Candle making for beginners: an easy-to-make candle with your own hands. DIY candles (10 workshops with photos and videos)

And candlesticks can decorate any interior.

To do this, you do not need to buy candles and / or candlesticks, as they can be do it yourself using old candles kept at home and a few handy tools.

Here are a few interesting ideas how can i do beautiful and fragrant candles and candlesticks for them at home.

How to make coffee candles

You will need:

Small bowls or glasses

Candle wax (can be cut from old candles, melted and used)

candle wick

Super glue

coffee beans

Sliced ​​vanilla beans

Pot.

1. Melt the paraffin in the microwave, in a saucepan on an electric stove or in a water bath.

2. Glue the wick to the bottom of a bowl, glass or other shape where you will pour the melted wax next.

3. Pour some paraffin into the mold, add a layer of coffee beans and a layer of vanilla beans. After that, fill out the form to the end. Try to keep the wick straight.

* While pouring paraffin, it can be stirred with a stick.

4. Wait for the paraffin to harden and, if necessary, cut off the excess part of the wick.

How to make a candle (video instruction)

Beautiful candles at home: animals

You will need:

Paraffin (can be from an old candle)

small toy animals

Small candlesticks (with a thin stem)

Drill with a small drill or any thin, hard and sharp object (to make a hole in the toy for a candlestick)

Pliers

Spray paint or acrylic paint.

1. Hold the toy animal with pliers and make a hole in it so that you can insert the candle holder. Be careful not to pierce the toy through.

2. Paint the toy on all sides. If you are using spray paint, then you need to paint on fresh air, and preferably with the use of a respiratory mask (aerosol paint contains substances harmful to health).

* If desired, you can paint the candlesticks.

* Let the paint dry, and then you can light candles or just put candle holders in a prominent place so that they decorate the interior.

DIY shell candles at home

You will need:

deep shells

Paraffin

Short wick

Super glue

Pot.

1. Put the shells on the newspaper.

2. Glue the wick to the bottom of the shell.

3. Melt the paraffin and pour it into the shells.

4. Wait for the paraffin to cool down and you will have the perfect decoration for the bathroom, for example.

Making candles with cinnamon (photo instruction)

You will need:

cinnamon sticks

Thick candle (unscented)

Rubber.

1. Put a rubber band on your candle.

2. Start putting cinnamon sticks under the gum.

* You can use two or three elastic bands for reliability.

* You can decorate the candle with braid, jute sackcloth and / or a sprig with berries (can be artificial).

Homemade candle with spices

You will need:

4 small jars (or 2 large)

2 tbsp. tablespoons of spice (can be cinnamon or a mixture of several spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg)

Olive or peanut butter(1/2 cup)

Long wick (about 30cm)

Paraffin

Adhesive tape (adhesive tape)

Scissors

Pot.

1. Pour some oil into a saucepan and put on a small fire, but do not bring to a boil.

2. Add spices to the oil and stir.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Pour the resulting solution into a jar and let it brew for no more than 2 days.

5. Melt the paraffin - cut a piece of paraffin (new or from an old candle), place in a saucepan and put on a small fire.

6. Prepare the wick. Attach it to the bottom of the jar with tape.

7. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the jar.

8. Pour the melted paraffin into the jar and stir to combine the oil and paraffin.

9. Place the jar in the freezer for 20 minutes or just in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

10. When you light a candle, you will feel a pleasant aroma.

Do-it-yourself lemon candle (master class)

You will need:

Paraffin or beeswax

lemon essential oil

Container for paraffin (form).

1. Melt the paraffin in a saucepan over low heat.

2. From a saucepan, pour some melted paraffin wax into the bottom of a candle mold and insert a wick.

* The wick can also be pre-glued to the bottom of the container.

3. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the paraffin pan. essential oil.

4. Pour the melted paraffin into the mould, keeping the wick level.

5. Wait for the wax to cool down.

* You can decorate the candle with jute and film, making it a great addition to a gift.

