make them ourselves.

Wax candles.
I'll start with the source material. To make the candles look beautiful, you need to take a light yellow foundation or yellow drop wax. When selecting wax sheets, make sure that there are no impurities on them, otherwise the candle will crack or burn unevenly.
From a wax sheet, you can twist a candle 26 cm high and 2.5-3 cm in diameter. If the source material is very thin, then the candle quickly warps and loses its shape when burned. If the foundation is too thick, then it is difficult to twist it.
The best place to work is in the kitchen. For safety reasons, wax must be melted in a water bath. This will require two containers: one for wax (it is very practical to use a jug with a spout for this), the other (large saucepan) for a water bath. For wax, the dishes must be enamelled so that when heated, it does not turn gray. In addition, you will need scissors or a sharp knife, as well as a board to cool and dry the wicks.
Twisting candle wax does not require any tools. It is enough to have a clean worktop near the stove or stove, a knife with a straight blade, a long drawing ruler and a cutting pad.
When casting candles from wax, the table should be covered with cardboard or an old tablecloth, or aluminum foil, prepare lubricant, brush, daddy for attaching wicks and various forms for casting.
When working with melted wax, follow simple safety rules: liquid wax ignites at a temperature of 180 ° C, so the container with it cannot be placed directly on the stove; make sure that drops of wax do not fall on it; wax should be melted only in a water bath, since the water temperature will never exceed 100 ° C; take care of your eyes; do not extinguish burning wax with water, but use damp rags for this; workplace ventilate from time to time, as long-term inhalation of wax fumes can cause headache; Keep children away from hot wax.
If drops of wax get on the fabric, they can be removed with a heated iron, placing a clean sheet of white paper under it. If they get on the table or floor, they are removed with a cloth dipped in hot water.
The central element of the candle is the wick, which is woven from thin cotton threads. Wicks are round and flat section. Round wicks have the best hygroscopicity, so I prefer them. The thickness of the wick is chosen depending on the diameter of the candle, but there are no exact recommendations and I can only give approximate correspondences of these indicators.
For thin Christmas tree candles, you need to use the thinnest wick. Wax-wrapped candles generally require a thinner wick than cast candles.
In the manufacture of wax candles, the following ratios of candle and wick diameters can be proposed: candles with a diameter of up to 30 mm must have a wick with a diameter of 2 mm; up to 45 - 4 mm; over 45 - 6-8 mm; over 60 - 10 mm.
In case of insufficient thickness of the wick, it will burn out inner part candles, and large diameter the candle will burn quickly. First, practice choosing the right wick size. After cutting it off, remember that it should protrude about 0.5 cm above the top edge of the candle and stick out a little from below. It is not necessary to soak the entire wick with wax, only its upper tip is enough: it ignites more easily and looks more beautiful.
For impregnation, a little wax is melted, then the end of the wick is immersed in it for a short time and removed, allowing the drops to drain into the pan. After that, the wax is allowed to cool a little, the wick is placed on the board for further drying (by the way, the wick, soaked to the full length, is well suited for lighting many candles on the Christmas tree).
The tip of the wick of a burning candle should be as short as possible - this prolongs its burning time. Therefore, at a lit candle, it is constantly cut off.
To make candles, foundation sheets are first cut along the length into pieces, the width of which is equal to the desired height of the candle. Starting to make a candle, it is necessary to warm up the honeycomb well, then it easily twists and the layers fit snugly together. If the foundation is poorly heated, then significant air gaps form between the layers, which causes rapid and uneven combustion of the candle. The sheets should not be overheated either, as waves can form and the candle is deformed. It is best to hold the foundation for one day in a warm room before starting work. If this is not possible, then the sheets must be heated over the stove by turning them. At the same time, make sure that the impressions of the bee cells are not deformed.
A sheet or piece of foundation is placed on the table so that it faces the worker with its short side, equal to the desired height of the candle. A wick is placed on the edge of the sheet, the impregnated end of which protrudes 0.5 cm outward. Make sure that it lies directly at an angle of 90 ° to the long side of the workpiece. When twisting the edge of the foundation, the wick is firmly pressed against the leaf. Twist the candle with both hands, spreading the fingers slightly to ensure even pressure. Short candles are twisted with one hand. At the same time, they make sure that the upper end of the candle acquires the desired shape: it can be flat, with ledges or even with a slight depression. They are twisted under constant pressure so that there are as few air gaps in the candle as possible. The shape of the end of the candle is determined by the different pressure of both hands: if you increase the pressure right hand, the candle is bent, and the end of the candle on the left side will protrude outward. If you didn’t like the shape of the end or too large voids formed, then you can roll out the foundation back. The last turn of foundation should provide a straight and even edge, otherwise the lower end of the candle will turn out to be uneven and beveled and will have to be bent or cut off. The edge of the foundation is slightly kneaded with your fingers so that the candle does not unwind. The end of the wick protruding from below is bent or cut off.
You can easily make thicker candles from several sheets by winding them on an already made product. In this case, the edge of the new foundation is applied close to the edge of the previous one. A thick candle has more air gaps and crackles when lightly squeezed, but this does not affect its burning.
Wax can also be used to make spiral-shaped candles by cutting the sheet diagonally into two triangles. Side surfaces can be decorated with various elements from thinly cut strips of foundation. The Germans like to decorate candles with small bee figurines that they make themselves or buy in a store.

