How to make candles at home
History of candles
Candles were invented in ancient Egypt. That is roughly between the 13th and 14th centuries BC. The composition of the materials were very different from the current ones. They were branches wrapped in animal fat. Goats, oxen or lambs. This type of candle is consumed with an emission of smoke abundant in the environment. It also has a bad smell.
Candles in the Middle Ages
The ancient Egyptians used oil lamps for interior lighting. These lamps were used until the middle ages. Candles with the shape that we know today developed in the middle ages. The composition materials were usually sebum with a beeswax mixture. The advantage of this composition was a longer duration and less smoke when burned, therefore also the smell was softer.
Whales and Non-Aromatic Candles
The eighteenth century began to use the spermaceti. This product illuminates better and does not produce unpleasant odor. Spermaceti is a wax or white oil, found in the skull of whales. But in the mid-nineteenth century petroleum appeared. The Paraffin.
And the paraffin is …
Identified for the first time by Carl Reichenbach in 1830, solid substance, white or translucent. Normally odorless and in the presence of heat it becomes liquid. (approximately between 50° and 65° Celsius). Paraffin is obtained from the distillation of petroleum. With the arrival of electric lighting, the candles became objects of emergency lighting to be …
A Choice of Decoration
The candles have become objects of decoration and design. Since paraffin is soluble, they are mixed with dyes, oils, perfumes and even flavorings. They make more pleasant bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and even bathrooms. Warm, aromatized and purified environments. Environments to meditate or relax.
See different ways of decorating candles with glasses
And how do I make candles in my house?
It’s very simple. The materials are bought in many stores. The process to manufacture them is simple.
Here we go:
1-Materials to Make Colored and Aromatic Candles at Home
- Wax or refined paraffin. The amount depends on the size and quantity of candles. To start a kilo will be enough
- Dyes. The tonality according to the taste, the environment, the occasion or the type of gift. Check here the meaning of the colors of the candles.
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Molds: They are bought in stores or jars and containers of various sizes are used. - Size: The thin candles are consumed faster
. If it is of wide diameter, the melted paraffin will not leave the sides and will remain in the center. In this way combustion is slower and lasts longer. - Essences, perfumes or aromas. natural or artificial. At the discretion of each person. There are citrus, floral aromas, woods, etc.
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Decorative candles that will never light; Add leaves, seeds or whatever you want when the paraffin is liquid .And to release fumes and perfumes that we do not want
- Pan, pot or casserole to melt the paraffin and the ingredients (ideally two).
- Candlewick. It is the wick or thread that goes from the bottom to the surface and protrudes.
- Spatulas
- You can buy all these materials at amazon.com
How to do it
2-How to Heat and Melt the Paraffin
- Do not do this process in a pan directly. The direct heat is too much for the paraffin and this can change chemical composition and evaporate.
- It is convenient to do it in a water bath. Place a small saucepan inside another larger one (it is with water). The boiling temperature of the water is 100° Celcius and it is constant and sufficient to melt the paraffin and work comfortably.
- Pour the paraffin into the small saucepan.
- Stir the paraffin with a spatula until it is all liquid.
- Add the dyes to the wax of the future candle (if it is the case) and stir.
- Add essences or perfumes (if you wish) and stir with the spatula. The amount of essence is proportional to what is emitted to the environment.
- Buy dyes at Amazon.com
3-Prepare and Fill the Molds
- Place the wick in the candle mold. Place the wick holder on the bottom of the mold. Place it with a glue.
- Pass a stick by the edge of the mold or bottle and tie it to the wick. This remains in vertical form.
- It is advisable to use flexible molds. To use rigid molds, it is necessary to grease the walls of the mold, because the demoulding will be easier.
- Pour the prepared melted wax into the molds or jars
- Most importantly: Do not fill the mold, leave 10% of the mold free. That distance must protrude the wick.
- How to make candles at home: Molds at Amazon.com
4-Unmold
- Allow the wax to cool. We recommend that the cooling be in a natural way. It may take up to 12 hours. Do not accelerate the cooling with ice water. The candles cracks by thermal differences in the material. Therefore, NEVER insert the hot mold into the refrigerator.
. - First of all unmold With small strokes or touches if it is rigid, or turning the molds if it is flexible.
Precautions
- Paraffin is a hydrocarbon. Consequently these utensils will not be used in other work. We are referring to the pans and spatulas specifically.
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Do the work of making scented candles in a large place, because spills are easy to clean - Hot paraffin, if it comes in contact with the skin, will cause burns. Take this into account
Enjoy How to make candles at home, flavored and decorated. And made by us and at home