Making a candle with lavender at home

You will need:

soy wax

soy wicks

Thermometer

flavoring agent

A jar or other container for a candle.

1. Place soy wax in a saucepan and heat to 60-70 degrees. For one large soy candle, you will need 2 cups of crushed wax.

2. While the wax is melting, glue the wick to the candle container.

3. Remove the wax from the stove and let cool to 50 degrees. After that, add a flavoring agent - vanilla aroma oil or lavender.

4. Pour the melted soy wax into the jar. Try to keep the wick straight, for this you can press it with chopsticks or toothpicks.

5. The wax will harden overnight, after which the candle can be used, and if necessary, part of the wick can be cut off if it is too long.

Here is another way to make a scented candle at home:

Summer citrus candles at home

You will need:

jars

floating candles

Lemons and lime

Essential oil with a lemon or other citrus scent

aromatic herbs

Twine or braid.

1. Cut lemons and limes into slices.

2. Place the herbs in the jar. IN this example rosemary, thyme, lavender and chamomile were used.

3. Fill the jar halfway with water and add 10 drops of essential oil.

4. Place lemon and lime wedges in a jar and top up with water.

5. Now it remains to put a candle on the water and decorate the jar with twine or braid.

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 is nothing wrong with this either, such products serve as a wonderful decoration in the house. And here 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 great taste owner.

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 heating 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.

Move on. 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

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 decor 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. When choosing wax crayons, we stop at soft types 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 in special stores. different colors. 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 thin layer dishwashing liquid or plain 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 becomes equal to the temperature room, you need to untie the knot at the bottom of the form. 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 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 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. Aroma oils 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.

Essential oil can also be added to gel candles, this does not contradict the recipe. A separate, especially pleasant process, decorating gel candles. At the bottom of any transparent container, we freely lay decorative elements: beads, beads, pebbles, shells, sequins, coffee beans, dried 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 can not be made either special work. 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, the coffee beans will be clearly visible.

Here it is ready outer layer with coffee beans. 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 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.

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 metal holder). For floating candles, you can purchase specially formulated wax.

fantasy today creative person 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

Decoration holiday table, parts of the interior, a lifesaver in case of a sudden power outage, a nice gift for loved ones. What's this? Candles made by hand!

Yes, there is such an activity. Moreover, those who are fond of such a hobby get incredible aesthetic pleasure from this.

You can look endlessly at the photo of candles made by yourself ...

What you need is at your fingertips

Anyone can make candles. What will be needed?

Wax

Sometimes it can be successfully replaced with paraffin. The difference between them is that wax, due to its naturalness, does not emit soot, while paraffin, when completely burned, smokes.

This simple materials, the acquisition of which is not difficult. You can find them at any craft store or last resort, melt a ready-made candle, the cost of which is quite low.

Wick

There are also two options here: take it out of an unnecessary candle or make it from cotton-based threads. Twisting them strongly is not recommended - the flame may go out.

It is also worth considering that a wick that is too thick will cause the candle to melt faster, while releasing a lot of smoke.

The length of the wick is determined by the size of the candle plus a small length for easy lighting.

mold

A hollow container made of any material. The only thing: the edges of the form should be straight and not tapered.

Handy materials are:

• Saucepan and metal utensils for a water bath;
• A stick or any long thin object (pen, match) to fix the wick.

Making a candle

Having prepared everything necessary materials, you can start creating. Detailed master class will show how to make candles with your own hands quickly and beautifully.

Lower the wick into the prepared mold for the future candle, fix one end of it on a stick, and place it on the container.

Paraffin or wax grind and melt in a water bath. The fire should be small, and the process must be observed, and in order to avoid lumps, constantly stir the mixture.

It should be borne in mind that the temperature of the molten material is quite high, so it should be handled with care.

Pour a little melted paraffin (wax) into the mold with the prepared wick. Place the tip of the cotton thread in the middle, and let the material harden a little.

Wax has the ability to quickly cool, so you need to work with it quickly.

Note!

Fill the form with the remaining melted material to the required level.

