How to make candles - Gel candles are the new rage in candle making. They are gorgeous, and very easy to light. They also burn very slowly, giving them a long life for you to enjoy, day after day. Believe it or not, but gel candles are very easy to make and the supplies to make them are very reasonable. You can dress them up by adding your favorite scents to them to make your whole house smell wonderful. When learning how to make candles, there will be a few supplies you need to get started including gel, zinc wicks, fragrance oils if you want your candles to smell great, and various colored dyes to add that extra zing. Many people prefer the look of a clear gel candle and would rather not to use any dye, and that is ok, it’s a matter of personal preference. It is important when making gel candles that you only use zinc wicks, because cotton wicks absorb the gel, which in turn causes them to not light or burn well. You can obtain these supplies from a craft store or the many various online shops. 
Gel candles can be made in a variety of containers. The most common containers are made of glass, which will give you the best results. However, as long as the container you choose is non-flammable it will work just fine. To add a personal touch to your gel candles, some people choose to make them in fancy glasses, this could be wine glasses, or vases. You may also add various colors and themes to your candles, consider using embeds. Common embeds can be glitter, marbles, colored rocks, sea shells, crystals, or anything else that is not flammable.
When learning hot to make candles at home there are some tools that you will want to invest in, one being a hot glue gun, which is used to stick the wick to the bottom of the container you are building your candle in. Hold the wick firmly in place until the it sticks. To make it easier to get your wick centered use a marker to place a mark at the bottom of the holder, a red or black marker works just fine, place a mark right in the center. The wick should then be placed on top of the mark. Leave the wick long enough to reach outside of the container. You will trim it later to the perfect length. To melt the gel, cut it into small strips. For best results melt it in a double boiler as you would chocolate, and keep the flame at a medium heat. The gel should be heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. A quality thermometer is a great investment and will take the guess work out of this fun and exciting hobby, if the temperature is not correct the gel won’t set properly, and if you don’t get it hot enough your candle will lose it’s glossy color.
If you want to add a touch of color to your gel candles, add it in slowly. The colors show more vibrantly in gel candles than wax candles so you will need a lot less than what you use if you are used to making wax candles. Stir the color into the melted wax slowly. If you aren’t happy with the color you can slowly add more. If you plan to use embedded objects in the candle, it is suggested you keep the gel candle color very light. Next, add fragrance if you desire. 1/3 teaspoon is all you need for each glass of melted gel.
For best results, heat your container in the microwave for about one minute. This will eliminate those unsightly bubbles that can form on gel candles. Immediately after taking your holder from the microwave, start adding your embeds. You will want to dip them in the hot gel to get them to stick in the holder, and stay in the position you chose. You can arrange embeds any way you desire. For best results push them towards the edges of the holder so that they can be seen easily. You can create embed patterns or add them loosely.
It is important not to keep the gel very hot while completing the embed process. Once you have that done, pour the gel into the holder. If you allow the gel to cool before pouring it in the holder you will end up with clumps of gel throughout the candle. Make sure the wick is hanging over the top of the holder before pouring in the gel. Once the gel has set, trim it to the size you desire.
Learning how to make candles, especially gel candles is easy, fun, and inexpensive, you can find many pictures for gel candle to go by. It is a great way to make your own beautiful candles for using, giving as gifts, or setting up a business and selling them. There are many great books on the market with pictures and instructions on making gel candles with step by step pictures of various gel candle designs that you can try, or use for inspiration on your original projects.
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