Toilet      06/15/2019

Glitter candles with their own hands. How to beautifully decorate a candle with your own hands - stylish ideas and photos for inspiration. What you need to make a candle with your own hands

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 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'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. 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.

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 optimal 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 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 coffee beans frozen, the walls need to be blown with a hot hairdryer. Thanks to this, excess paraffin will drain, the 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 decor for candles - 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

Categories

Candles became popular in the Middle Ages. They were only people with wealth because their price was very high. They were made from different material, it could be paper or papyrus, various plants and fat. Then the North American colonists figured out how to get wax. After that, a lot of different experiments and experiments were carried out, but the expected result was not there. This lasted until paraffin was invented. Since then, candles have been made from it.

DIY candle molds

Forms for candles can be very different, it will depend only on your imagination and mood. For this, various transparent glass jars, cups that you have in the kitchen, containers from under baby food and yogurts, small boxes that are made of thick cardboard. You can also use orange and lemon peel. Also you can do plaster mold for candles, for this you need to fill the figurine of an animal or flower with plaster and wait until it hardens.

Wick

The wick can be purchased at a special store, taken from a candle that you have, or you can make it yourself. There are two options.

Materials that will be needed for work:

  • bamboo sticks or cork sticks;
  • sunflower oil, olive oil can also be used;
  • napkins;
  • scissors.

First you need to cut the stick, the length you need. Then place the resulting stick in a sunflower or olive oil for twenty minutes. This is necessary in order for the wick to burn longer. After that, remove the stick and lightly blot with a napkin. Your wick is ready.

Second option. Here the wick will be made from cotton thread. Necessary materials for work:

  • floss thread or cotton thread;
  • water;
  • salt;
  • borax.

You need to cut off a couple of strips of cotton thread. Then take a glass and mix in it three tablespoons of borax and one tablespoon of salt. After that, dip strips of thread into a glass and leave them there for twelve hours. After this time has passed, the threads will need to dry well.

When the threads are dry, weave them together and dip them in wax or paraffin. After drying, the wick will be ready.

Flavors

Essential oils can be used for this. When the candle burns, they will evaporate and permeate the air. pleasant aromas, which, in most cases, have a good effect on the body. You can mix oils and get candles for different purposes, some can be for relaxation and excitement, while others can be uplifting. The more oil is added to the candle, the brighter its smell will be. But if you make a candle with your own hands from natural wax Do not use fragrances.

Dyes

This component is optional, since you can make a candle without it. But if you decide to make your candles bright, you can use wax crayons that children use to draw on asphalt. Before use, it must be crushed into small crumbs, and then added to the melted mass for the candle. still exist liquid food coloring, but they are not suitable for our candles, because they are based on water. You can replace them oil paints or special paints that are sold in stores where there is everything for candle making.

How to make a candle at home

DIY wax candles

Necessary materials:

  • wax or paraffin, at your discretion;
  • form;
  • flavorings and dyes, if you decide to use them;
  • a container for a water bath and a pot of water;
  • wick;
  • sticks that will support the wick;
  • glue gun.

Making candles.

First of all, you need to decide on the form into which the wax will be poured. Then install a wick in this form. The wick must be glued to the bottom of the form, by using glue gun and fix his wand, and if there is no wand, then you can use an ordinary drawing pencil.

After you have fixed the wick, you need to make a mass for the candle. To do this, wax or paraffin is melted in a water bath. As soon as the mass takes on a liquid form, you can add flavorings and dyes to it.

The last step in the work will be pouring the mass into molds. In order for it to take on a shape such as you want, it needs to harden, this will take several hours. After your hardening original candle will be ready.

DIY gel candles at home

They can be a wonderful gift or souvenir. They smell very nice and burn much longer than paraffin or wax ones. Moreover, the container in which the candle will be made, after it burns out, can be used for other purposes. How to make candles with your own hands will tell further.

Materials for work:

  • gelatin, it should be colorless;
  • glycerin and tannin;
  • ink that has different colors;
  • essential oil that you prefer;
  • glass container;
  • wick;
  • miscellaneous items

Making candles.

The first thing to do is add five parts gelatin to twenty parts water. Then twenty-five parts of glycerin are placed in this mass and it is all heated over low heat until transparent.

Bye gelatin and glycerin heated to dissolve the tannin. To do this, you need to take two parts of tannin and ten parts of glycerin, after mixing, add to the total mass. The mixture should boil until it becomes clear.

If you want the candle to be bright and beautiful, add ink, the color of the candle will depend on its color. After that, essential oils are added.

To decorate a candle, you need to put decorations on the bottom of the mold, it can be beads, various beads, shells and even pieces of fruit.