Wait for the candle to harden and cut off the excess part of the wick. It is recommended that this be done at least 24 hours later.

It remains only to remove the candle from the container. For ease of removal and to avoid damage, the form must be sent to the freezer for half a minute or lowered into hot water.

You can light a finished candle only a day after the end of its manufacture. During this time, it will have time to completely freeze, which will favorably affect its operation.

Candle colors

You can make candles at home not only in the main (white) colors, but also in absolutely any shade.

In order to color a wax work, paints cannot be used. Oily or acrylic, they will not fulfill their purpose, but will only stick together in molten paraffin, turning into unattractive colored flakes.

Note!

Wax pencils will help to give the desired shade. They are perfectly mixed with the selected material by adding small pieces directly during the melting process.

Using several pencils, you can create a real rainbow of shades by gradually pouring paraffin of various colors into the mold.

aromatherapy

When making wax products, it is only painted, but also forced to give aroma. The fragrance of a burning candle can create an atmosphere of peace and comfort, as well as energize or, conversely, relax.

In order to make a beautiful candle that will please the eye and smell, you will need essential oils. They are in great abundance blown in any pharmacy or cosmetic store.

A few drops of oil will give future candle unique flavor.

Note!

When choosing a smell, you need to focus on the purpose or color of the wax miracle:

• relaxation will give lavender oil, and a candle, in this case it is better to paint it in a light purple color;
• bergamot can also relax - it’s suitable for this green color candles;
• an orange can improve your mood - a bright orange tint will complement the effect;
• ylang-ylang will set you in an intimate mood - lilac or pink color candles will just be in place.

Wax art

Decorating candles belongs to the real top of wax craftsmanship.

You can decorate a candle in various ways:

• Natural materials - pebbles, shells, twigs and others. Basically, they are placed at the bottom of the mold before adding the molten paraffin.
• Food products - coffee beans and dried fruits. Such materials can be placed throughout the entire volume of the form, pouring wax gradually and giving it the opportunity to fix the decoration.
• Decoupage. The technique has been known for a long time and has been successfully used in the manufacture of candles. A colored pattern from a napkin is placed on the surface and fixed with glue designed specifically for candles. This fixation protects the paper from burning.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the carved decoration of candles. Not everyone can do this - it will take perseverance and accuracy, but the result exceeds all expectations.

For cutting you will need: a clerical knife, paper and a pen. Wrapping the candle with paper, determine the size of the future drawing, cut off the excess. A pattern is applied to the remaining rectangle.

Paper is wrapped around the candle again and secured with tape. Carefully acting, the knife circles the pattern along the contour, and then cut out the excess layers of wax.

You can use these candles at a wedding, to decorate the table or just for the interior.

Transparent candles

You can make completely transparent candles using a special gel.

The advantages of such material are:

• lack of smoke, odors and soot;
• transparency (for beauty and decoration);
• the possibility of self-cooking.

How is the gel prepared? Glycerin, gelatin and tannin are mixed in equal amounts, the same amount of water is added to them, all this must be put on a small fire and boiled until the liquid evaporates.

The gel may be cloudy at first, but will become clear as it cools.

Working with gel is not much different from using wax, but there is still a slight difference:

• after the candle hardens, it cannot be removed from the mold, so it is better to use a glass and transparent container;
• before the process of adding the gel, the form should be slightly warmed up - this will protect against the appearance of air bubbles in the candle.

You can color, scent and decorate a gel candle in the same way as any other.

Knowing how to make candles on your own, you can always have a beautiful table decoration on hand, exclusive gift for friends and relatives, as well as to use their works in the interior.

DIY candle photo

Candles are an attribute of any holiday. In stores you can find candles of different colors, shapes and sizes. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to find the “candle of your dreams”. Besides, you want to holiday decoration was special. You can realize your original design ideas by making candles with your own hands.

