Since candles are often used on dinner tables, the wax falls and stains the tablecloth, place-mats, table-mats and cloth napkins. Once the wax has dried onto a cloth surface it becomes difficult to remove properly. In order to remove candle wax from the cloth, you will first need to apply an ice pack on the spot. The cold will cause the wax to become brittle, allowing you to scrape off the wax by hand. Do not use a sharp object such as a knife, as this may damage or fray the cloth.

If wax has fallen onto a wooden surface, such as a dinner table, end table, coffee table or mantelpiece, you have to follow a completely different process. In these cases you can attempt to remove the wax by scrubbing off the wax as much possible with the edge of a credit card or something similar.

Make sure you do not use a knife or other sharp object, as you may scratch the wooden surface. If you notice some wax residue left over, you can use a small amount of cream furniture wax solution. After this has been applied, you will notice that the wax is completely gone, and your furniture has not been harmed or damaged in any way.

Another good method to removing candle wax from fabrics is to simply place a paper towel under the spot and one on top of the spot. Turn your iron onto medium (not too high) and press down so that the paper towel absorbs the melting wax. Make sure you move the paper towel frequently so that it does not oversaturate.

If you are attempting to remove wax from carpets or upholstery where you cannot use two paper towels, the ice pack method should work as well. Once the spot is cold, use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum the place where the wax residue is present. By using this method you will not need to use a professional carpet cleaning service.

If for some reason you are unable to remove the candle wax, you may need to use a professional cleaning service. Before asking for a quote, ask them if they have any tips or do-it-yourself ideas that you can try first. If their ideas do not work, you may need to hire a professional to remove the wax, or risk ruining your items.

Knowing the right methods for wax removal depending on the type of issue you have is important. Using the wrong method on the wrong surface may damage your furniture or possessions, and cause you a great deal of stress and extra expense.  So – be careful!

There are a few advantages that soy candles offer over others like paraffin candle wax. Soy candle wax is natural, is a renewable resource, can be easily melted in the microwave, tends not to shrink as badly as paraffin wax and burns twice as long as paraffin wax. I would say the No. 1 advantage is that it burns longer than Paraffin wax. The one drawback is that it is more expensive, but once you start using soy candle wax it’s hard to stop.

The one disadvantage to using soy candles wax is that it is naturally soft, therefore not conducive to making votives and pillar candles – unless you insert additives to improve the sturdiness. So, for these types of candles paraffin wax is a better option. You can also not use soy candle wax to make taper candles. It is possible to make floating soy candles if you keep them to 3 inches in diameter.

Interest in natural wax for candles has been around for a long time, although soy wax is surprisingly a relatively recent invention. Because of the growing interest in natural wax, a guy by the name of Michael Richards was searching for a cheaper alternative to beeswax and he ended up creating soy wax in 1991.

You might be wondering if soy candle wax is actually more environmentally friendly that than paraffin. There is some debate about this, with some claiming that some soy candle enthusiasts are touting the environmental benefits unduly. All candles actually emit soot but soy candles emit white soot whereas paraffin candles emit black soot. And all organic compounds when burned will emit a certain amount of carbon (soot) because of incomplete combustion. So, if someone tells you that Soy candles are better because they don’t emit any soot they are wrong, but rest assured that the soot is not bad for you (Sooting is mostly due to the interplay between wick length and the disturbance of the teardrop shaped flame). In fact, the soot that is emitted by candles is mostly made up of elemental carbon particles which are similar to the soot emitted by cooking oil and toasters.

Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans and is created by extracting the oil from soybean flakes and then hydrogenated.

In terms of the equipment and techniques used to make the candles, both paraffin and soy wax candles are the same. To melt the soy wax you use a double boiler and heat the soy wax to 150 to 180 degrees. You should be careful not to keep the melted wax above 150 degrees because if it burns the wax will give off a yellowish appearance. You can then add colouring after the wax is completely melted, stop heating it and add the fragrance.

It is recommended that you use 7% fragrance by weight which means that for every 1 pound of soy wax you should use approximately 1.12 ounces of fragrance oil. But be careful because if you get the concentration level wrong (i.e. too high), it could bleed through the candle. The soy wax should be around 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit and you can then pour the wax into the mold to cool down.

Another thing to be careful of is ensure that the wax is not at too low a temperature, otherwise the candle could crack. The wax should then be brought to around 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to use water to cool the candle quickly as this could lead to the candle cracking.

