How to make candles focuses on votive candles this week as the newest type of candle that you can start making.  Votive candles are very simple, but have a unique beauty to them.  Votive candles are used many times as an accent for a center piece or design.  Most of the time it involves multiple votive candles, but not always. Votives are extremely  cost effective for the simple fact, that they burn for about fifteen hours.  When learning how to make a votive they must have some sort of  a holder because  they are not safe to use as a free standing candle by themselves.

How to make candles recognizes votive candles as the number one used type of candle in craft projects.  A lot of people pick votive candles as the light in their jack-o-lanterns at Halloween because they burn for a long time and illuminate the entire face of the jack-o-lantern.  The best part of votives especially from a beginner standpoint is that they are one of the easiest types of candles to make.  For beginners in the area of candle making votives provide a great learning experience to get a grasp on the basics of making candles without metal tab.

The things you will need to get started are votive wax,  votive molds, a double boiler, as needed for all candle crafts, and a thermometer to make sure the temperatures are just right for the best results.  You will also need to have wicks and wick tabs for votive candles.  The wick tabs act as a base for the candle, you can choose to purchase dyes and various scents also if you wish for your votive candle to have your own artistic personal touch.  To make sure that  your candles will form properly in the molds, How to make candles suggests that you invest in mold spray to keep them clean and lubricated.

Place your wax in the double boiler and start the melting process, once the wax has melted, add in any colors and fragrances that you desire.  Immediately pour the melted wax into the molds, a huge question that is commonly asked about this step in the process is how full to fill votive molds, and the right answer would be to fill them to the lip of the mold.  For easy clean up, 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. Cut your wick several inches longer than the mold and attach it to a tab. Don’t forget to dip the wicks into the hot wax before placing them in there final position.  Carefully watch the votive molds because they won’t take as long to cool as the other types of candles.  Once you see that 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 that it stays in place at the base of the candle. As the candles cool, ensure your wick is staying in the center of the votive.

Once your wax has completely cooled, you will notice a sink hole in it due to cooling shrinkage. You will want to pour melted wax into the molds again to remedy this and fill in the holes. 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 fairly easily.  Trim the wick to about one 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.

How to make candles recommends votice candles as a first time project, votive candles add class and charm to any home or special occasion. They are fun and simple to make, not to mention 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 worth while candle to use. Learning how to make a wax candle with charms, is advantageous.  They also make excellent gifts. To make the process even less expensive, look for votive candle holders at thrift shops and yard sales. When learning how to make candles try adding flair and further personalizing your projects by  applying an elegant styled ribbon with a hot glue gun around the rim of the votive candle holder or finding things to fill candle votives with.