The Sweet Smell of Gel Candle Wax
Gel candles are a fun to make and they are very cheap to make. To make gel candles at home, you need some gel candle wax, scents or fragrance oil of your choice, candle dyes, wick base, wick, non-flammable glass container or a jar and embeds. Not only are they beautiful, but very easy to light. They also burn slowly, giving your candles a long life for you to treasure. You can add your favorite scents to them as well. The supplies you need to get started include gel, zinc wicks, fragrance oils if you desire, and dye to add color. Some people love the look of a clear gel candle and prefer not to use any dye. It is important that you only use zinc wicks for gel candles because cotton wicks absorb the gel, causing them not to light or burn well. Gel wax can be purchased in three different densities. Low density wax is the easiest to work with, but it holds the least amount of scent. Medium density holds more scent but is not thick enough for embeds. If you want to embed decorations in your gel candles you will need to work with high density gel. High density gel is thick enough for you to suspend decorations in. You can purchase these supplies from a craft store or online.
Gel candles can be made in a variety of holders. Using those made of glass will give you the best results. However, as long as the container is non-flammable you will be fine. To add uniqueness to gel candles, some makers choose to make them in fancy glasses, wine glasses, and vases. To add color and themes to candles, consider using embeds. This can be glitter, marbles, colorful rocks, sea shells, crystals, or anything else that won't burn. If you desire to add color to your gel candle wax, add it in slowly. The colors show more vibrantly in gel candles than wax candles so you will need a lot less than what you use if you make wax candles. Stir the color into the melted wax slowly. If you aren't happy with the color you can slowly add more. If you plan to use embedded objects in the candle, it is suggested you keep the gel candle color very light.
You will need a hot glue gun to stick the wick to the bottom of the holder you plan to use. Hold firmly in place until the wick sticks. To make centering easier, mark the bottom of the holder with a red or black marker right in the center. The wick should then be placed on top of the mark. Leave the wick long enough to reach outside of the holder. You will trim it later. To melt the gel, cut it into small strips. For best results melt it in a double boiler at medium heat. The gel should be heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. A quality thermometer is a great investment as the gel won't set properly if you don't get it hot enough and it will lose the glossy color if you get the temperature too high.
For best results, heat your container in the microwave for about one minute. This will eliminate those unsightly bubbles that can form on gel candles. Immediately after removing the holder from the microwave, start adding your embeds. You will want to dip them in the hot gel to get them to stick in the holder. You can arrange embeds any way you desire. For best results push them towards the edges of the holder so that they can easily be scene. You can create embed patterns or add them loosely. These were just a few ideas of what you can do to make gel candles wax; you can get more information on gel candles by clicking on the link below.
About the Author:
What are you waiting for? Sean has been writing about candle making for several years.. For more information on http://candlemadeeasy.com/cool-candle-designs-marketing-your-candles'"> gel candle wax, visit http://www.candlemadeeasy.com'"> http://www.candlemadeeasy.com.
Author: Sean Splackaville