Make candles at home. Additional components

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. Manufacturing 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.

The 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 use dry food coloring wax crayons or natural ingredients such as cocoa. But paints on alcohol or water based unsuitable for making candles.

Working process

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.
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 dividing the mass into several parts and coloring them in different colors, you can make a multi-colored candle.
Grease the mold chosen for the candle 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.
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.
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. For the manufacture of coffee candle you need to pour a layer of coffee beans on the bottom of the form, 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.

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 is natural material, which, when burned, purifies and disinfects the air. However, it is not amenable to coloring and flavoring. Recently, soy wax has been 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. Do not forget about dyes - it is better to use oil-based dyes, food ones 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

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.
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.
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.
Just in case, have warm soapy water and a damp cloth. If wax gets on a table or stove, it will need to be wiped down immediately.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The wax mass is carefully poured into the candle mold. In this case, you need to ensure that the wick does not move.
Wax and paraffin harden depending on the density of the raw material. Usually homemade candles harden for 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. Homemade candles can be a nice and original gift.

It 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.

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.
We heat the gel in the same way as paraffin. The gel becomes liquid at 100 degrees.
We lower the wick into the prepared form in the same way as in the previous description. Lower to the bottom decorative elements- buttons, pieces of dried citrus fruits, toys, beads - anything. Please note that the elements for decoration must be non-flammable.
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.
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.
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.

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.
You can make a natural candle from lemon peel. To do this, cut the lemon in half, carefully cut out the pulp. Add cloves when melting into the gel, essential oil lavender and a sprig of rosemary. The melted gel must be poured into the mold and allowed to cool. It will turn out a beautiful and fragrant fruit candle.
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.
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

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 way - as an element of exquisite decor and an invariable attribute of creating a romantic mood.

Making decorative candles as a hobby

Thanks to the simple technology of creating and great choice 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 additional source making a 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 to get started you need minimum set materials:

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, there are two basic technologies- 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 - the optimal thickness and 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 become a good gift or a romantic souvenir, therefore, 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 are made with thematic design. Handmade products can also be offered to restaurant owners who often use candles to create an intimate atmosphere in an establishment in evening time or 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.

Candle as a source lighting, has been used by man since the III millennium BC. It was expensive, and only a wealthy family could buy it. Today the candle has no former value, and in interior is used for decor or aromatherapy. And the candles made do it yourself, - also a great hobby, a great option for a gift.

What materials and how to make a candle at home Houses- read our article.

Wax candle - step by step master class

To make a candle you will need:

wax or paraffin (household candles are suitable);
cotton thread or floss;
saucepan for a water bath;
candle molds (tin, glass or plastic);
wooden sticks for attaching the wicks (1 candle mold = 1 stick).

Advice! If for the first time you decide to make a candle with your own hands, ask someone close to help you. Wax hardens within 15 minutes, so you need to act quickly.

Place a piece of cotton string in the center of each candle mold. Attach the top end of the thread to wooden stick.

Place a container with wax (paraffin) in a water bath. To speed up the melting process - it can be cut into small sticks or grated. Melt the wax over low heat, stirring constantly. The finished consistency should be uniform, without lumps and pieces of paraffin.

Pour some melted wax into the bottom of the mold. This will secure the lower edge of the wick in right place. Correct its position if necessary. Wait about a minute for the wax to thicken and the wick to set before moving on to the next step.

Fill the mold with the remaining melted wax.

A day later, after the candle has completely cooled and hardened, cut off the excess edge of the wick.

Note! A cooled candle does not have to be left in a jar - after manufacturing it can be removed from the mold. Before starting work, select a container for pouring with a straight, even edge that is not narrowed upwards. You can also use plastic cups, ice cube trays, or homemade tetrapak templates.

Colored and scented candles

Having understood the essence of manufacturing, you can diversify the variations and create more complex homemade candles with your own hands.

To make a colored candle, put pieces of wax crayons in a melting pot along with paraffin. The shade of the finished candle will match bloom added pencil. A combination of several multi-colored pencils will color the candle in a bright rainbow print.

