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So we have come to the beginning of an ongoing series of posts that will be about getting your discount candles an affordable, but more importantly, a fun way; and that’s by making candles at home.

I figure the best place to start is by having a discussion of all of the types of candles you can make at home.  We don’t want you to think your options are going to be limited!!

When you make your own candles you get to appreciate the final product much more.  That is because your input into every step of the process is important in how the final product is going to turn out.

A couple of things to point out:

1. There is some initial expense as you build up all of the various supplies that you will need for your projects such as heating elements, containers or cans to hold and pour the melted wax, as well as various molds and items that will be covered in other posts.
2. If you’re going to be making candles with children, you need to be especially careful that you do not leave them unattended in the room where you’re making the candles.  Projects like this involve you dealing with extremely hot melted wax to make your creations and severe burns can occur if the proper precautions are not taken.

Traditional Candles

If you happen to not have the time to make any of these wonderful types of candles you can buy them at a very affordable price by clicking on the associated image.

Pillar Candles

These are the large self standing candles that are normally round in shape.  However, you can make them in a number of different shapes such as square or rectangular in shape.  The really big pillar candles will usually have two or more wicks to allow for a more effective and even burn.

Pair up three or more pillar candles that are of different heights and you can create a visually pleasing setting for your home. By using simple molds you can make a lot of different pillar candles.

Jar Candles

Jar candles are by far the easiest type of candle to make.  When a jar candle is made the melted wax is poured into a container.

A very popular example of jar candles would be those sold by the Yankee Candle Company or Gold Canyon Candles.  These are the easiest candles to have around since they are already contained in something that is heat resistant and minimizes the potential for fires in the home.

Taper Candles

Taper candles are a more formal type of candle to make in my opinion.  These are the type of candles that are in fancy candle holders and you will see decorating a dining room table or where guests will be entertained.

Another common use of these candles are for holidays.   Their lazy flicker creates a soothing and happy environment and creates a relaxing ambiance that will soothe even the most savage beast.

These candles are made by dipping the wicks in melted wax until they get their desired thickness.

Gel Candles

Gel Candles are one of the more unique types of candles you can make and allow you to have the most creativity when actually making these gel candles.  They are also candles that are not made the traditional way using wax.

In fact, they are made from this gelled mineral oils compound that makes them see through and a rubbery feel to them.  Using these mineral oils allow you to create many different shapes and designs.

Another thing to consider regarding the materials used to make a gel candle are the types of wicks to use.  This is an important consideration since the gel “melts” at a much higher temperature, the traditional wicks used in other candles will not work effectively.

If you consider yourself the creative type then you are limited only by your imagination….and patience, as to what types of gel candles you can make!!

Soy Candles

If you’re not into using the traditional beeswax or paraffin waxes, you have the option to use soy wax to make your candles.  Soy candles have the benefit of being environmentally friendly since the soy beans are not a finite resource and in my experience tend to create richer blends of colors and fragrances.

An example of soy candles are those provided by Beanpod.

Floating Candles

So a trivia question for you.  If water is soothing as well as the flickering candle, what happens if you were to combine the two concepts?  Well you get yourself a floating candle.

Floating candles are typically smaller designed candles that are able to float on water.  A lot of times you will pair these candles with a specially made holder that will hold the water.  They can create quite a contrast decoration piece.

To make these candles, you can use simple molds with various designs such as flowers, hearts, or even starfish.

Another unique use for these candles is when you’re having a party at your home that is going to be in your backyard.  For example, last spring we had a barbecue at my house and we placed almost 20 floating candles in our pool.  I thought it was quite a beautiful setting!!

Unique Designed Candles

Tealight Candles

I almost hesitate to mention tealight candles since they serve more of a functional purpose than that of beauty or decoration.  They are usually very small candles made in a small metal container.

These are the types of candles you see at buffets for events, keeping your food warm.  They are also used in the containers to heat up fragrance oils or similar.  I’m sure you have seen these fancy looking pots or holders that hold the scented liquids.

A tealight candle is by far the simplest type of container candle to make.

Votive Candles

Votive candles are a candle that are usually no more than 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall and a cylinder shape.  Think of them as the small sister to the much larger pillar candles.  When I use them I like to get fancy candle holders for them and place them out in fairly large numbers just for effect.

They can be white and odorless, or you can create a rainbow with all of the colors you can choose from.  The only problem I’ve found with scented votive candles is that the scent lasts a very short time before it is hardly detectable to your nose.

If the tealight candle is the simplest type of container candle, the votive candle is the next step up in creating a container candle.

Luminaria Candles

One of the rarer types of candles are those luminaria candles.  Like the tealight candles they are not necessarily the prettiest candle in the box.  What makes a luminaria candle unique is that instead of a candle holder these are put in sand.

These candles are most commonly associated with various cultural events or celebrations, where the people will place sand in a white bag and place the candle on the sand and then lighting the candles.

This list I’ve provided for you to choose when you make candles will definitely keep you occupied for awhile.  Usually you will start out with simple candles like a pillar one since there isn’t a lot of difficulty in that.

When you become more experienced, then the fun starts with how creative you can get with the gel candles.  At some point you will realize that with all of the fun you’ve been having making these candles, you will have created, for yourself, a large stock of discount candles to burn to your hearts content!!

What type of candles are you going to make first or that you’ve had the best results with?

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