What Makes a Candle??

WAX

There are several different types of wax available today. ...... Paraffin Wax Paraffin is a by-product of crude oil and is readily available for sale. It is good for candle making as it is relatively inexpensive (about $1.00/lb) and has a good melt point (135* F) so it burns fairly slow and clean, but can sometimes smoke. But for anyone wanting to make natural or environmentally-friendly candles, this may not be the your best choice. Beeswax This wax gets  2 thumbs up on both quality and being environmentally-friendly! The bees make wax-cells in which they store their honey, so it is a natural wax. It has a very high melt-point (150* F) so it burns very slow, clean and does not smoke like other waxes will. But, because of  this, it can be very expensive it buy, if you do not raise bees and harvest your own wax. It has a beautiful natural color and scent, so it does not require additives. It is well worth the money if you are serious about candle dipping. Bayberry  The berries of a Bayberry bush or Wax Myrtle can be harvested and boiled to extract a wax that coats the berries naturally. It is a high quality wax also, but the amount of berries required to make enough wax, makes it rather expensive. If you are looking for a way to produce your own wax, planting some Bayberry or Wax Myrtle bushes (they do well in poor, acid soil) would be a great way to do it. Tallow  Tallow was the most common source of wax throughout history and still today in poorer regions of the world. It makes a very poor wax (with a melt point of around 108* F) that smokes horribly and stinks when burning! It often is/was the only wax available. To help with this, other waxes would be mixed with it such as beeswax and Alum would be dissolved and added to it to help firm it and raise the melt-point. Soy Wax Made 100% from soy plants, it is completely renewable source of wax, unlike paraffin. It makes 95 % less smoke and soot than paraffin and burns cooler, too. It  generally cost around $ 1.50/lb

WICK

Wick is braided cotton string that can be made or bought in certain sizes, depending on the type and size candle you are making. For a regular size ( 1 1/2") taper candle, you need FLAT BRAID wick, about a 36ply. Most suppliers will have a chart on which size you need to purchase. You can also use hemp or tow to make your own. * Dried mullein leaves can also be used as wick in container candles of  tallow (they burn at the same rate as tallow) by rolling the dry leaves very tight and coating them in the wax.

Color/ Scent

Commercial scent and dyes can be purchased relatively cheap from any candle-making supplier.   You can also use crayons to color your wax! I am currently experimenting with herb and plant dyes to use in wax. There is very little information available on this, as you can not use the typical methods because they produce water-soluble dyes ( wax and water doesn't mix).

	Here are some wonderful link to Suppliers and how-to sites! Cajuns Candle and Soap Making Supplies Bitter Creek Candle Supplies LoneStar Candle Supply Discount Supplies Candle Wic Candles and Supplies LoveTwoKnow- Candle Making Send us an email

Chair- broom rack

Step-By-Step Instructions for  Hand- Dipping Start . . . by melting your wax, in the pot over an open fire.  Break your blocks of wax, or old candles (remove old wicks) into small chunks and place those in your pot. *** You do not have to have the pot full of wax. Once the wax is almost melted, add warm or hot water to the pot to finish filling it.  Just melt 10 or 15 lbs at a time depending on the size of your pot and then raise the level to the top by adding the water. The wax will melt and float on top of the water.  Once your wax is almost melted, you can add any scent or dye/crayons you want to use.   Getting your wick ready. . . . You can either make 'looped' tapers or single tapers.   For looped tapers- (2 candles made together with one piece of wick), you will need to cut the wick double the length you want the candles to be, plus about 5 or 6 inches for the loop sections. *For instance- if you wanted 8" candles you would need to cut it at 16" plus 5" for the connected area, so about 21" .   For single candles, you need to cut the length you want each candle to be, plus about 4 inches for tying it onto a dowel. Depending in the size of your pot, you can tie 4 to 7 wicks on a sturdy stick or dowel so that you can dip several candles at once. If you are dipping loop candles, you can simply dip them by hand, or use a flat, wide stick of wood to dip several. I find it easier to do them each by hand. Looped candles Singles on a dowel

Start Dipping.... Once your wicks are cut and ready and your wax is melted you may begin dipping your wicks! * If you are doing a large amount of wax, you can put out the fire, or keep only a small fire to one side of the pot. The wax will stay melted for several hours before it begins to skim. Once this happens you can rebuild or stoke the fire to re-melt it. DO NOT OVERHEAT THE WAX - if you start to see little bubbles or it starts even gently to boil, douse the fire! If your wax is to hot, the candles will not make. This is why it is better to just put out the fire, once it is all melted. If this should happen, add some cold water if you still have room in your pot, or give it about an 30 minutes to cool down. The process of hand-dipping could not be easier! Once your wax is melted, just start dipping! :) The first time you really just have to coat both sides of the wick on the top layer of the wax. After each dip in the wax, plunge the wick into your ice water to cool that layer, keeping it pulled straight as you go. The first few times it will want to curl up when it hits the water, so just use your fingers to straighten it out. Once it gets a little bigger, it will hold its shape. *Once you pull it out of the water, you may want to wipe it dry with a rag, to avoid bubbles. If you have many wicks to do, you will not have to wipe them as the water will dry before you dip it again.   The most important thing to remember when dipping candles- * DIP QUICKLY! * IN AND OUT OF THE WAX!! Then, hold it in the ice water for a few seconds, so the middle will stay cool! Did everyone hear me on that?? ;-) This is key to making good candles that will make quickly and hold their shape. Why? Wax holds it's heat every well, so the longer you hold it down in the melted wax, the more heat it is collecting in the candle. Once the middle gets soft, your candle will start to bend, and it will require more dips. If your candles start to get soft and start bending, then you need to either submerse them into the ice water for a good 30 seconds, or hang them and let them cool in a shady place for about 10-15 minutes.   Finishing your Candles Your candles will need anywhere from 30 to 40 dips before they will reach the size that fits a regular candle holder. You may wish to make them bigger or smaller, as per your taste. I keep a candle holder handy when I am finishing them up, so I can measure them. Once you are pleased with their size, you can trim the ends  with a knife, so that they have nice, flat bottoms. With hand-dipping, each and every candle will vary and have a unique look. If you are making looped candles, you may want to trim them a bit to make them even in size.   Storing your candles: Candles need a cool, dark place to stay, to avoid softening the wax which leads to bending. DO NOT store them in the freezer or refrigerator, as very cold temperatures can make the wax brittle and crack easy. Layering them in a sturdy box, with cloth or plastic bags to separate the layers is a good way to store them.   Happy Dipping!!