Idea! Sequentially melt and pour wax into the mold in layers different colors– you will receive an original striped candle.

Use essential oils in the manufacture - and you will get a scented candle with your own hands. To add fragrance to the candle, add a few drops of oil to the melted wax before pouring the mold.

Oil combination lavender and bergamot has a relaxing effect, and lemon and rosemary relieves negative thoughts. For peace of mind and calmness, add one part of the oils to the wax geraniums and roses and two parts lavender oil. The combination of orange and clove oils is uplifting, while lemon and cedar oils relieve stress.

Transparent gel candles at home

At home, you can create another kind of candle - gel. The technology of its manufacture is the same as that of paraffin. The difference is that the form is not filled with wax, but with a special candle gel.

Gel for making candles - transparent. This makes it possible to create incredible beautiful products. Inside the candle, you can place shells, beads, stones, glass beads, beads, buttons, twigs colors, and even candied fruit or pieces of fruit.

Advice! You can independently choose the location of the decor inside the candle. Elements lowered to the bottom before filling with gel will remain at the bottom, and those added to an already filled form will “hang” or remain on the surface.

The form for the gel candle must be transparent (glass or plastic) - otherwise the beauty created inside will not be visible. Special gel dyes will help to give a color shade. Aromatic essential oils can also be added to this type of candle.

Advice! Before pouring the melted gel, heat the prepared mold. This will prevent the formation of bubbles.

"Delicious" candles - fruit and coffee

You will surely enjoy making candles at home, and you will definitely want to create something creative and extraordinary. Candles made from the peel of fruits - oranges, limes, grapefruits - look interesting and unusual. special flavor and a presentable appearance have candles created with the addition coffee beans. Create and experiment, and a couple of our ideas will help you with this.

Half lemon candle

Necessary materials:

wax or paraffin;
four cotton wicks;
saucepan for a water bath;
a container for melting wax;
two lemons;
food coloring purple;
lavender essential oil;
dried lavender flowers.

Cut the lemons in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the pulp.

Melt the wax in a water bath. Add lavender flowers, essential oil and food coloring to it, mix.

Attach a wick to the center of the lemon half. Pour the "fruit candlestick" with melted wax.

Put the finished candles in a cool place until the final cooling and hardening.

Important! Do not refrigerate candles refrigerator– Wax can harden unevenly!

Candles with coffee beans

Option 1

The easiest way to create a coffee candle is to add coffee beans to melted wax, or pour them into an already poured mold.

To do this, you will need all the same materials as for a regular candle, plus coffee beans.

Coffee beans vary in shape and size, and when added to wax, they also harden differently. Therefore, each candle you create will have a unique design.

Option 2

Another manufacturing option can be to decorate the finished candle with coffee beans.

For this, in addition to coffee beans, you will need glue.

Advice! Coffee beans can be glued without glue - on still hot soft wax. To do this, carefully remove the warm and unhardened candle from the mold and “line” it with coffee beans, pressing them lightly with your fingers.

Candle decorated with coffee beans

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

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

Useful information about candle making

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

How to make a candle with your own hands

What you will need:

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

To get 3 candles you need:

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

Make the base for the candles:

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

Prepare the wick:

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

Making a candle:

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

How to make a gel candle at home

During the preparation of candles, you must follow all the safety rules and just be careful, especially if you want to place some kind of decoration inside the candle. You should also carefully consider the choice of dye and aromatic oil.

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

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

Once you've decided on a theme, choose a glass jar for the candle. A mug, a jar of jam, a glass, a square vase will do.

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

Form.
Wick.
Gel for cutting
A couple of decorative items that will be inside the candle. Since the theme is marine, you can use, for example, toys on maritime theme or seashells.

Cooking:

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

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

The candle can be used only after a day.

Precautionary measures

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

Make candles at home. Additional components

What will be required

Working process

What you need to make a candle with your own hands

How to make a candle