The bottom line is that there are not huge differences in soy wax and paraffin wax. They both hold colour and scent the same way in candles although because of their respective properties soy is better for some types of candles (container) and paraffin better for others (i.e. pillar/votives).

Have you tried to make your own candle before? If you are on this page you are on the right track to creating your own unique candles. Candle making has been around for a long time and is a hobby enjoyed by a wide range of people for a variety of different purposes – from pure hobbyist to professional candle makers.

Being able to make your own candles to either give away or for your own personal use is extremely satisfying. You can usually purchase the necessary items such as wicks, wax and molds to make your own candle from local crafts or hobby stores. Because candle making has gained in popularity in recent years it is even easier these days to purchase things such as decorations, colouring and fragrance for making homemade candles. Once you have the essentials the rest of the things needed for candle making can be found around your house.

The first thing to do to make a candle is to prepare the wax by melting it in something called a double boiler. A double boiler is basically just a big pot filled with water and placed on the stove. Then you place a smaller pot which has the un-melted wax in it inside the larger pot.

By using a double boiler it prevents the wax from burning when you melt it. After you melt the wax you simply hold the wick in the same spot in the middle of the mold and then pour the wax in.  You have to then let the wax cool for approximately six hours prior to removing it from the mold.

To make it easier to take the candle out of the mold it is sometimes better to put it in the freezer for around 30 minutes. Another option to make it easier to remove the finished candle is to apply non-stick cooking spray to the mold prior to pouring the wax into it.

You can literally create any type of candle at home by using your imagination. There is such a choice of different colours, decorations and fragrances which is why making candles is such a popular hobby. If you really get into it you can even make your own liquid latex to create stunning candles. However, making latex molds is a little more difficult than other molds because they are so flexible that you can’t stand them on end to pour the wax into the bottom. To solve the problem you need to cut a hole in a piece of hard cardboard. You just need to ensure that the hold is large enough for the mold to slip through, but only to the lip – all latex molds require a lit on the bottom for this reason. After this, the wax can be poured to the bottom of the mold with the cardboard acting as support.

Making candles as well as being a great hobby can also be a very good way to make money. There are a lot of entrepreneurs who have turned their love of making candles into a lucrative business. Like any business, if you buy in bulk you can get product at discount prices allowing you to make decent money. Like anything, if you actually like doing it, it is a lot easier to turn it into a business if that’s your desire. Or, you can simply make candles for your own enjoyment and get a lot of satisfaction making a unique candle as a gift to your friend, family or loved one.

There are a few choices when adding fragrance, but fragrance oil is the best option. Water and oil based perfume in wax is not recommended because they are so close in the chemical make-up to most waxes. This means that if you do use water-based perfumes they will float to the bottom of your melted wax.

The best thing about scented candles is that you can smell them even when the candle isn’t lit. Because scented candles have a fragrance, when you make them yourself and give them to someone as a gift there is a real personal touch that is really appreciated by the person receiving the gift.

The process of making scented candles is the same as regular candles. You just need to consider what type of wax you want to use (i.e. soy, palm, beeswax, paraffin or gel). Because the different waxes all have different properties you should choose how much However, there are a few properties of the various waxes that you should be aware of. For example, if you use gel candles you have to think about how much fragrance you are planning before you choose the density level of the wax. The reason for this is that gel wax with a lesser density cannot hold in as much fragrance as gel wax with a higher density.

The process in making any type of candle involves firstly melting the wax before it is poured into the candle mold. To melt the wax you use a ‘double boiler’. You then put a smaller put that contains the wax into a larger pot that is filled with water. Heat the wax to approximately 170-180 degrees and use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Then add the wick to the mold. Wait for the wax to melt and then remove it from the heat source. It is at this point that you add the fragrance oil.

Now add about one ounce (.035 ounces) of fragrance oil to one pound (453 grams) of wax. By doing this it gives you about a 6% fragrance concentration. Make sure you don’t overdo it on the fragrance because there can be issues such as the candle not being able to burn properly because of the higher concentration of liquid which can lead to pools of liquid in the candle itself. Feel free to experiment with the different levels to gauge how much fragrance you should use compared to the amount of wax. By doing this you can find the optimum level for your needs.

By using different colours and scents you can create a unique, stylish and customized candle of your liking.