Wax candles.

In Germany, for casting candles, rigid molds made of plastic or metal are used, which are bought. All of them are equipped with a device for fixing the wick. You can use metal molds for making cookies, cans with a cut off top, various plastic boxes or cups and glasses made of earthenware or porcelain that can withstand temperatures up to 100 ° C. It is easy to make a mold yourself from plaster or other material. Before pouring the wax, the molds must be heated, and their cooling must be slow, for this they are wrapped with a towel.
Before installing the wick in the shape of her inner surface do not forget to lubricate with a substance that will ensure the separation of the wax from the walls. For example, dishwashing liquid. In a mixture of this liquid with warm water and upload the form. Having taken out, make sure that there is no soap bubbles on its surface and wipe it with a damp cloth, but not dry. I do not recommend using vegetable oil, because it leaves a greasy layer that is difficult to remove on the surface. However, if the form is wooden, then it can be oiled. In this case, it is not necessary to impregnate the wick with wax; its upper end can be processed after casting. It is important that the wick is located exactly in the middle of the form and is taut. If the form has a bottom (for example, a tin can), then it is necessary to make a hole in it and pass the wick through it, tying it with a knot on the outside. Place, for example, a pencil on the upper edge of the mold and tie the other end of the wick to it with tension. If a hole cannot be made in the bottom of the mold, then the wick is glued to the bottom. If the form does not have a bottom, then it is glued with wax to a plastic surface (for example, to cutting board) so that there are no gaps at the bottom. Don't forget to grease the bottom of the mold. The wick is also glued to the bottom, and fixed on top.
Wax melts at 64°C. It is best to pour it into molds at a temperature of 80 ° C in one step to avoid the formation of seams. The scoop is used only when working with small forms. After pouring, the wax cools in the direction from the outer surface to the center. At this time, a hole is formed around the wick, which must be filled with wax until it hardens. When casting thick candles, as the wax cools, it must be pierced several times with a needle along the length of the wick to avoid the formation of air bubbles. Wax must cool slowly, otherwise the candle may crack.
Thin candles can be carefully removed from the collapsible mold when the wax is half hardened. With the help of a heated knife, the growths formed at the junction of the mold are cut off from the surface of the product. Then the candle is placed on the table for further cooling. At the same time, sharp censorship of air temperature and shaking should be avoided. The form is cleaned of wax and washed with dishwashing liquid. If a non-separable form is used, then it is necessary to wait for the complete cooling and hardening of the wax, which sometimes takes a whole day. Since the wax shrinks a little, the cooled finished candle is pulled by the wick, not forgetting to untie the knot from below. If the candle does not come out, you can gently tap the mold on the table. If this does not help, then it is briefly dipped in hot water. It is easier to remove a candle from a mold without a bottom; for this, they use a knife or squeeze it out with some object.
There is also a way to make wax candles by repeatedly dipping the wick in wax and gradually building up the candle. This method is the oldest. In this case, the dishes for melting should be taken high and narrow, which will allow you to get long candles. But the container should not be filled with wax to the very brim, and the water in the second pan should not boil. The work requires patience. The wick is tied to a stick and repeatedly dipped in melted wax. The dipping should be short to avoid melting the previous build-up. Then the workpiece is kept in air until each new wax layer hardens. This way it happens. gradual growth of the candle.
You can take a wider pan and dip several wicks tied to a stick into it at once. In this case, however, you will need a stand for hanging sticks with future candles for drying. Candles made in this way have a conical shape, they are kept for one to two years before use. In Germany, they are very much appreciated, they are installed in candlesticks at Christmas.
In conclusion, I would like to say that candles can be decorated with relief ornaments and drawings made with the help of simple devices, as well as bees, flowers, etc. cast from wax.
1. Production of stearin candles without the use of presses and other machines.

