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Candles come in all shapes, sizes, and they come in a variety of colors. They can be scented, as aromatherapy candles are, or they can be left unscented.
Making candles is not as hard a task as you might think. To do this, you need some basic materials such as wicks, a pound of beeswax, stearic acid, candle molds, cooking oil, a double boiler, and a candy thermometer. You can buy scents and dye pellets made especially for candles if you want to use them, too.
First, heat the wax by placing it in a double boiler. Add enough stearic acid to the melted wax so it will harden properly, about three teaspoons. While you are waiting on the wax to melt, lightly coat the insdies of each mold with the cooking oil. This will help the candles come out better. When the wax reaches two hundred degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the heat and quickly add your scent and/or your coloring to it. Mix it well and then pour the wax into your molds. Now comes the step where you add a wick to each candle. Make sure your wicks are the length of each candle plus an inch or so longer. Let the candle just begin to set and then place each wick into each candle mold. Letthe wax sit undisturbed until each mold is completely cooled and hardened. Then, remove each candle from the molds and they are ready to use.
There is another way to make candles, and it is alot easier and safer too. It is so safe, that even a child can make candles using this method. You wil need several sheets of beeswax, candle wicks, pretty ribbon, and a utility knife.The beeswax comes in a variety of colors, so you can use several different colors to make one candle if you choose. Or, on color per candle is also fine.
The first step is to thoroughly warm-- not melt--the wax to make it pliable and easy to work with. The easiest way to do this is to warm it with a hair dryer. Cut the beeswax down to size if you want your candle to be smaller than the sheet size. Cut a piece of wick about an inch longer than the entire length of the candle. Place the wax sheet flat on a hard surface and lay the wick along the long edge of the wax sheet. Carefully begin to roll the sheet of wax along with the wick inside. Be srue to keep the ends even or your candle will end up crooked. After you have finished rolling the complete sheet, you may either stop at this point, or you can cut a sheet of a different color of wax and continue rolling the new color around the candle you have already made. Now, you have another choice, and that is either sealing the end closed by using a hot knife or other utensil, or just tie a piece of pretty ribbon around the middle of the candle to make it a little more decoratvie.
Either method you choose to use is fun, and each one makes some beautiful candles.
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