Sunday, January 11, 2009

Merry Christmas!

This year for Christmas, I went all Hawaiian. I thought I had a unique opportunity to get things for people that they couldn't get for themselves. Something different. Unique, different, and Hawaiian can add up quickly, so I went Hawaiian-inspired for my friends through the mail. I decided to retry my hand at candle making. I had the wicks, metal braces for the base of the wick, the boiler bag, red, blue and yellow dye, and a tropical scent. (All of these things are available at any decent craft store.) I found the glasses on sale at Pier 1 and bought the wax at the grocery store.

So, here's what I did...
Step 1: get the wax melting
This one takes a little guess work, unless you know the size of your mold. You have to estimate how much solid wax to use. I got away with 1 1/2 blocks of paraffin wax (available on the baking aisle) in the heavy duty plastic bag, specific to candle making. You put the bag, with the wax, in a pot of heated/heating water on the stove, like a double boiler.
Step 2: while the wax is melting, get your glass ready
Tie a knot in the bottom of the wick (wicks generally come in a very long string, and you can cut down to desired length.) Pull the wick through hole in the metal weight. Set the weight down in the bottom. For this project, I also filled the bottom portion of my margarita glasses with shells for a more Hawaiian twist.
Step 3: coloring and scenting
Once the wax is melted, add in a few drops of desired color dyes and scents. Agitate the bag to get the color mixed evenly.
If you think back to elementary school art class, you'll remember that there are 3 primary colors. That's why I only bothered to buy red, yellow and blue. You can get green, purple and orange from combining these (BTW, the "red" tends to come out pink, since the wax is basically white). You can also get lighter or more intense color based on the number of drops you use. 2 drops of red looks very different from 5 drops. and 1 yellow plus 1 blue looks different than 1 yellow plus 2 blues. Hence, the rainbow you see here, from 3 bottles of dye!
Step 4: pouring
Be careful with the edges of your bag. they are probably hot. I try to leave 1 bottom corner out of the pot so it will stay cool. Slowly, carefully, but steadily, pour your dyed wax into the glass. If you go slow and steady, you'll minimize air bubbles.
All you have to do now, is let it set. The wax will harden, and solidify, and you've got your candle!
So, now that you know how simple it is to make candles, maybe you'll be a little less intimidated by the prospect.

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