DIY candles: all the instructions
What do you need to make candles at home?
To get started, you need to get hold of some basic accessories that are the basis for making most candles. So make sure you have:
- paraffin
- wicks
- molds
- a cake thermometer
- sealant
- wooden sticks
- olive oil
Step by step: how do you make a candle?
Phase 1 - First you will need two pots: a larger one in which you will have to heat the water and another smaller one where you can melt the paraffin in a bain-marie.
Step 2 - At this point you can add a little color (the specific one for candles or a few pieces of wax crayon) and continue to mix over low heat. To be sure that the shade is the right one, you can put a little wax on the parchment paper to solidify: the cold wax, in fact, is lighter than the melted one and in this way you will be sure of the result.
Step 3 - Prepare the wicks by immersing them in wax: this operation must be repeated several times until the wick has become stiff. Pay attention to the measurements: the wick must protrude from the candle by at least a couple of centimeters.
Step 4 - Now take the mold and grease it well with olive oil otherwise the candle may never come off.
Step 5 - Make a hole in the mold and insert the wick. Close the hole with sealant: this way you will be sure that the wax will not come out. Before pouring the wax into the mold, take a long wooden stick that you will need to stretch the wick.
Last step - Now pour the wax into the mold up to the edge, let it cool and remove the stick: the wick will remain straight and you will have finished your first candle!
Tips and tricks
Remember that some of the basic tools you need to make candles you can make yourself: here are some tips that could be very useful.
The wicks, for example, are nothing more than cotton threads of different lengths soaked in wax: you can use the crochet thread or, if you prefer, the one for candles. Make sure the wick is not too short (it could "drown" in the candle) but not too long as you risk creating too much smoke.
To add a touch of color to your candles, you can buy color tablets that are added to the base wax or, otherwise, you can melt small pieces of crayons. This solution is great if you are a beginner.
Another indispensable tool is the thermometer: it is what you need to measure the temperature of the caramel, it hangs on the edges of the pot and is necessary to know when the wax reaches the right temperature (150 °).
As molds you can use those specific for candles or you can use silicone molds (those for sweets) or steel, tin boxes, glass cups, earthenware or ceramic containers.