Have you tried to make your own candle before? If you are on this page you are on the right track to creating your own unique candles. Candle making has been around for a long time and is a hobby enjoyed by a wide range of people for a variety of different purposes – from pure hobbyist to professional candle makers.

Being able to make your own candles to either give away or for your own personal use is extremely satisfying. You can usually purchase the necessary items such as wicks, wax and molds to make your own candle from local crafts or hobby stores. Because candle making has gained in popularity in recent years it is even easier these days to purchase things such as decorations, colouring and fragrance for making homemade candles. Once you have the essentials the rest of the things needed for candle making can be found around your house.

The first thing to do to make a candle is to prepare the wax by melting it in something called a double boiler. A double boiler is basically just a big pot filled with water and placed on the stove. Then you place a smaller pot which has the un-melted wax in it inside the larger pot.

By using a double boiler it prevents the wax from burning when you melt it. After you melt the wax you simply hold the wick in the same spot in the middle of the mold and then pour the wax in. You have to then let the wax cool for approximately six hours prior to removing it from the mold.

To make it easier to take the candle out of the mold it is sometimes better to put it in the freezer for around 30 minutes. Another option to make it easier to remove the finished candle is to apply non-stick cooking spray to the mold prior to pouring the wax into it.

You can literally create any type of candle at home by using your imagination. There is such a choice of different colours, decorations and fragrances which is why making candles is such a popular hobby. If you really get into it you can even make your own liquid latex to create stunning candles. However, making latex molds is a little more difficult than other molds because they are so flexible that you can’t stand them on end to pour the wax into the bottom. To solve the problem you need to cut a hole in a piece of hard cardboard. You just need to ensure that the hold is large enough for the mold to slip through, but only to the lip – all latex molds require a lit on the bottom for this reason. After this, the wax can be poured to the bottom of the mold with the cardboard acting as support.

Making candles as well as being a great hobby can also be a very good way to make money. There are a lot of entrepreneurs who have turned their love of making candles into a lucrative business. Like any business, if you buy in bulk you can get product at discount prices allowing you to make decent money. Like anything, if you actually like doing it, it is a lot easier to turn it into a business if that’s your desire. Or, you can simply make candles for your own enjoyment and get a lot of satisfaction making a unique candle as a gift to your friend, family or loved one.

Gel candles have been gaining in popularity recently because gel wax allows you to create real works of art by allowing you to embed items such as glitter, stars, sea shells or whatever takes your fancy. Gel wax is a rubbery, transparent compound made from 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin. The special properties of the gel wax enable it to burn around twice as long as paraffin wax candles. A company by the name of Penreco actually owns a patent on the gel wax process. This process is referred to as VersaGel.

Although they burn in the same way that wax candles do, they are made a bit differently. One great thing about gel candles is that that are not too difficult to make, making it an ideal choice for those just starting out.

Gel wax comes in high, medium and low density. The higher the density the better the more fragrance it can hold. The thicker the gel gets the easier it is for it to suspend the decorations you embed within the candle. However, the thicker it gets the longer it takes to mold and the harder it is to pour. Although the steps in making a gel candle are similar to those of making a candle from regular wax (such as the pouring and melting process), the equipment and techniques used are differ slightly. With most other types of candle wax a ‘double boiler’ is used to melt the wax, but doing it this way would take too long with gel wax. In case you didn’t know, the definition of double boiler is “A cooking utensil consisting of two nested pans, designed to allow slow, even cooking or heating of food in the upper pan by the action of water boiling in the lower”.  The solution is to use a multi cooker, which is kind of like a deep fryer.

A mutli-cooker is essentially metal with a non-stick coating and heating element (usually with a temperate controller to make sure that the gel wax melts at the right temperature). You should also use a normal thermometer to make sure the gel wax melts at the correct temperature. It is recommended that you use something hard (such as plastic or metal utensil) to stir the wax. One very important thing to keep in mind is that gel wax is flammable and can catch fire, so make sure you have water or a fire extinguisher at hand.

Another cool thing about gel candles is that you can change the colour of the gel candle wax by using dyes. Because of the unique properties of gel candles they maintain their translucency. The colour of the wax also changes quite easily with only a small amount of dye required. However, make sure you don’t use clothing dye, crayons, soap dyes, food colouring etc. in candle wax – because they will not burn correctly as they are not specifically made for candles.

