Hand Dipped Candles- Huh?

Candle making is a popular activity all around the world, both for business purposes, and personal enjoyment. Until you actually try it for yourself, the idea of candle making seems quite complicated and difficult, but once you get down a few basic steps, you will be an expert in no time at all. Once you are able to make basic candles, you might want to try your hand at making hand-dipped candles. This technique allows you to use several different colors all on the same candle, creating a truly unique design with your own personal flair. These candles can be made to blend in with any home décor or color scheme.

You are probably already familiar with the basic candle making supplies, but there are some special necessities you will need to acquire if you want to make your own hand- dipped candles. Some of them you already have on hand if you make candles on a regular basis, such as wax, either beeswax or paraffin, wicking material, and some sort of melting device or double broiled. For hand dipped candles, you also will need to purchase several large wooden bowls and spoons, and a decent thermometer if you don’t already have one. There are many different colors that you can use for your hand-dipped candles, and these colors come in many different formats. You may find them in chips, liquid, powder, or even cakes. To make fragrant hand-dipped candles, you must use scents that are oil based, with no water or alcohol whatsoever in the mix.

Melt your wax in the same way you do in traditional candle making, and allow it to heat until the thermometer reads around 160 degrees, that’s Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Once that temperature has been attained, reduce the heat, and leave the wax on the heat source so it doesn’t start to solidify again. At this point, you can start adding color to the mixture, adding small amounts until you reach the desired effect. If you are adding fragrance, now is the time to do it, remembering moderation is the key.

The next phase will be preparing your wick, which should be cut so that it is longer than the total length of the candle you will be placing it into. Make certain that you dip these trimmed wicks into your candle wax mixture as well. Once the first coating cools, you will need to dip them again. Have all of your colors on hand that you plan to use for your candles, so that they are readily available. Continue dipping your candle into the wax mixture until it is the desired size, thickness, and smoothness.

As you probably already guessed, it takes quite a bit of time to make your own hand- dipped candles. It is not the easiest type of candle to make either, but does yield some truly beautiful creations. You shouldn’t attempt this type of candle making until you are proficient with regular candles, as it is very difficult. To save money on supplies, if you make a mistake in your candles, you can melt them down, reusing the wax, which will save you some money on materials, until you have it down pat.

You can find more information on this type of candle making online, or from your local library or bookstore.

Valentine's Day at Home: Perfumer Frédéric Malle on Romantic Scents for Your ... - Allure Magazine (blog)

Allure Magazine (blog)

Valentine's Day at Home: Perfumer Frédéric Malle on Romantic Scents for Your ... Allure Magazine (blog) What are some of the sexier home scents? "Personally, I like things that are not so subtle: There is a Diptyque candle called Feu De Bois which smells like a wood fire. There is a candle that I do which is called [Frédéric Malle] Coffee Society, ...

A roadmap for homesickness - Yale Daily News

A roadmap for homesickness Yale Daily News After the fieldtrip ends, decide to walk for a while. Take photos. Look for moments worth capturing. You will find some, I promise. Stop at a discount store to get out of the cold. See scented candles. Buy some. They will make you feel better. and more »

Yankee Candle Unveils Pure Radiance - MarketWatch (press release)

Yankee Candle Unveils Pure Radiance MarketWatch (press release) 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of premium scented candles, today announced the launch of its new contemporary candle line, Pure Radiance. Made of a custom soy wax blend, ... and more »

New Yankee Candle line - Newton Kansan (blog)

New Yankee Candle line Newton Kansan (blog) Here is my opinion of this candle: The candle formed a great wax pool, and the scent was very nice cold. It smells a little like men's cologne, only woodsier, I think. It took me a while to get used to the scent because I generally like food scents, ...

Andy Animal's Sensuous Candles - VICE

VICE	Andy Animal's Sensuous Candles VICE I was pleased to learn of the phenomenon known as the Yankee Candle Haul. The video genre's most popular sniffer is a chubby effeminate teen named Drew who huffed such wax scents as Pink Lady Slipper and Early Sunrise and cuddled a gratis teddy bear ...