Candles from cinders

Accumulated candle stubs and pieces of paraffin can be melted down into a new candle. To do this, you will need a floss thread, a beer can, a juice bag or any other form, sunflower oil and, of course, the candle ends themselves. They can even be different colors. In this case, you will get the original "rainbow" candle.

Remove the wicks from the remains of the candles, put all the pieces of paraffin in a metal container and place in a water bath.

If you are using white paraffin but want to make a colored candle, crumble baby wax crayons into a container. To make the candle with a pearly sheen, add eyeshadow to the source material. By adding a few drops of essential oil to melted paraffin, you can make an aromatic candle.

While the paraffin is melting, prepare the mold for pouring. Oil her walls sunflower oil to make it easier to remove the frozen candle.

Make a wick. To do this, tightly twist a few floss threads. The thicker the candle, the more threads are needed for the wick. Soak the wick with melted paraffin. Tie one end of the wick to a pencil and place it on top of the mold. The end of the wick should touch the bottom of the mold. You can additionally fix the wick from below. To do this, pierce a hole in the center of the bottom of the mold, pull the end of the wick through it and secure by tying a knot on the outside.

Pour about two-thirds of the melted paraffin into the mold and leave overnight. In the morning, when the paraffin hardens, a depression forms in the middle of the candle. Melt the rest of the paraffin in a water bath and fill this “crater” with it.

Then leave the candle for another day. When the paraffin has completely hardened, remove the candle from the mold. If sunflower oil did not help and the paraffin still stuck to the walls of the form, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes or hold it in hot water.

DIY coffee candle

For the manufacture of coffee candle you need 5 white paraffin candles or several candle ends, 4-5 tbsp. l. coffee beans, beer can, juice box or other shape, pencil, knife, sunflower oil, floss, small saucepan or bowl.

First, grind the candles with a knife, remove the wicks from them.

Melt the pieces of paraffin in a water bath.

While the paraffin is melting, prepare the mold and wick in the same way as described above.

When the paraffin melts, without removing the saucepan from the water bath, add coffee beans there, and after 10 minutes remove them and put them on the bottom of the mold, filling it almost halfway.

Pour a small amount of paraffin into the coffee beans so that they do not float, and cool slightly.

When this layer of paraffin has set, melt the rest of the paraffin and fill the mold to the top. When the candle hardens, take it out of the mold.

Hold the layer of grains over the fire for a few seconds so that the paraffin melts slightly and the grains become more noticeable.

DIY fruit candle

To make a fruit candle, you will need a lemon, orange, grapefruit or any other citrus fruit with a dense peel, several white or yellow candles, floss thread, a small saucepan or bowl, and a pencil.

Cut the fruit in half and carefully remove the pulp, being careful not to damage the peel. The peel halves will serve as candle holders. Twist a few strands of floss with a bundle and soak them in paraffin or remove the wick from the candle. Tie one end of the wick to a pencil and place it on top of the peel half. Make a hole in the bottom of the peel, pull the lower end of the wick through it and tie it with a knot from the outside.

Grind the candles with a knife, remove the wicks from them, and melt the pieces of paraffin in a water bath. Pour melted paraffin halves of the peel and leave to harden.

Pictures for candles

Even the simplest candle can be turned into a festive one in 5 minutes. For this you will need a thick candle, paper napkins with a pattern, scissors and a tea or tablespoon.

Carefully cut out a picture from the napkin that you would like to decorate the candle with. Please note that such napkins are usually multi-layered, but you only need one, upper layer with an image. You can cut out one pattern or several by gluing them around the entire circumference of the candle.

Lightly heat a spoon over an open flame.

Attach the pattern to the candle and gently smooth it out with a warm spoon, moving from the center to the edges of the picture.

And if you choose a picture of Santa Claus as a plot, then you get such a beautiful New Year's candle, which New Year's interior decorate and be good New Year's gift .

DIY gel candle

Transparent gel candles look very unusual. In addition to external beauty, they have another advantage: the gel burns more slowly than paraffin. In general, the manufacturing principle gel candle the same as paraffin. However, there are also a number of features.