If you have an artistic flare or are simply interested in creating a candle to impress your friend or lover, then gel candles are a great choice. The coolest thing about gel candles is the easy way you can add your own decorations to the wax and embed these into the candle. An awesome way to personalize a birthday or Christmas present!

The various types of Wax used for making candles

Because candle making is so popular there is now a wide variety of wax available for those wanting to make candles.

An interesting fact about the wax used in most candles is that it is made from Paraffin wax (refined from petroleum). Paraffin wax is very flexible and can be used for a wide range of applications. Paraffin (known as kerosene in the UK/Australia) is usually a white, tasteless and odorless waxy solid which does not melt in water. It is unaffected by most common chemicals but it burns easily, making it great as candle wax.

Alternatives are natural or refined wax from plants and vegetables such as palm and Soy. In particular, the popularity of Soy candles (made from soy wax) is on the rise. The soy wax usually has a lower melting point than most other waxes and is a processed form of soybean oil. They are not great for making pillar candles but you can if specific additives are mixed with the soy wax. One reason for the popularity of soy wax is because it is known as an environmentally friendly solution that is renewable. In the USA, soybeans are mostly grown in Indiana Iowa and Illinois.

Soybeans were an important crop in east Asia and are still a major crop in Japan, Korea and China. Soybeans were introduced to America in 1765 by a sailor by the name of Samuel Bowen who had visited China. The USA now produces over 75 million tons of soybeans (more than one third exported).

Another popular wax is palm wax and it is also natural and renewable. However, there have been issues with countries like Malaysia and Indonesia clearing rainforest areas to plant palm plantations.

Another natural alternative is beeswax which is available in the colours white or yellow. Even though beeswax candles are more expensive, they are popular because they are hardy, have great burning characteristics and a nice fragrance.

Another new method of making candles is to use Gel wax, which is clear and rubbery in texture but works in a similar way to wax. Depending on the type of candle you want to create and the level of fragrance required, you can choose 3 different levels of gel densities (low, medium and high). There is a thing called ‘fragrance load’ which indicates the fragrance level. For example, gel with 0-3% fragrance load would mean choosing a low density gel wax. Higher density gels are able to keep the fragrances locked in and because they are more solid they are easy to decorate.

Depending on the type of candle you want to make, the type of wax required changes with your needs. Once you get a grasp on the various types of waxes and their properties, you can really get a lot of satisfaction and have fun at the same time in creating the ideal candle.

Candle making molds

As candle making is a popular past time, there is an abundance of candle making molds available.

A candle mold is essentially a container that allows you to create different shapes and sizes of candles. When you pour hot wax into the mold, it hardens and enables you to make a variety of shapes by simply changing the type of mold you use. After the wax has cooled it will keep its shape.

There are varying materials you can use that come in all different shapes and sizes, all offering unique uses. Because of its durability and heat resistant properties, one of the more popular types of molds are those made of aluminum. As well as being inexpensive, they are easy to clean and provide a smooth finish to the candle which means they look professionally made. They are therefore often used to create votive and pillar candles. If you don’t know what a votive candle is, its origins come from the Old Testament practice of sacrifice. The candle that consumes itself represents sacrifice and the perfumed smoke from the incense going towards heaven is a symbol of prayer.

They are not difficult to create. Basically what you do is place them upside down on a baking sheet in your oven and heat them to approximately 150 degrees and the wax that is leftover will run out of the mold and onto the cookie sheet (i.e. rectangular metal sheet used for baking cookies or biscuits).

The disadvantage to aluminum molds is that they leave you little choice in the texture or shape of the candle you want to create. In addition, a releasing agent is needed to get the candle out of the mold.

A cheaper alternative to aluminum is polyurethane. The down side is that they have a strong odor which can be passed onto your candle. It also requires a releasing agent.

Because of their good properties, one of the most expensive molds is Silicone. Not only do they not require a releasing agent, but they are stretchable, flexible and do not leave parting lines.

Latex molds are also quite popular, but with advances in rubber molds they are losing their popularity. By using liquid latex, you can create your own mold at home by painting it onto a structure. Although this can be a bit of a pain because it requires quite a few costs of latex, it does allow you to create an abundance of unique molds.

Another option is plastic candles. Although they are cheap and easy to clean they do not last as long as other material. Saying this, plastic is a good option for beginners but not a good option if you are looking to sell your candles on high street!