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Buying Wicks Guide for Your Homemade Candles

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So you have survived the first two posts that discussed the types of candles that you can make as well was read on and on about the numerous types of materials that you can use to create beautiful waxy creations that you can light on fire!! Candle making is an exciting hobby to have.

Today I want to discuss the next group of supplies that you will need to consider and purchase after you’ve picked the type of wax or gel you plan to use for making your candles. Depending on what you’ve chosen, you will need to buy wicks based off of the temperature that the wax melts, how large the candles are, etc. While this may seem like a daunting task to the novice candle maker, let me assure you that it is very simple to do and this post will put to rest any burning questions you have about the wick selection!!

Wick Size Requirements

There are not really any hard fast rules that you need to stick to when choosing the wicks to use in your candles. Typically the recommendation from the maker of the wax or from the candlemaking supplier as to the best wick to use. These recommendations are usually based off of the thickness in width of the candle.

Types of Candle Wicks

When you start shopping for wicks for the candles you will find that they come in a few common styles: cored, square braided wicks and flat braid wicks

Homemade Candles using Square Braid Wicks

Square braid wicks have four corners and can be either tightly woven or may have looser weave that will make the wick larger. Square braided wicks are used in pillar candles, beeswax and sometimes in custom shaped candles since they are known to be “stiffer” and straighter. This allows for a more even burn down the center of the candles core.

Using Flat Braid Wick for Desired Burn of Candle

The flat braid wick is the simplest of the types of wicks available. They are made from three strands and have varying types of braid (tight braid or loose braid). Due to the simple nature of a flat braided wick they do not burn in a symmetric fashion and are known to lean down when burning.

Make Candles using Wire Cored Wicks

Core wicks are actually made with material in the center of them to give them a rigid and solid upright standing. The most common materials found in the core of these wicks is either zinc, cotton, paper and even new materials such as hemp have begun to appear in the centers of these candles. The latter filler has come about as more environmentally conscious candle makers have frowned on the long standing lead cored wicks. You can still find lead-cored wicks but as most chandlers become more knowledgeable about their craft they have demanded higher quality wicks and have avoided buying any lead based ones.

Buying candle wicks, whatever the type you feel would best fit your candle projects are relatively cheap and you can get a lot in bulk when you’re purchasing.

Wick Techniques & Wick Preparation

Priming the Wick

After you’ve decided on whehter you want your wick to have a flat braid or a square braid or if it should have the core filled with some material you can’t just go putting a new wick into your latest candle project without first prepping it to be used.

This is where priming comes in. It is important that you eliminate any pockets of air that might be stuck in the braids of your candle wick. Doing so will allow the wick to burn more evenly and you will not experience flares in the candle flame. This is done by making sure the wick is saturated in wax. The effect is similar to putting a dry sponge under water; all of the bubbles coming to the surface are the air pockets releasing from the sponge.

Now to step back just a moment, a lot of times the mere process of putting the wick into the melted wax in the mold, the priming process will be taken care of. This becomes more of a conscious effort type step for your more novelty candle making ventures like a molded candle of some sort. Also, if you’re using a cored candle wick, you don’t really need to prime the wick.

Wicking the Candle

Simply put, wicking the candle is the process of putting a heated needle or even an old shish kabob skewer through the center of a hardened candle. This allows you to then thread your wick into the candle. I’m not going to go on too much since this is another simple process.

Wick Tabs are Handy

After you have wicked your candle you will need to take steps to make sure the wick does not come out one of the ends, especially while its burning. Here you can use wick tabs which have the wick fed through one end. Any excess wick can then be cut off and the wick tab pinched to prevent the wick from moving out of the tab. These cheap little tools are usually made of metal.

Other Candle Making Supplies

I’ve already mentioned the wick tabs just a moment ago, so we will now move onto another essential supply that is related to the wick and it’s use with the candle.

Mold Sealer

After you have wicked your candle and placed the wick along with the tab to hold the wick in place, you need to seal the hole that the wick is now filling. If you don’t do this then you will run into the annoying problem of having hot melted waxed escaping through the hole.

The solution is to use mold sealer or sometimes its called mold putty as well; they’re both the same thing. The sealer is a gummy and sticky material that can be put in the wick hole and eliminate the risk of getting melted wax everywhere. The mold sealer also holds the wick tab in place and prevents it from squirming around.

Types of mold sealer that I can think of off the top of my head are Yaley candle mold sealer and….well you know what? I only know of Yaley as a name brand mold putty maker. I’ve never paid attention to the brand when I’m buying it online or even a supply store because I’ve never really had one that made me stop and say, “This mold sealer is crap”. If any of you can think of good or bad brands then please leave a comment.

Well this has been a relatively short post compared to the first two. I will close by saying that if you want to go all out you can make your own wicks for candle making, but I’ve never really been successful in making them and don’t recommend the time needed to make them. It’s probably because it felt like needlework…and that is not something I have the desire or patience to do.

So what is your favorite type of wick to use and where did you get it?

Posted in Make Candles | Tags burning questions, buy wicks, candle maker, candle mold sealer, candle wicks, flat braid wicks, homemade candles, make candles, pillar candles, priming the wick, square braid wicks, wick preparation, wick tabs, wick techniques, wire cored wicks

Wall Candle Holders – Great Decorative Fixture Home

Do you enjoy redecorating your house too as have you got a wish for creating it a thing exceptional? Too quite a few persons merely dwell in their room as opposed to making it possible for it to develop and modify fluidly around them.