To make a gel candle, mix 5 parts of colorless gelatin with 20 parts of water. After 30-40 minutes, add 25 parts of glycerin to the swollen gelatin. Put the mixture on low heat and heat until a clear solution is obtained. Separately, take 10 parts of glycerin, heat it up and dissolve 2 parts of tannin in it. Mix both solutions. You will end up with a cloudy solution. Keep it warm for a while until it becomes transparent. Please note that the gel must not be heated to temperatures above 120 ° C, as in this case the oil part will begin to decompose, the gel will turn cloudy and smell unpleasant. Try to stir the gel as little as possible, otherwise bubbles will form in it. If bubbles still appear, place the candle on a windowsill well lit by the sun. The gel will warm up and the bubbles will disappear.

Pour the finished gel into a glass mold with a wick.

As a form, you can use any beautiful glass vessel with not too thin walls. Wash it thoroughly, dry it and heat it in the oven. This is done to reduce the temperature difference between the gel and the vessel walls. If this difference is too large, bubbles will form near the mold walls. In addition, glass can break from temperature changes.

The wick is made and attached in the same way as for paraffin candles. Of course, it is impossible to pierce a glass vessel, so the lower end of the wick is glued to the bottom with glue.

The gel is poured along the walls of the mold. In no case do not pour it with a jet.

You can make an original candle by putting non-combustible materials in the lower part of the mold: pebbles, shells, beads. Jewelry is poured into an empty form without a wick, filled with gel and left. When the gel hardens, a hole is pierced with a knitting needle and the lower part of the wick is inserted there. The top one is attached to the pencil as usual. Then the form is filled with the remaining gel to the brim.

Every evening, at nightfall, electric light bulbs light up in millions of windows around the world. Those who have ever flown a plane over a city at night can imagine this sight - thousands of lights spread out below like a light carpet. But, for example, in the 18th century, there was no electric lighting, and people mostly managed with candles, those who are poorer - with torches. Since then, about 300 years have passed, communal amenities have become completely different, and candles have remained, however, having somewhat changed their purpose. But the manufacture of candles is still very profitable business bringing their owners a solid income.

If 300 years ago candles were one of the few sources of illumination for a person in the dark, today's candles are a symbol of the holiday, a way to create a romantic atmosphere, home comfort and coziness, and just a calm mood. Some time ago I already wrote about making decorative handmade candles - hand made. Today I want to talk about the candle business in more detail. This is a completely different scale of production, and, accordingly, different profit margins.

Brief business analysis:
Business setup costs:500,000 - 800,000 rubles
Relevant for cities with a population: no restrictions
Situation in the industry:supply market is saturated
The complexity of organizing a business: 3/5
Payback: 1 - 1.5 years

Where are candles used today?

As I said, the production of candles is still profitable business, this is a sought-after product, for the most part, of course, this can only be said about souvenirs. IN Soviet time candles were still used to illuminate during planned and emergency power outages, today there are various independent sources nutrition.

The main purpose of candles today is the decor of the room, giving the atmosphere a touch of solemnity, romance, in general, enhancing the sensual atmosphere. Here are just a few types of candles for a variety of purposes:

• Household. Typically made from paraffin or stearin, used in home life for lighting.
• Canteens. These candles can often be found in restaurants or small cozy cafes. They usually have a long cylindrical, conical, or twisted shape.
• Confectionery. Such candles are stuck into cakes at a holiday, or made in the form of numbers.
• Decorative. This product has the most various forms, colors, including the colors of burning flames, various flavors. It is used for interior decoration, as decorative elements, addition to gifts.

• Aromatic (or tea). They are used to create a pleasant aroma in the room, they can be used by themselves or in special aroma lamps.
• Festive candles. They are made in the form of elements inherent in the spirit of the holiday. For example, on New Year or Christmas - in the form of Santa Claus, Snowman, etc.; for a wedding or wedding - in the form of wedding angels, flowers, etc.; for Easter - in the form of an Easter egg.
• Church candles are a separate category of candles, their production uses slightly different ingredients than in the manufacture of other types of candles. Production church candles- one of the most profitable destinations candle business, since every day they are burned by tens of thousands in thousands of churches throughout Russia.
• Candles in which as lighting device LEDs are used.
• Bulk candles. For such candles, small granules are made from consumables that can be poured into absolutely any container.

