Making Gel
Candles
Making any kind of
candles can be a rewarding project, and making gel
candles can be fun and can bring out your
creative tendencies. You can make the candles to
suit the decor of your home, embed items in the gel,
preferably non-flammable items, that mean something to
you. You can add color to the gel to make them whatever
color or shade you choose, and you can add your favourite
scent too.
There's another
option too. You can make gel candles for your friends and
family, and you could add them to gift baskets. For more
information go to Candle Gift
Baskets.
How to Make Gel Candles - 11 Easy
Steps
by Tanya
Turner
Do you love
burning beautiful, scented candles? And do you know that
you can easily make them yourself? It is exciting and not
at all difficult. Here are 12 easy steps to creating
unique candles that you can burn at home, give as gifts,
or even sell.
Materials for gel candle
making
You will need:
-
gel
- zinc wicks (cotton wicks
cant be used for gel candles because they absorb too much
gel)
- essential oil for
fragrance
- liquid color dye
- embeds
(optional)
All these
materials can be obtained online from candle making
suppliers. It is important to use essential oils and
colors specially made for gel candles; fragrance oils you
can buy in a cosmetic shop are not suitable. Also, you
can buy a gel candle making kit. Getting a kit is the
best solution for a beginner, because it will include
everything you need to make your first few
candles.
And of course you
will need a container. The best container for a gel
candle is glass, so people can see the embeds you put
inside the candle, but any non-flammable container would
do. You can use any glass, wine glass, or even a small
wide vase, but your container should be at least 2 inches
in diameter. Garage sales and second hand stores are gold
mines, when it comes to candle containers.
For embeds you can use anything
non-flammable - colored aquarium gravel, marbles, glitter,
sand, sea shells, pebbles, crystals, polished stones,
artificial jewels or pearls.
Steps to making a gel
candle
1. Place a little bit of hot glue
in the center of the container bottom. Stick the wick in it and
let the glue set.
2. Cut the gel into small pieces
so it melts faster and more evenly. Melt it in a stainless
steel pot over a medium heat.
3. The trickiest part is the
temperature - you should get it to exactly 200F, because
overheated gel looses its clarity. For that, you will need a
suitable thermometer.
4. Maintain the temperature at
200; all the gel should melt and become smooth, like
syrup.
5. Add color dye to the melted
gel, a little bit at a time, until you get the desired color -
remember, you can always add more dye to make the color
stronger, but you cant take dye away. For a candle with
embedded objects, you should use only a little color, so the
objects remain visible
6. Add the fragrance - 1/3
teaspoon for each glass of melted gel will give it a nice
scent. For a stronger scent, add a bit more
fragrance.
7. Heat the container in the oven
or microwave to about 150-160F. This will help to reduce the
appearance of bubbles
8. If you want to use embeds, dip
them in hot gel first and then arrange them in the container as
you like. It is better to keep the objects closer to the sides
of the container - they will be easier to see, this
way.
9. Now it is time to pour your
gel into the container. Place your container on a level surface
and pour the gel slowly and carefully down the side. If it is
your first time, you will probably get a few bubbles; to avoid
that, the gel should be still very hot.
10. Pull the wick up. Roll it on
a pencil to keep it straight.
11. Let the candle cool. Trim the
wick and you are done! You have a beautiful, unique gel candle,
made by yourself.
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