Hobbies and Crafts: A Beginner's Guide to Candle Making
Making candles is a great way to pass the time. If you are interested in getting into candle making, you may have some questions about the materials you will need. Below is a guide to the candle making supplies you will need.
Wax
Your local craft and hobby shop will sell bags of wax pellets. The variety of wax available is amazing. You can buy many different colours of wax which means you can perfectly match the candles you make with the interior of your home or the tastes of others to whom you wish to make a gift of candles.
Scent
A part of what makes candles so relaxing isn't just the beautiful flickering light which warms the room, it is also the scent. Hobby shops should also stock a range of different scents. These scents can be added to the melted wax when you are making your candle. As the wax melts, it will release the scent into the room. You may wish to go for traditional scents such as lavender, lemon or rose. If you are feeling adventurous, you may wish to opt for a modern scent such as chocolate, lemon or coconut.
Wick
You can't make a candle without a wick. Wick is typically sold in rolls like string. You can simply unravel the wick to the correct length and then cut it. However, you should always make sure that you cut a length of wick which is slightly longer than is needed so you can keep hold of the wick while the wax sets.
Mould
To make a candle, you will need a mould. Traditional candle moulds are cylindrical. However, modern moulds come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. If you fancy creating something special, you could buy a pyramid or bottle shaped candle. Moulds are easy to use. Once you have melted the wax and added the scent to the liquid, you should pour it into the mould. While the wax is still liquid, you should quickly drop a length of wick into the middle of the mould and hold it in place. Over the next few minutes, the wax will set and hold the wick in place.
If you would like further advice about candle making, you should contact a craft and hobby store. As a beginner, you may wish to invest in a beginners candle making set which contains all of the above items and detailed instructions on how to make your first candle.