Heat 10-12% good fat in clean boiled water. When melted, put out the fire and let the fat stand until a thin film forms on the surface. Then add 2% soda solution 30 ° B and mix until the mass acquires the consistency of cold soap. Re-ignite the fire and bring the mixture to a boil. When boiled, the soap decomposes again and a flaky precipitate is formed, containing impurities contained in the fat. If you let the fat stand for a while, it becomes transparent and almost colorless. In this state, it can be successfully used to lubricate machines, but for the manufacture of candles, it requires further processing, since it still contains traces of soap. It is placed in a copper cauldron and cleaned with acidified water 1-2% B. As long as the fat contains traces of soap, a foam appears on the surface that does not dissolve. Acidified water is added until the foam completely disappears. But it is better to do a test to be sure that the soap has decomposed. For this purpose, take a small amount of liquid from the bottom of the boiler and make a test using litmus paper. If it does not turn red, then boiling should continue with the further addition of acidified water. If the litmus paper turns red, then the fat is allowed to settle, after which the acidic water is drained off and the fat is boiled again with fresh water.
The olein and stearin are then separated as follows: a double-bottom kettle is taken, which is placed at a distance of 10 cm from the actual bottom of the kettle. The double bottom is provided with holes 1.25 cm in diameter, and there is a tap between the upper and lower bottoms. Equal parts of lard and boiling water are placed in the cauldron and the cauldron is covered with a lid to prevent too much cooling. The mass is allowed to stand for two or three days, depending on the quantity, until the thermometer, immersed in upper layer fat, will not show a temperature of 22 ° -25 ° C. Then the tap opens and first water flows out of the lower room, then olein, while the crystallized stearin remains on the double bottom and is ready to be molded from it into candles. This is done in the same way as making tallow candles, but at a higher temperature. A mass that looks like milk must be stirred all the time.

2. Tallow candles.

To make the tallow candles harder, it is recommended to dip the candles sequentially in the following three mixtures:
I. Melt 4 white resin, 88 good fat, 6 camphor, 20 stearic acid, 2 dammar resin.
II. Melt 48 lard, 6 camphor, 20 stearic acid, 4 white resin, 10 dammar resin.
III. Melt 20 stearic acid, 4 white wax, 10 lard, 6 camphor.

3. Candles from fat.

a) Dissolve 450 g of alum and 450 g of saltpeter in 2 liters of water over low heat. Add 5400 g of fat, stirring constantly, until all the fat has dissolved. Do not leave too long on fire, as the fat may darken.
b) Cut 8 kg of fat into small pieces, put in a pot along with 250 g of alum and 250 g of saltpeter, previously dissolved in 0.5 water over low heat. Stir constantly over low heat until all fat is dissolved. Let it simmer until the steam stops rising, then remove from heat.

4. Glycerin suppositories according to Laroche.

Dissolve 5 colorless gelatin in 20 water, add 26 glycerol and heat until a completely clear solution is formed. To this solution is added 2 tannins dissolved by heating in 10 glycerol. A turbidity appears, which disappears with further boiling. Boiling continues until all the water has evaporated. Candles made from such a composition are transparent, like water, and burn calmly, without spreading any smell.

5. Imitation of wax candles.

Throw quicklime into the melted mutton fat. The lime will fall to the bottom and carry away all the dirt from the fat with it, so that the fat will turn out clean as wax. If you add 1 part of beeswax to 3 parts of this fat, you will get excellent candles, reminiscent of wax. Immerse the wicks in a solution of 28 g of saltpeter and 125 g of lime in 2 liters of water. Thanks to this, the candles burn better, and the fat does not drain.

6. Colored candles.

The following dyes are used to color candles:
a) Blue: Prussian blue, ultramarine, blue vitriol, aniline blue.
b) Reds: carmine, alkane root, aniline red.
c) Yellow: chrome yellow, naphthalene yellow (aniline).
d) Green: a mixture of blue and yellow paints. When painting with aniline paints, paints that are soluble in fats should be taken.

