Before electricity was discovered and before light bulbs were invented, candles were the main source of illumination inside a building. This makes candle making a very necessary art. But even though electric light bulbs are now the main source of light everywhere, candles remain popular because they add to indoor surroundings a touch of coziness and romance in the atmosphere.
Learning candle making as a hobby has its own appeal and popularity primarily because there is nothing more satisfactory than being able to create something useful with one's own hands. Candle making can also be a good source of secondary income if one becomes a master of it.
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There are many types of candles that you can learn to make with candle making. The most popular type of candles are called tapers or dinner candles, the long and slender candles that are supposed to be held in place by candlesticks.
The pillar candle is a candle that can stand on its own, with a base that measures three inches or so in diameter. Pillar candles are also called column candles and they come in various shapes.
A jar candle is another popular candle that is made when the wax is poured into a glass container that is designed to resist the heat of the candle it contains as it burns. Jar candles are also referred to as filled candles.
If you are interested in candle making, what materials should you invest in? Contrary to what you may think, the art of candle making does not require a lot of investment. Most of the time, the necessary materials such as the boilers and the molds can be easily substituted for materials readily available in your own kitchen or garage.
For candle making, you would need the following materials:
• The paraffin wax, which is the basic ingredient for candle making, as well as the wick. If you want to experiment with colors and scents, you can also get dyes and fragrance oils or essential oils.
• A double boiler for heating your wax. A double boiler is a pan inside a pan. The outer pan is for heating water while the inner pan serves to hold the wax being melted. Also, a stove for heating your wax.
• A thermometer for gauging the temperature of your wax. You would need to use a thermometer that is specially designed for candle making because the ordinary household thermometers do not have as high a range.
• A scale, a ladle and a measuring cup. A scale will help you measure the amount of wax you would need to heat for your candles while the ladle is for getting the wax out of its boiler. The measuring cup is for pouring wax into molds รข€“ it is safer and easier to do than simply pouring the contents of the boiler into the mold.
• Candle molds and mold seal. The candle molds are for shaping your candles and they come in different shapes, sizes and materials. The cheapest candle molds are made of plastic, but they are not that durable and they cannot withstand too much heat. The best candle molds are those made of metal. The mold seal, on the other hand, prevents the wax from pouring out of the mold.
• A blow torch or heat gun is for melting away imperfections on the surface of your finished candles.
Always remember that safety is paramount in candle making. Be cautious about the materials you are handling and always keep the area where you make your candles clean.
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