If you are somebody that adores the thought of developing a area that’s distinctively your individual which nobody could possibly truly mistake to be yet another person’s, you will find out there are several of a variety of options available to you.

One superb option you have in front of you is actually the variety of wall secured candle holder which you could invest in, and you will find a lot of designs to select from.

Each time you happen to be considering wall attached candle holders, to start with , you have to check out is basically just what material you’ll like this made from. For instance, in situation your house contains a sort of heavy look and when you value your personal furniture to be solid too as about the actual somber side, check out out candle holders which were created from black twisted iron or dark metal.

However, should you decide on the lighter or a lot more vibrant style, why do not you think about candle holders which are intended from brass? For the genuinely gorgeous and extremely sensitive appear, on top of that, you might discover that there are candle holders which are meant from glass.

An added element which you’re likely to have to consider every time you are thinking about wall installed candle holders is in fact the number of candles they hold. For illustration, a number of may perhaps store just 2 or three tea lights, even though some supplies you with a whole lot of light and may well hold nicely above 7 to 10 candles.

These varieties of candles all will be preserving reside flame, as a result assure that you just are pleased together with which quantity of fire in the house.

This implies you will would like to make certain that the holders are generally secured really firmly towards the door. This truly is really a thing that might make an huge distinction to the way that you’re redecorating your house when that you are taking into account obtaining the impact you desire, this type of design and style might make the distinction.

If you’re prepared to invest in wall installed holders, check out the house. Exactly what region will appreciate the utilization of candle lumination?

A lot of folks adore the think of candles inside their houses too as in their very own bedrooms, wherever they’ll develop a beautifully intimate light, whilst other people adore all of them within the foyer, in which they could welcome visitors.

Think of what variety of light you’ve in your domicile in addition as take into account your possibilities gonna be when you are contemplating setting up these kinds of lovely decorations. Take into account your options gonna be in addition as think of what form of area you have.

Obtaining the best wall attached candle holder might be a issue that might make a lot of distinction for the way by which your home seems, as a result contemplate all of your respective alternatives!

Posted in Discount Candles | Tags candle holder, tea lights, wall candle holders

Coloring & Fragrances for Gel Candles

If you’re at all familiar with the steps to adding color to regular wax when you’re making candles, then you’re going to be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to make the gel candles with color. The mineral oil gel is quite receptive to colors.

This includes making the entire candle in one solid color or breaking it up into different layers of colors.

There are also many different fragrances that you can choose from to scent the candles. Whether you stick with traditional scents or decide to go bold, you’re one main piece of advice is to ensure the fragrance will play well with the gel.

Choosing Your Colored Dyes

Finding the right dye to mix into your gel is very easy today since you can use the dyes from your traditional candle making supplies or buy dye that is made specifically for the mineral oil.

Just make sure that the dye is NOT a water soluble dye because if you remember oil & water don’t mix!!

The dyes for coloring your candles come in two forms:

Solid form – using a knife or grater to cut small pieces to dye gel.
Liquid form – using it by the drop will insure you don’t over color your gel.

With dyeing gel, you will want to remember that it doesn’t take a lot of it to color the gel. You can always add more color if needed.

Gel Candle Making Tip #1: Since the color of the gel will look different in the container than it does your heating container, be sure to test whether you’ve reached the desired color by pouring some into one of your containers and let it dry. Too dark? Simply add more clear gel to the melting pot. Too light? Add more dye.

Using Multiple Colors for One Candle

Would you believe that making a gel candle with multiple colored layers is about as simple as one with just one color?

Thats right! It’s no more difficult than one color, just more time consuming.

The key to successful layers of color is to pour one color into the container. Let it stand until it is completely cooled and no longer too warm to the touch.

Then pour the next color into the container and let it cool. Simply repeat the steps until you’ve created your desired number of layers.

If you do not wait until the previous layer is cooled before pouring the next you will cause the colors to become somewhat muddled. Which isn’t a problem if that is your desired effect.

Choosing Your Fragrances

As with the coloring of your gel candles, introducing a scent to the gel is a fairly simple prospect. Not to mention the choice of scent combinations that you can use.

You will just simply need to make sure the ingredients that make up the scents play well with the gel or you will get strange chemical reactions.

These reactions can range from the scent not being quite right to the candle gel just not being safe when burned…I’ve had that happen more than once.

So how do you know if your fragrance is going to play nice with the gel?

The fragrance label will say something to the effect that it is non-polar so it will mix with the components that make up the mineral oil gel.
Take a sample amount of heated gel and mix fragrance with it to see if the gel becomes cloudy or if the two separate from each other.

Once you have your fragrance, knowing the ratio to mix is imperative or you will overpower yourself with the scent. I like a ratio of 4% fragrance to the 96% gel.

You will want to add the fragrance as a last step before pouring the gel into the containers.

Gel Candle Making Tip #2: With all of the discussion of colors and scents, sometimes your candle just needs a little sparkle and the best way to do that is with glitter that is safe for use in a candle. Pour it into the gel after you’ve added your dyes and scents.

Do you have any advice on dyeing, adding scent or other coloring of candle gels that you would like to share?

Posted in Make Gel Candles | Tags coloring of your gel candles, fragrances for gel candles, gel candle making tip, make the gel candles, mineral oil gel, traditional candle making supplies

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