After that, the wick is fixed in the form, it is necessary that it be in the middle. Then the mass is poured and left to solidify. beautiful candle, after hardening it will be ready for use.

You can use whatever you like for this. If you are making an aroma candle, you can use pieces of fruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits will do. But before that, the fruits must be dried, this can be done in the oven at seventy degrees.

You can also use different ribbons, threads for decoration and lace as decoration. But you need to be careful with this decor material, as it ignites easily. It is best to mount it on a candlestick.

Candles self made can be decorated with cones, coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, different beads, printed photos. How your candle will be decorated depends only on your imagination and desire.

Modern production of candles is not only the production of necessary household items. This is a real art, striking with a flight of thought and unlimited imagination. Modern candles are real decorative and interior elements that can easily replace works of art. Today candle making has become a favorite hobby among many people. The thing is that candles are made easily, do not require a lot of expensive material, but the field for imagination is unlimited.

What you need to make a candle with your own hands

To make a candle, we need paraffin wax. It can be bought at specialized craft stores, as well as at hardware stores. Paraffin can be taken from old, unburned or broken candles. Instead of paraffin, you can take beeswax. This natural material, which, when burned, purifies and disinfects the air. However, it is not amenable to coloring and flavoring. IN Lately soy wax is gaining popularity. It dries quickly, burns for a long time and is easy to clean.

Pay attention to where you will be working. Prepare working space and cover it with old oilcloth or newspaper. We will need a saucepan for a water bath, an old bowl, a wick and a thermometer. As a wick, you can use a thin rope or a paper bundle. You can decorate the candle with decorative elements - Christmas tree branches, shells and beautiful stones. Don't forget about dyes - it's better to use dyes on oil based, food will not work. Adding at a certain stage aroma oils you give the candles a special charm - when burning, a pleasant smell will come from them.

How to make a candle

  1. Fill a pot with water and put on fire. It will be needed for a water bath. It is impossible to heat wax on an open fire - it burns and evaporates.
  2. Grind the paraffin into shavings and place in an old aluminum bowl. Keep in mind that paraffin is practically not washed off, so it is advisable to have a separate vessel for making candles.
  3. Paraffin needs to be planed, you should not put the wax in a single piece - it will melt for a very long time. Place a small container in a pot of boiling water and wait for the wax to melt.
  4. Have warm, soapy water and a damp cloth handy just in case. If wax gets on a table or stove, it will need to be wiped down immediately.
  5. Use a thermometer when heating wax. Craft shops sell a special thermometer for making decorative candles. If you have not found such a thermometer, you can use the usual confectionery analogue.
  6. Wax usually melts at a temperature of 85-90 degrees. It is very important to monitor the temperature so as not to overheat the wax. If you let it get hotter than it should, it can start to boil and then just ignite.
  7. Wax melting is a fire hazardous process. Carefully monitor the melting of paraffin and do not trust the process to children without adult supervision. If the wax catches fire, it cannot be extinguished with water, use a rag to do this.
  8. If you are burning wax from old used candles, you need to pay attention to whether there are old wicks in the mass. Remove them with tongs if necessary.
  9. When the wax becomes liquid, flavoring and dye must be added to it. You can add several colors and do not mix much to get a candle with multi-color streaks.
  10. Prepare the candle mold. Usually the form is a glass cup with transparent or patterned walls. It is necessary to fix the wick in it so that it is in a straight state strictly in the center. To do this, one end of the wick must be fixed on a round tin plane the size of a penny. The second end of the wick is tied to a stick, which holds it in a vertical position.
  11. If you want to dilute the candle with decor, it's time to fill the mold with them. It is best to place them as close as possible to the walls of the form, so that after the wax hardens they can be seen.
  12. The wax mass is carefully poured into the candle mold. In this case, you need to ensure that the wick does not move.
  13. Wax and paraffin harden depending on the density of the raw material. Usually homemade candles freeze 10-12 hours. But it is best to withstand the day, the longer the candle hardens, the better it will burn. There is no need to put a candle in the refrigerator.

After hardening, the candle can be used. Before doing this, do not forget to trim the wick, leaving a small tail for burning. The candle can be pulled out of the mold or left to be used directly in it. Candles own production can be a nice and original gift.

This is interesting! If you add scented citronella oil to the wax when making a candle, the candle will repel mosquitoes when burned. It is safe, simple and effective method protection from annoying insects.

Gel candles are gaining popularity due to their lightness and original design. Decorating gel candles is a pleasure, because the transparent structure allows all decoration elements to be visible. Consider how to make a gel candle.

