Beat the darkness, set the mood: How to make your own candles

Over the festive season, when there is loadshedding, during Earth hour or just to set the mood, candles really bring a magic (and great source of light) to any home.

WikiHow shared these simple steps to make your very own candles, leaving just enough room for creativity.
Read WikiHow’s original article and more great content

Assembling your candles

1. Wash out jars you want to use. Glass jars that are heat resistant work best as you will be pouring hot wax into them. If recycling old mugs, plant holders or other containers, inspect them for cracks so that the hot wax won’t aggravate the infrastructure.

2. Dry your jars completely by preheating them. Set the jars on a baking tray and place them in the oven on the ‘keep warm’ setting or a low heat while you prepare the wax. Leave them in the oven for a few minutes to make them warmer than room temperature.

3. Assemble the candle wicks.

You can buy pre-made candle wicks from a craft store with metal collars attached at the end or put your own together. Buy the metal collars and uncut wicks separately, thread the wick through the collar and use pliers to squeeze it tightly shut.

It’s best not to place a wick in a candle without a collar as the metal prevents the flame from heating the bottom of the glass jar to the point of breaking.

If you use uncut wicks, you won’t be limited to candle size or height. For best results, buy pre-waxed wicks.

4. Then take the jars out of the oven and attach the wicks, be careful as they may still be hot. Melt a few wax flakes in the microwave and place a few in the bottom of each jar. Before the wax cools, place the metal end or bare end of your wick in the wax and let it set.

5. Secure each wick in place. Lay a pencil or chopstick across the top of your jar and wrap or tape the wick to it. You want to make sure the wick remains upright so that when you pour the wax in, the wick won’t fall down into the candle.

https://giphy.com/gifs/new-candle-turns-9cZCMkMYSjudq

Melting the wax

1. Measure your wax flakes.

You want to have two times the amount of wax flakes than your jars’ volume. Use a heat-resistant glass measuring-cup with a handle, to measure and then later melt the flakes.

When choosing wax flakes, soy based wax burns longer than paraffin and some people prefer it as a natural ingredient.

Make sure you buy wicks that are meant for soy candles if you choose to use soy instead of paraffin wax.

2. Make a double boiler to melt the wax. All you will need is a medium sized pot or saucepan and a stovetop range. Place the measuring cup on the side of the pot and fill the pot with water. You want a lower level of water so that the water doesn’t splash into the wax as it boils.

3.Turn the stove to a low to medium heat as you don’t want a full rolling boil because that may cause the wax to overheat. Stir the wax with a wooden spoon as it melts so that all of the flakes are equally liquefied.

4. Test the temperature of the wax – you want to keep it between 65° and 80° C. Do not leave the wax unattended. This is so that it doesn’t overheat but is mostly for safety. At these temperatures, wax can burn skin easily.

5. Add colour to your candle: Break off small pieces of non-toxic wax crayon pieces to add a hue to the wax. A little bit goes a long way, so add the crayon in increments of a 0.6cm piece at a time. You can test out the color intensity as you go by dropping a little wax onto some parchment paper and letting it cool as the wax finishes melting.

6. Take the wax off the stove. Once it reaches these temperatures and is fully melted, set the measuring cup aside. Let the wax cool down to 50°C. You cannot add the essential oils or scents at a higher temperature because the scent can evaporate away.

7. Add the essential oils. You can mix and match scents and oils for a unique candle. For scent ideas, reference your own favorite candle scents or smell different oil combinations to determine what meshes and what clashes.

Pouring the Candles

1. Place a tray or newspaper under your jars. In case the wax spills while pouring, protect your surface so that clean up is simple and easy. Dried wax is easier to clean up since the large pieces can be picked off and the residue spot-cleaned.

2. Pour the wax into your jars slowly. Going slow and steady will prevent it from cracking when it settles and avoids creating air pockets within the jar.

3. Leave space at the top of the candle as you pour. When the candle burns, the top layer of wax will melt and pool around the wick. You don’t want the wax to overflow when you first start burning your candle.

4. Top off the candle with a little more wax. There can often be a sinkhole of wax that forms around the wick as it begins to set. Simply pour a little more wax into the sunken area and give the jar a light shake to settle the wax evenly.

5. Trim the wick before burning. Leave about a centimetre of wick above the top of the candle. If the wick is too long, it will flop over and burn incorrectly. If it is too short, you will have trouble getting it to light and it may drown in the melted top layer of wax.

https://giphy.com/gifs/candles-hUdZikjiXXS7u

Also read: 10 fun off-the-grid ways to brighten up your #EarthHour

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