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Votive candles at a homemade altar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Many individuals choose to use votive candles in their jack-o-lanterns at Halloween because they burn for a long time and illuminate the entire face of the jack-o-lantern. They are also one of the easiest types of candles to make. For beginners in the area of candle making votives provide a great learning experience to learn the basics of the candle making process.
To get started, you will need to gather your votive candle items. This includes wax, molds, a double boiler, and a thermometer. You will need to have wick and wick tabs for votive candles. The wick tabs serve as a base for the candle. You can choose to purchase dye and fragrance if you wish for your votive candles. To ensure your candles will form properly in the molds, consider investing in mold spray to keep them clean and lubricated.
Once the wax has melted, add in any colors and fragrances. Immediately pour the melted wax into the molds, filling them to the lip of the mold. For easy cleanup, place old newspaper under the wax molds before you pour the wax into them. You will need to save about 20% of the melted wax for the next pouring process.
While the wax is cooling in the molds, prepare your wicks. Attack a wick several inches longer than the mold to a wick tab. Dip the wicks into the hot wax. Keep an eye on the votive molds as they won’t take as long to cool as other types of candles. Once you can tell the wax is starting to harden, insert a wick with the tab into each mold through the bottom. As the wax continues to cool, it will meld to the metal tab, ensuring it stays in place at the base of the candle. As the candles cool, make sure your wick is staying in the center of the votive.
Once the wax has completely cooled, you will notice a sinkhole in it due to shrinkage. You will want to pour melted wax into the molds again to remedy this. Make the wax about fifteen degrees hotter than the original wax you used to fill the votives. After the candles have completely cooled again, they will slide out of the molds easily. Trim the wick to about ½ an inch from the top of the candle. For safety, you will want to use a votive holder that is an inch or two taller than the candle itself.
Votive candles add class and charm to any home or special occasion. They are fun and simple to make. You can add any color or scent to your votive candles to add a personal touch to them. Votive candles burn for a long time, making them a worthwhile candle to use. They also make excellent gifts. To make the process even less expensive, look for votive candle holders at thrift shops and yard sales. You can further personalize your votive candles by applying pretty ribbon with a hot glue gun around the rim of the votive candle holder.
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