Have you ever experienced looking into the flame of a candle and find yourself slowly being transported into another world altogether? And as you continue to gaze at the candle flame, a wonderful subtle fragrance fills the air and you become more and more relaxed and a quiet sense of peace and calm settle over you? Nothing smells sweeter than the delicate scent of a candle.
There's no doubt that once a candle has filled the room with that wonderful fragrance, it changes the entire atmosphere of not only the room, but of your own mood as well and what an even better feeling to have crafted that candle yourself! Candle fragrances come in several forms: liquid, natural herbs, and solid wax perfume chips.
You have nearly an endless array of fragrances from which to choose.
All you need to do is click on to an internet site to see what's available to you or pay a visit to your local craft store.
There are a couple of things to remember when making scented candles: 1.
Wait until you're just about ready to pour your melted wax into the pouring pot before adding your scent.
This act keeps evaporation to a minimum.
In this way, you can actually use less fragrance and enjoy it more! 2.
Don't add too much scent.
It's a common mistake especially for beginners to add too much fragrance.
Adding too much of the fragrance may cause mottling or pitting to the candle wax itself.
This may also make it harder to remove your candle from the mold.
So remember, less is more.
Let's get started! Basic tools: Melting Pot/Double Boiler Thermometer Mixing Spoon Measuring Scale Container Wax Choice of Fragrance Oil Hot Glue Gun Wick/s Dye Container/s Instructions: 1.
Weigh out the amount of wax you'll need.
As a rough guide, 1 pound of wax makes a 20 oz.
jar candle.
2.
Prepare your double boiler.
You will want to heat your wax to a temperature of between 160 - 170 degrees F.
3.
While wax is melting, set up your container/s on a sturdy surface.
4.
Apply hot glue to the base of the wick tab.
Press the tab to the center of your container.
5.
Secure the top of the wick to a pencil or a clothespin and place it across the opening of your container.
Clothespins work well for containers that have openings up to 3 inches.
This will provide support to keep the wick centered during the cooling process of the wax.
6.
Pre-heat your container in the oven at 150 degrees F.
This helps prevent air bubbles from forming in your container as you pour the wax in.
It also helps adhesion of the wax to the glass.
7.
After the wax has melted, add your fragrance oil.
1 ounce of fragrance oil to 1 pound of wax is plenty.
Add your dye last, stirring constantly, until the desired color is achieved.
8.
Slowly pour wax into the container.
Adjust your wick so that it sits centered in candle.
You'll also want to save approximately 20 percent of the wax for later.
But do not return this wax to the heat source.
Allow the wax to cool completely.
9.
Once your candle has cooled completely, you'll notice that the wax around the wick may have sunk in a little.
That's where the wax you saved comes in handy.
Re-heat this wax to a temperature of approximately 185 degrees (on a second pour you can take the wax to a slightly higher temperature safely).
This higher temperature also helps to reduce any visible seams between the now two layers of wax you're making.
10.
You'll re-pour this wax to a level that just barely covers the wax from the first pour.
This too will help camouflage any seam lines.
Now, once again allow your candle to cool.
11.
Once the candle has completely cooled, remove the clothespin or pencil and trim the wick to about a quarter inch of the wax.
12.
Now sit back and enjoy your creation!