As you can see, candles can be made for any “taste and color”. If production decorative candles handmade can mostly be attributed to the category of "rest for body and soul" - a hobby on which you will not earn much, then large-scale candle making is a completely different matter. In addition to the demand for products, there are several other obvious advantages of this business, for example:

• Small start-up capital to start your business.
• Possibility long storage its products. While creating relevant conditions, candles can be stored for several tens or even hundreds of years. Therefore, even if you fail to realize the planned volume of products at the initial stages of the business, do not worry, you will not lose the consumer properties of the product.
• Small area for production. It is not necessary to open, especially at first, a large candle factory. It is quite possible option - making candles at home, in the presence of a small free space.

Production room

For the manufacture of candles by injection, it will be necessary to prepare a room of at least 12 square meters. meters, plus a storage room finished products and storage of consumables. For the production of candles on a drum-type machine, a larger room is required - at least 25 square meters. meters. That is, an ordinary garage may well be suitable for a production workshop (excluding the manufacture of confectionery candles). You can find out what other business you can open in the garage.

The room must have good system forced exhaust and ventilation, in addition, it must be kept cool in the summer, otherwise there will be a risk of melting your products. Making candles for confectionery purposes at home also requires maintaining cleanliness in all rooms.

OKVED code for the production of candles: 36.63.7

Production technology

The process of candle production is simple, and in most stages is the same for all types, there are differences only in some nuances. General scheme looks something like this:

1. Grinding of material for manufacturing (paraffin, stearin, wax, etc.).
2. Pouring material into molds where a wick has been inserted in advance.
3. Cooling of finished products.

The technology is so simple that almost anyone can handle it.

Making paraffin candles

Injection molds for making candles must first be lubricated with either a special silicone-based lubricant or ordinary sunflower oil, and then put a wick in them. After that, you need to weigh all the crushed ingredients in the right proportions (usually take 1/5 of the stearin, the rest is paraffin), and pour it into the melting chamber. In the process of melting, the mass must be mixed until a homogeneous consistency, add dye desired color, and, if desired, flavoring.

With a special ladle, the molten mass is poured into a special watering can, after which the mixture is poured from it into molds. When cooling, the candles will lose a little in their volume, so after a few minutes the molds will either need to be topped up or initially poured “with a slide”. After that, the molds are left to cool. If the production is poured to order, and you need to make candles as quickly as possible, then the molds can be lowered into a vat of cold water.

After the final hardening, the candles are carefully removed from the molds, sent for packaging, and to the point of sale, or to the warehouse.

Making carved candles for decoration

In the production of such candles, several pre-prepared containers with different colors of molten paraffin are used. A candle blank with a long wick is being prepared, holding by which the candle is dipped alternately into each of the containers. The result is a candle with several multi-colored layers. After that, the master carver manually cuts the desired figure.

Their small features in production they also have other types of candles. By the way, the technology for making candles is somewhat similar to making soap at home. You can read about it here -.

Necessary equipment and materials for the production of candles

When choosing necessary equipment for the manufacture of candles, first of all, you need to focus on its performance, and, of course, the price. Russian machines are produced only in Moscow and Novosibirsk (to save money, you can contact the manufacturer directly), foreign counterparts are about 1.5 times higher in cost, but they are preferred by candle manufacturers because of equipment reliability.

So, you will need:

• Candle injection molding machine
• Extruder for grinding consumables
• Specialized slurry oven
• If you decide over time to make a candle wick yourself, you will need to buy a machine for weaving a wick
• You can also get a packing machine. But the last two positions are not at all obligatory at the stage of business formation, and can be acquired after the “promotion”.
• Forms for making candles.

Now - expendable materials for making candles.