  1. In the craft and needlework store, you need to buy a special gel for making candles. It can be transparent or colored. You can mix several colors to get the desired shade.
  2. We heat the gel in the same way as paraffin. The gel becomes liquid at 100 degrees.
  3. We lower the wick into the prepared form in the same way as in the previous description. Lower the decorative elements to the bottom - buttons, pieces of dried citrus fruits, toys, beads - anything. Please note that the elements for decoration must be non-flammable.
  4. Pre-wash the decorative elements and dry them dry. Some decorations can be placed on the bottom, while others can be added to the candle as the melted gel is poured. They will remain as if floating in space.
  5. Arrange the decor elements so that they are not located close to the wick. Maintain a distance of at least one centimeter from the wick.
  6. Sometimes after the candle solidifies, bubbles form inside the gel. To avoid this, the mold must be heated. This can be done by dipping it in hot water or using a hair dryer. If you lowered the form into water, do not forget to dry it thoroughly after that. If, on the contrary, you want to decorate the candle with a lot of bubbles and focus on this, you need to cool the mold first in the freezer.

After hardening, the gel candle can not be used earlier than a day later.

  1. As interesting idea you can use the gel of several colorful shades. To do this, pour some gel on the bottom of the mold and wait a few minutes for it to set. After that, pour the gel of a different shade into the container. So you can combine colors and make a bright striped candle. If you want colors to have smooth transition you don't have to wait long for it to dry. In this case, they will blend at the border of the color. If you want to get clear boundaries, it's worth waiting a little longer. However, do not overexpose the composition, otherwise, after complete solidification, a whitish film may form on the surface - it will spoil appearance candles.
  2. You can make a natural candle from lemon peel. To do this, cut the lemon in half, carefully cut out the pulp. Add cloves, lavender essential oil and a sprig of rosemary while melting into the gel. The melted gel must be poured into the mold and allowed to cool. It will turn out a beautiful and fragrant fruit candle.
  3. In order for a pleasant aroma to come from the finished candle when burning, you need to add coffee beans to the melted wax. After you pour the wax into the mold, decorate the top of the candle with an original pattern of grains.
  4. You can make a candle with your own photos. To do this, print the photo on tracing paper and cut out the image. After that, attach the picture to the candle and heat it with a hair dryer. After a while, the drawing will begin to be transferred to the candle. So you can make candles with any pattern or picture.

Exquisite decorative candles can change the atmosphere in the house. Handmade candles make the interior warm and cozy.

Video: how to make transparent gel candles

People have been using candles for a long time. Previously, they served to illuminate the premises, and now they are an element of decor and a way to create a romantic, festive or cozy atmosphere.

You can find many in stores different types candles, ranging from the simple to the whimsical. Similar decorations can be made independently from simple materials. Making decorative candles does not require financial costs and does not take much time, but by showing imagination and putting a piece of your soul into your product, you can create a unique thing that will bring joy to you and your family.

What will be required

candle material. Wax, paraffin or stearin. For people who are new to candle making, it is best to start with paraffin wax, as it is easier to work with. Paraffin can be bought or obtained from white household candles or their remains.

Stearin is easily obtained from laundry soap. Grate the soap on a coarse grater or cut it with a knife. Place the chips in a metal container, fill with water so that the liquid covers it and send it to melt in a water bath. When the soap has dissolved, take it off the heat and add the vinegar. A thick mass will float to the surface, which must be collected with a spoon after cooling. This mass is stearin, it must be washed several times under water and wrapped in a clean cloth to remove excess moisture.

Wick. For the wick, you will need a thick cotton thread, for example, a braided thread or a floss twisted into a rope. Synthetic materials for candles are unsuitable because they burn quickly and smell unpleasant. It is easier to get a wick from ordinary candles.

Form. Various containers can be used as a mold for making candles: coffee jars, strong packaging, sand molds and plastic balls. If you decide to make a candle narrowed to the top or a round one, the container that you will use for this, for example, a plastic ball, should be cut lengthwise and a hole with a diameter of at least 1 cm should be made at the top so that the composition can be freely poured into it.

Dyes. You can take dry food colors, wax crayons or natural ingredients, such as cocoa. But paints on alcohol or water based unsuitable for making candles.