7. Scented candles.

A small amount of a suitable aromatic substance is introduced into the material from which candles are made (wax, fat or wick). Camphor, benzoin, balsam of Peru, cascarilla, essential oils, etc. are most suitable for this purpose. Only one should not add too many aromatic substances, otherwise the candles will smoke and give little light.

8. Durable candles "Adamantine".

100 lamb fat, 2.5 camphor, 4 beeswax, 2 alum.

9. Transparent candles "Diafan".

Steam 5 vegetable wax, 3 pressed mutton fat, 11 stearic acid.

10. Wicks for candles.

In order for the candles to burn better and the fat does not drain, several methods are recommended:
a) Dip the wicks in a solution of lime water, to which saltpeter is added: for 5.5 water, take 85 g of saltpeter and 300 g of lime. Dry the wicks before use.
b) Prepare a solution of 85 g of borax, 45 g of calcium chloride, 45 g of saltpeter and 45 g of ammonium chloride in 4.5 liters of water and filter. Soak the wicks in this solution, then dry.
c) Soak the wick for several hours in the cold in a solution of 1 kg boric acid in 37 liters of water.
d) Prepare a solution of 4 kg of boric acid, 2.5 kg of sulfuric acid in 370 liters of water. Proceed as in the previous recipe.
e) Dissolve 10 g of ammonium chloride and 10 g of sodium nitrate in 7 liters of water. The wicks are soaked in this solution for 10-15 minutes at the boil and then dried at 40-50°C.
e) Place the wicks for 24 hours in a bath of sulfuric acid and 100 times its weight of water. Dry at low temperature and put in another bath consisting of 12.5 kg of boric acid, 9 kg of ammonium sulfate and 370 liters of water. The wicks are then dried in a warm room.

TECHNOLOGY OF MANUFACTURING CANDLES CLEAR AS WATER
Absolutely transparent, like water, candles can be obtained in the following way: 5 parts of colorless gelatin are dissolved in 20 parts of water, then 25 parts of glycerin are added and the mixture is heated until a clear solution is obtained. To it is added 2 parts of tannin, dissolved by heating 10 parts of glycerin. A turbid solution is formed, but the turbidity disappears with further boiling of the mixture. The finished mass is poured into ordinary candle molds. These candles burn quietly, and without bad smell.
To make thin candles, it is enough to make a wick and lower it into the molten mass. Then raise, give time for the mass to solidify on the wick and lower again. And so several times, until the desired thickness of the candle is obtained.
Various fragrances can be added to the wick.
P.S. When buying tannin (in a pharmacy), ask if it is soluble in water. You only need one that is soluble. Nothing will work with the insoluble. Proven in practice.

