Candles

Wicks

There are different types and sizes of candle wicking and usually you want to cut the wick short. But in the case of the Yaley cotton wicking I'm using with the large milk carton pillar candle, cut the wick long about an inch. The wick shrinks down. For glass containers keep a small flame on your wick so the glass doesn't get too hot and break! You just have to experiment and pray as you work with the paraffin wax!

You CAN poor paraffin wax into plastic molds to make shapes. Keep the wax at a low temperature.

Placing a wick inside of small short containers;

If you want to fill small or short jars and containers and add wicks after you pour the wax you can. This is what I did in the picture of the blue and green heart candle: first I poured in a layer of blue, then I let it harden on the top, then I poured in a layer of green, I then added and pressed into the wax the hearts and star wax shapes around the edges. Then I added one more layer of wax.

I cut a couple pieces of my nice and straight wick that I dipped in wax. Then with a lighter I heated a nail and pressed it into the candle wax all the way to the bottom making a hole. I then pressed the wick into the wax. It is a bit tricky, but I got the swing if it. You can also use a skewer or a drill to make a hole in the wax. After you put in the wick if you need to you can carefully poor a little wax into the hole or just smooth the top. Then clean off the wax flakes with a napkin or cloth.

Placing a wick inside of tall containers;

You can cut out pieces of foil to use in place of those little metal wick tab holders at the bottom of a candle wick. Place one end of the wick into a small piece of flat foil and glue it to the bottom of a jar or container. You can also use a few drops of wax to hold the wick at the bottom, or you can use that sticky stuff called reusable adhesive. It looks kind of like clay and you pull off pieces of it and its nice and sticky. It sells in office supply stores and some times in your grocery store in the pen and paper section. Make sure your wick is stuck to the bottom good before you pour in the wax!

HINT HINT: If your going to remove the candle from a mold don't use super glue to hold the wick! you'll never get it out!!

If you want to fill small or short jars and containers and add wicks after you pour the wax you can. This is what I did in the picture of the blue and green heart candle: first I poured in a layer of blue, then I let it harden on the top, then I poured in a layer of green, I then pressed in the wax hearts and star shapes around the edges. Then I added one more layer of wax.

I cut a couple pieces of my nice and straight wick that I dipped in wax and let dry. Then with a lighter I heated a nail and pressed it into the candle wax all the way to the bottom making a hole. I then pressed the wick into the wax. It is a bit tricky, but I got the swing if it. You can also use a skewer or a drill to make a hole in the wax. After you put in the wick if you need to you can carefully poor a little wax into the hole or just smooth the top. Then clean off the wax flakes with a napkin or cloth.

Jars

You can layer different colors of wax in Jars - If you want to leave it in the jar you can - if you want to know how to get the candle out of a glass jar, wrap a towel or cloth over the jar and then carefully break it with a hammer. Don't cut your self! Be careful to use a small wick in glass so the glass doest get to hot and break!

Adding scent to your candle - I've read that oil scent (the liquid kind) can sometimes be a problem If you add to much to the wax the candle wont burn. Add a little bit of scent to the candle right before your ready to pour the wax into the mold. The block scent seems to work nice. I bought some bees wax and after I make something with it I will tell you about it! It was expensive! I think the gel wax is really cool too! I bought a gel candle and I love it I but haven't made one YET! I think the best way is to buy the large jug of jell wax when it goes on sale. Its seems to be very expensive for the small bag in the craft store. But I have to say they really over price the candle stuff in the stores! Especially the candle molds! There are other cheaper ways to buy wax on line.

Fires are fast! So don't stop to think about what to do! Make sure your family knows what to do!!

Here is my own - Better Be Safe Candle Story-

When I was a little girl my mother made candles. She taught us how to make candles at the beach with shells and drift wood. It was really fun! We got tired of waiting at the beach for the wax to harden so we decided to bring sand home from the beach and make sand candles at home in old pots. One day when my mom was gone at work we decided to heat up the wax. My sister turned the burner on to high and soon the wax caught on fire so my sister lifted the pot from the burner and stuck the pan under the water in the sink, poof the flames went up across the ceiling and back down! My sisters and I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the black soot off the ceiling and walls so mother wouldn't be mad when she came home! She never noticed!

That wasn't the first time I had an accident with candle making. The next time was months later. One day after I cleaned my bedroom I decided I would light my candles. I had been saving them and now I wanted to see how cool they would all look lit at once. While I was lighting the last candle I dropped a lit match while striking it. I couldn't find that darn match on the floor. Soon my bed was on fire! I was frightened and I really didn't know what to do. I just didn't want to get into trouble. I thought well I will put out the fire that's on my bed spread and then throw it out. So as I was thinking my room filled with smoke and I couldn't breath. I yelled at my sitter bring me some water. So she did, she brought me a glass of water! Soon my moms boyfriend came in to see what was up and saved the day! Now kids if there is ever a fire don't be afraid to get in trouble, be more afraid of the fire, because the fire could hurt you much more than your parents could!!

PLEASE!!! Tell your kids what to do incase of a fire! Anything could happen, sometimes lamps get knocked over and accidents happen.

Use a box of baking soda to put out a small fire! Throw a wet towel Show your kids where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it.

keep safety equipment handy at all times: baking soda (for small fires), a pot lid (you can use this to put out a fire also), a dry chemical fire extinguisher. Use the fire extinguisher if the fire is not contained within the melting wax pot. Keep these items within easy access, but not in the immediate work area.

Take precautions against burning yourself. Use pot holders or pliers when touching hot cans or pans.

Run your skin under cold water right away if you get hot wax on it and pray to Jesus!

READ THIS CANDLE SAFETY PAGE-

Soy wax is a soft wax not hard like paraffin wax. It is used for containers only - like glass jars. You cannot make tall pillar candles or use soy in milk cartons or molds. It is a very soft wax and easy to cut. People love the stuff- one pour wax- check out the safety page site, they have a nice helpful candle message board link at the bottom of there safety page!!

Flash point means how hot the wax can get before it catches on fire! each type of wax has a different flash point.

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