Progress

  1. Grind the selected raw material and place it in a water bath. If you are using household candles, be sure to remove the wick. The remains of candles must be cleaned of black soot. While stirring, wait until the mass melts. Dip the wick into it several times so that it is saturated and set it aside.
  2. Add flavoring and coloring to the mass. If you use wax crayons, grind them with a fine grater. When using two or more colors, you can achieve a marble color. And by dividing the mass into several parts and painting them in different colors, you can make a multi-colored candle.
  3. Lubricate the mold chosen for the candle with vegetable oil or dishwashing detergent. Fix the tip of the wick on a stick, toothpick or pencil and place it on the mold so that the free end of the wick passes through its middle and reaches the bottom. For reliability, a weight, for example, a nut, can be attached to the free part of the wick.
  4. Pour the melted mass into the mold, wait for it to solidify completely, then pull out the candle by pulling on the wick. If the candle is difficult to remove, immerse the mold in hot water.
  5. You can decorate candles in different ways, for example, spread dried flowers, blades of grass and seeds around the edges of the mold and then pour the melted mass. To make a coffee candle, you need to pour a layer of coffee beans on the bottom of the mold, pour them liquid material for a candle and put grains on top again. It is better to decorate the product with beads, rhinestones and shells after it has solidified and taken out of the mold. Decorative elements are inserted into the melted surface of the candle or attached with glue.

Behind last years the manufacture of candles from mass production slowly migrated to the home workshops of needlewomen, turning into a creative activity.

Candles, which some century ago were not only the main source of light, but also a kind of indicator of family well-being, used in wealthy homes instead of a smoking torch, have long lost their original meaning. Today it is important to make candles with your own hands at home in order to use them in a completely different capacity - as an element exquisite decor and an invariable attribute of creating a romantic mood.

Making decorative candles as a hobby

Thanks to the simple technology of creation and a large selection of materials for work and decoration, now every craftswoman can open a miniature "candle factory" at home, which will not only bring pleasure from creativity, but can also become an additional source of profit.

The advantage of this type of hobby is that the activity is simple, not boring, and a beautiful result can be obtained quite quickly. For these reasons, making candles at home will appeal to needlewomen of all ages, both venerable and not yet very experienced.

What is needed for creativity

The best part is that you need a minimum set of materials to get started:

  • candle gel, wax or paraffin;
  • wick or cotton threads without synthetic impurities for its manufacture;
  • form for pouring a candle;
  • elements for decoration.

Wax or paraffin can be used from ordinary household candles, but it will not be difficult to remove the finished wick from them. Candle gel is also easy to make with your own hands. Instead of an expensive form, you can take any suitable refractory container - a beautiful cup, jar, tin box. In a word, starting a new hobby will not be very expensive. We can say that this is one of the.

Based on the main material used to make candles, two basic technologies are distinguished - wax and gel, which are similar in many respects, but, nevertheless, have their own nuances in work.

The secrets of making candles from wax or paraffin

In the process of creating a product from wax, the most important moment is the melting of the material. Here you will need good skill and speed of action, since melted wax or paraffin cools quickly, besides, it is very hot and can easily burn.

Also, before making a candle with your own hands, it is important to choose the right thickness of the wick: if you make it too thick, the candle will melt and smoke too much, and a very thin one will constantly go out. The twisting density of the wick also plays an important role - for wax and paraffin candles the threads should be twisted slightly loosely so that the flame does not go out.

There is no universal advice here - optimal thickness and the density of twisting threads for the wick will have to be displayed only on personal experience, the method of trials and experiments. Each master eventually develops his own formula and the secret of successful work.

DIY gel candles

To make beautiful transparent candles that do not emit any smell or smoke, you can use ready-made gel wax, or you can cook consumable on one's own. In the latter case, you need to purchase ingredients such as glycerin, tannin, gelatin, distilled water and mix them, boil over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.

This technology is somewhat more complicated than wax, but the result is worth the effort - the products are very elegant and unique. During cooking, the mixture may become cloudy, but this is a temporary phenomenon that disappears immediately after the gel cools down.

The gel opens up a lot of different possibilities for decorating. For example, shells, pebbles, starfish, dried citrus fruits or flowers filled with transparent wax look very beautiful. In this way, women who are looking for can make candles with their own hands at home, since they do not stand out during work harmful substances.

Making scented candles at home

Separately, it is worth mentioning aroma candles - they are also easy to make at home. Benefits of scented candles home production also in the fact that you can have one hundred percent confidence in the environmental friendliness and harmlessness of aromatic components.

Why learn to make candles

Designers and decorators often use beautiful interior candles to create false fireplaces in houses and apartments. They can also be a good gift or a romantic souvenir, so if you learn how to make a high-quality and original product, then it’s quite possible to make good money on your favorite hobby.

Especially if on the eve of major generally recognized holidays, products with thematic design are made. Handmade products can also be offered to restaurant owners who often use candles to create an intimate atmosphere in the restaurant in the evening or to give a special festive atmosphere.

Step-by-step master classes with photos

To help those who are just trying their hand at creating "home fires", we have prepared unique master classes With step by step photos. Detailed Instructions will help you to delve into the intricacies of craftsmanship and master difficult moments.