soap candle

I'll try to make my own stearin candle using a piece of laundry soap. And then we'll learn how to turn stearin into soap.
With a knife, cut from half a piece of laundry soap and put it in a clean tin can (or in your used saucepan). Pour in enough water to cover the soap chips, and place the mixture in a water bath. Stir the contents of the saucepan from time to time. wooden stick so that the soap dissolves quickly in the water. When this finally happens, remove the vessel from the fire (of course, not with your bare hand) and pour vinegar into it. Under the action of acid, a thick white mass will stand out from the solution and float to the surface. This is stearin - a translucent mixture of several substances, mainly stearic C17H35COOH and palmitic C15H31COOH acids. It is impossible to name the exact composition, it depends on the substances that went into the preparation of soap.
From stearin, as is known from fiction making candles. Or rather, they did it before, because now candles are mostly not stearin, but paraffin - paraffin obtained from oil is cheaper and more accessible. But as soon as we have stearin at our disposal, we will prepare a candle from it.
That, by the way, is a fun activity in itself! When the jar is completely cool, scoop the stearin off the surface with a spoon and transfer it to a clean bowl. Rinse the stearin two to three times with water and wrap in a clean white cloth or filter paper to absorb. excess moisture. When the stearin is completely dry, let's start with a candle. Here is perhaps the most npoctoy trick: a thick twisted thread, for example from a wick for a kerosene stove, dip repeatedly into slightly warmed molten stearin, each time allowing the stearin to harden on the wick. Proceed in this way until a candle of sufficient thickness grows on the wick. This good way, although somewhat tedious; in any case, in ancient times, candles were often prepared in this way.
There is a simpler way: immediately coat the wick with stearin heated to soften (it can even be freshly cooked, not yet cooled down). But in this case, the wick will be worse saturated with fusible mass and the candle will turn out not very good, although it will burn.
For beautiful figured candles, manufacturing methods are not easy. And first of all, you need to make a form - wooden, plaster, metal. In this case, too, it is desirable to impregnate the wick first with one or two layers of stearin; then it is fixed in the form so that it passes exactly in the middle. It is desirable that the wick be slightly taut. And after that, hot stearin is poured into the mold.
By the way, in this way you can make candles from paraffin, i.e., in fact, from purchased candles, by melting them and giving them the shape that you like. However, we warn you - you will have to tinker ...
Having received a candle from soap, we will carry out the experiment in the opposite direction: we will prepare soap from a candle. Only not from paraffin, soap cannot be made from it at all. But if you are sure that the candle is stearic, then you can safely cook from it. laundry soap. Natural beeswax is also suitable.
Heat a few fragments of a stearin candle in a water bath, hot enough, but not brought to a boil. When the stearin is completely melted, add a concentrated solution of washing (soda ash) to it. The resulting white viscous mass is soap. Hold it for a few more minutes in a water bath, and then, putting on a mitten or wrapping your hand in a towel so as not to burn yourself, pour the still hot mass into any form - at least in Matchbox. When the soap has hardened, take it out of the box.
It will not be difficult to make sure that this is soap and that it washes. Just please don't use it to wash your hands. After all, we do not know how pure the substances that were part of the candle were.
BASIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CANDLE MAKING

Don't try to go the easy route when making candles for magical purposes. Do not use wax from already burnt candles and a regular cord instead of a thin candle. In the old days, wicks were made from rolled fibers of cotton, milkweed, timothy stalks or tow. A properly made wick is very important for a candle to burn evenly. The thickness of the candle depends on the number of threads from which it is made. For a candle with a diameter of 1-3 inches, a wick of 15 strands is required. For a candle with a diameter of 4 inches - a wick of 24 threads, and for a candle with a diameter of more than 4 inches - of 30 threads.
Currently, in most cases, instead of wax, a mixture of paraffin and stearin or stearic acid is used. Church candles contain 48 percent paraffin and 52 percent beeswax, while conventional candles contain 70 percent paraffin, 20 percent stearic acid and 10 percent beeswax (or 90 percent paraffin and 10 percent stearic acid). Of course, it is better if you manage to find the wax that is used to make church candles.
It is best to melt the wax in a steamer or electric oven (never use glassware). Most types of wax melt at a temperature of 29-111° Celsius (the boiling point of water is 100° Celsius). Beeswax melts at a temperature of 48-50° Celsius. Be especially careful when melting wax over an open flame, as it may ignite. To be safe, use a steamer or electric oven. If you need to set fire to the wax, put it out baking soda(keep it in an open box at hand), but not with water!
It is helpful to have a thermometer handy to monitor the temperature of the wax. Get a metal stem thermometer with a scale on the top, available from lab supply stores. The stem of such a thermometer can be used to stir the wax. (Warning: Overheated wax releases a toxic by-product called acrolein, which is harmful to the medulla oblongata. Make sure the room is well ventilated when making candles.)

COLORING CANDLES

Do not attempt to color candles with watercolors or food coloring. If you decide to take the process of making candles seriously, use powdered paints, aniline paints on oil based or natural colorants. Sometimes wax pencils, Tintex and Rit dyes are used. The easiest to use "wax pencils, but they have their drawbacks. The main one is that you may experience chemical reaction, which will destroy the wick. Other dyes often color the wax unevenly. It is best to use dyes that are soluble in wax. Look for candle dyes at leisure stores. Powdered paints are ideal for coloring candles. Keep in mind that most wax dyes lighten as they dry, so experiment to find out how much dye to add.

I strongly recommend that you try natural dyes. With the exception of dyeing with indigo, the basic method for dyeing candles is simple: place the dye (flowers, leaves) in a nylon bag and place it in melted wax. The lower part of old nylon tights is ideal for making a bag. Most fresh vegetable dyes give the wax a rich color in about an hour. If after this time the wax is not colored enough, remove the bag and replace it with another one with fresh dye. Heat the wax along with the bag until the wax is the desired color. If the shade is too saturated, add a little more wax, and it will become lighter.

