If you are new to candle making and you want to avoid the common mistakes many novice candle makers make, you can follow these tips to keep you on the right path. Candle making is a fun and relatively straightforward hobby, but there are ways you can mess it up if you are not sure what you are doing.
If you are going to make a mold candle, you need to make sure you purchase mold release spray. Candle wax will stick to the insides of the molds enough to ruin the candle if you do not use the spray. Then you will have to painstakingly scrape out the inside of the mold and start over.
Not all candle wax is single pour. Read the product description carefully on the wax you buy so you know what you are getting. It will specify single pour if it is single pour. If not, be sure to make enough wax to do a second pour.
Candle making is messy business. And wax is no fun to clean up, whether it is hot and sticky or cool and hard. In addition, the colors added to the wax can be transferred to surfaces it gets spilled on. So cover your work surface with newspapers to prevent unnecessary hassle when youre done.
Use a scale to weigh the wax you will use. If you just guess how much wax you need, you could go under or over your needs. If you make too little, you might not be able to fill your mold or container. If you make too much, you could be wasting wax, dye, and fragrance.
A big mistake that many home candle makers make is trying to skimp on the expense of candle dye and use crayons instead. This could be a serious mistake. It can make the candle smoke enough to smother the wick. It makes the candle smell like crayons. Candle dye is really not that expensive and the increase in quality is well worth any additional cost.
Some candle makers also try to save money by using too little dye. The problem with this is that red candles will turn out pink or salmon, and blue candles will come out baby blue. If you use the right amount of dye, you will get the end-result you are looking for.
Finally, fragrances must be appropriate for candle making. If you use perfume or another fragrance source not intended for candles, you could light your house on fire. Perfumes contain alcohol, which is flammable! Use candle fragrance and you wont have any problems. You can even try blending fragrances like vanilla and orange or cinnamon and cherry for candles with more unusual aromas.
Following these candle-making hints can save you time, money, and frustration, not to mention a call to the fire department. So, be safe and have fun!