Crafts 101: Quick and Easy Votive Candle Making Instructions
Everyone loves the look of candlelight, but decorator candles are expensive. With these quick and easy candle making instructions, you can make your own candles for pennies and spend the money you save on something else.
Nothing sets a mood like candlelight. No romantic dinner is complete without candles - just look around at the tables in a restaurant the next time you go out to eat. In most restaurants, there is a candle on every table. Candles are therapeutic: watching a candle burn eases stress, and burning scented candles is a time-worn method of practicing aromatherapy. With these basic, quick and easy instructions for making candles, you'll soon be burning votive candles that you made yourself.
Supplies You Need
If you're really serious about making your own candles, you should consider getting a candle making starter kit. You can buy one of these kits at any candle making supplier, and they come with everything you need to make your own candles. Kits are available for votive candles, pillar candles, and long taper candles. The kits will include quick and easy candle making instructions with the other candle making supplies.
If you want to assemble your own candle making starter kit, here is what you'll need: A double boiler or electric skillet or some other pan that has a temperature control that you can cook wax in. If you're on a budget, you can get creative and melt wax in a coffee can set inside a pan of water cooking on the stove. If you use this method, you'll need a candy thermometer to heat the wax to the proper temperature. You also need a pan to pour the wax with, a slab of wax, dye (optional), scent (optional), wicks, wick pins, votive molds, and caution labels.
Getting Started
One pound of wax will make eight votive candles. Melt the wax, keeping the temperature at 165 to 185 degrees. If you want a colored or scented candle, add dye or fragrance when the wax has melted completely. Remove the wax from heat.
The next step in these quick and easy candle making instructions is to insert the wick pins into the votive molds, making sure the pins stand straight up. Next, slowly fill each mold to the desired height, being careful not to overfill them. In about an hour, when the candles cool completely, there will be a dip in the base of each candle that you have to refill. Simply reheat the wax and fill the sink holes.
Finishing the Candles
When the second pour has cooled, remove the candles from the votive molds. If the wax sticks, put the mold in the freezer for a few minutes, and it will release easily. Remove the wick pins and insert the wick in the hole left by removing the pin. Press the wick tab onto the bottom of the candle. Apply a votive caution label to the finished candle, and voila! With these instructions for making quick and easy candles, you've made your very own votive candle!