When dyeing wax with indigo, first add stearic acid to the hot wax, and then place a small muslin bag with a tablespoon of indigo powder into it.

Stearic acid is essential for color extraction.
Joe Lomolder, an experienced candle maker, suggests using natural dyes in the following proportions per pound of wax:
Fresh leaves or buds - 2 tightly packed glasses
Fresh green walnut or california nut skins - 1/2 cup
Lichens - 1/4 cup.
Osage orange root - 1/2 cup thin outer husk
In addition, Joe Lomolder compiled a table of natural dyes.

natural materials for coloring wax

Color - Plant - Parts of the plant used
1) Beige - Silver Royal Artemisia - All Parts
2) Pinkish Beige - Bloody Root - Root
The same - Prickly ash - Unripe fruits
3) Blue - Indigo - Powder
4) Dark Brown - California Walnut - Green Peel
5) Golden - Nivyanik - Flowers
Same - Lichen - All parts
Same - Evergreen Cat's Paw Leaves and Flowers
6) Copper golden - Walnut- Green peel
7) Old gold - Black-eyed - Flowers
Gray - Lichen - All parts
9) Green - Tansy - Leaves
10) Greyish Green - Ambrosia - Flowers
The same - Voskovnitsa - Fruits
11) Olive Green - Garden Sage - Flowers
Same - Rosemary - Leaves
12) Orange - Osage orange - Outer root husk
13) Golden Orange - Myrrh - All Parts
14) Pink - Cochineal - Powder
15) Red - Cochineal - Powder
16) Yellow - Lichen - All Parts
17) Golden yellow - African marigolds - Flowers

Individuality in the design of your interior will always be its winning side. Nothing gives home comfort to an apartment like things made by the hands of the owners. And if until now you could not boast of such fruits of needlework, you have a great opportunity to fix it. We suggest you try to make candles with your own hands.

Candles are a wonderful souvenir that, on occasion, can decorate the atmosphere of any family holiday. Candles have long been an attribute of celebration, significant dates, romantic evenings. Yes, just to sit in silence, listen to your favorite music under the trembling of a gentle light - this is sometimes not enough.

For some, a candle is nothing more than a cute piece of decor. And there is nothing wrong with this either, such products serve as a wonderful decoration in the house. But scented candles can become a real psychotherapeutic tool: they will help create the necessary atmosphere for relaxation, take a person into the world of dreams and pleasant memories.

In addition, a candle is a wonderful gift. The warmth of your hands and the flame of a beautiful candle will be the best wish for a loved one. Candles will decorate even the most modest environment, emphasize the color scheme of your apartment, and become evidence of the owner's excellent taste.

So, we have many reasons to finally start our creative process. But to make a candle, we need to stock up on certain materials and tools.

Materials for making candles

Indeed, how to make candles with your own hands without special materials? In our work we will need:

Vessel for melting wax
Candle molds
Saucepan (for a water bath)
Sticks (the first is to fasten the wick, the second is to stir the wax)
Decorative elements to decorate the product
Wax crayons
Household candles or stubs of old candles
Paper threads (cotton 100%)

All this will help us create, if not a wax masterpiece, then a beautiful original candle. So let's get started!

Candle wick

Wick for wax candles

Wick for gel candles

If you take a very thick wick, excessive melting of the candle is possible, and this is fraught with soot. If you make a very thin wick, it will constantly go out.

If you do not want to waste time making a wick, then use a wick from ready-made household candles.

candle mold

In this matter, your imagination plays a decisive role. You can use any plastic or metal molds that you find cute and appropriate for making candles. Don’t limit yourself to ready-made molds: yogurt packaging, cream jars, baking molds, tins, glasses or mugs that can withstand high temperatures can also play their role. Some even use milk tetrapak as a mold for a future candle.

Candles poured into tea cups

Candles made in egg shells

But for your first experience, it's better not to philosophize slyly: take something simple. For example, a glass of yogurt. Be sure to remove the paper label first, as it may catch fire.

We take our glass and in the middle of its bottom we pierce a hole with a thick needle - we insert a ready-made wick there. On the back of the cup, the wick must be tied with a knot. In this very place of the knot will be the top of our candle, because filling it will be “upside down”: the knot minimizes the flow of paraffin, stearin or wax through the hole we made at the bottom of the glass.

Go ahead. Across the glass we need to put any stick - a toothpick, brush or pencil. On it we need to tie the other end of the wick. It should be placed strictly in the center in a vertical, even position. So, you guarantee yourself that the candle will burn evenly and melt.

Candle coloring

You will get really beautiful candles on the condition that you do not forget to paint them. The easiest and most acceptable way is to color candles with simple children's wax crayons.

The decoration of candles can and should be carried out only with fat-soluble dyes, and these are our wax crayons.

You should not refuse to use dyes: they give the candle a unique look, create a unique pattern.

Pouring a candle

It is better to lubricate the pre-prepared form with a thin layer of dishwashing liquid or simple vegetable oil. Both of them are equally good.

So, we fill the pot with water, boil the water, and then immerse the container with wax or paraffin there. So our material will melt.

When the material and chips are completely melted, you can start pouring the candle.

Many people make a mistake at this point: they try to speed up the cooling process by placing a candle in the freezer. In this case, it may spread unevenly.

If this is not possible, the form can be cut. Or put it in the refrigerator for a minute, and then put it under hot water for a few seconds.

After that, we cut off the excess part of the wick, leaving a tip of 1 cm. If ugly seams remain from the form, they can be removed with hot water. But with these manipulations, the candle may become cloudy, its brilliance may fade. Therefore, the best solution would be to choose a candle shape that does not contain seams.

Do-it-yourself aroma candles

Using laurel or mint oil, it is better to decorate a candle with green shades.

Vanilla or cinnamon will go well with warm, beige-brown candle tones.

Not only oils can make your candle scented, regular coffee is a strong and pleasant scent.

Experimenters are advised to mix oils: an unusual bouquet of aromas is guaranteed to you. If you are afraid to “fuck up” and synthesize incongruous smells, look at perfume recipes. Follow their directions, just don't add rose oil.

Gel candles

For those who are used to doing everything themselves, the following recipe can help:

5 g gelatin

2 g tannin

20 ml water

35 ml glycerin

First we need to dissolve the tannin in the glycerin during the heating process. We continue to heat, adding the remains of glycerin and gelatin to the composition. Add water to the resulting clear solution. Bring the mixture to a boil. Some turbidity of the solution should not frighten you: it will soon disappear. Until the water completely evaporates, you need to boil the solution.

Essential oil can also be added to gel candles, this does not contradict the recipe. A separate, especially pleasant process, decorating gel candles. We freely lay decorative elements at the bottom of any transparent container: beads, beads, pebbles, shells, sequins, coffee beans, dry plant stems or flowers. Then fill everything with gel transparent wax. Such a candle looks simply incredible: transparent, delicate, with a magical pattern inside.

coffee candles

Decorative candles are also easy to make. For example, you can make an original coffee candle. Decor - naturally, coffee beans. The principle of operation is as follows: a small one is inserted into a large form. Between the walls of the two forms, you need to fill in coffee beans, and then fill them with candle mass.

As soon as the mass with coffee beans has frozen, the walls need to be blown with a hot hairdryer. Thanks to this, excess paraffin will drain, coffee beans will be clearly visible.

So the outer layer with coffee beans is ready. We put it back into the mold, fill it with paraffin / wax of a different color from the inside.

Coffee candles can be:

Sea candles can be made in the same way: instead of grains, they will contain pebbles or seashells. As an option - transparent gel candles with small pebbles or coffee beans.

Candle decoration options

For lovers of original decor, the following option is suitable:

Before pouring, lay out shells, pieces of dried fruit, cinnamon, seeds, dried flowers around the edges of the mold. Or let it be coffee beans in an ensemble with rhinestones and beads. But in the latter case, it would be more appropriate to talk about the decor of the finished product: we insert decorative elements into melted paraffin / wax.

An already frozen candle can be pasted over with bamboo or cinnamon sticks. You can add star anise stars or all the same coffee beans to them. It will be a beautiful decoration for aroma candles.

If you are using dried plants (or any other decorative items that can become combustible), the candle wick should be thin so that the candle only melts in the middle.

In principle, if you have the opportunity to apply for material in specialized stores, there you will acquire a lot of useful tools. For example, markers and contours are sold there, they do not burn, and during smoldering the wick melts together with wax / paraffin.