TODAY, CANDLES ARE REGARDED AS PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, BOTH AS DECORATIVE ITEMS, AND AS A SOURCE OF WARM, SUBTLE LIGHTING AROUND THE HOME.

Candles have been an essential part of our society since prehistoric times.  There is evidence of the use of candles on cave walls and in ancient Egyptian tombs.

Of course, candles have always been used in the Church.  At Candlemas, candles that are to be used throughout the new year are blessed in remembrance of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

Early candles may not have looked as pretty as the decorative candles of today, but they were essentially the same.  The original fuels for candles were tallow, and vegetable or insect waxes.

Until the advent of paraffin in the 19th century, tallow candles were the most popular among the poor.  Tallow was reliable and cheap.  The slaughter of one bull would provide enough tallow for three years.  The only problme with this material was the pungent smell and the greasy smoke.

Just before new materials such as paraffin became available, a Frenchman, M. Chevrell, purified tallow with alkali and sulfuric acid, resulting in clean-burning, long-lasting stearin candles.

This improvement was soon superseded by a new material that we still rely on today.

Paraffin wax arrived in 1850, and when combined with stearin in 1857, allowed for bright, cheap candles to be made.  Paraffin changed how candles could be made and since then they have taken on many bizarre shapes and sizes, scents, and colors.  Despite the advent of electricity, candles still survived.  In recent years, with the popularity of home improvement television programs, candles have become part of the decor in almost every room in the house.

A relaxing soak in the bath isn't the same without the sensual glow of a dancing flame.  Imagine a birthday cake without candles!

Today, using the same basic techniques of the 19th century and before, we can produce elaborate candles with teh myriad of colors, scents and tools that is now commonly available to us.

The kit we sell, CANDLEMAKING, is an introduction to candle making, with simple instructions, photographs, and candle making equipment and materials included to get you started.

Once you have mastered the basic techniques, you will be able to create stunning candles in an array of beautiful colors and fragrances.

MATERIALS - EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

The beauty of candle making is that is inexpensive, and most of the equipment that you need can be found around the house.  Any specialist equipment can be bought from craft stores or kitchenware supplies.

HEAT SOURCE - you need to work near a source of  heat, such as a gas or electric stove, to melt the wax.

DOUBLE BOILER - The safest and most effective method of hearting wax is in a stainless steel or aluminum double boiler with a capacity of 5.25 pt.

THERMOMETER - To make good candles you need to work with different types of wax at their ideal molten temperatures.  A candy, or cooking thermometer is best for measuring the temperature of wax. Thermometers are available from craft stores and kitchenware suppliers--make sure you buy one that is calibrated to between 100 degrees F and 356 degrees F.

WEIGHING SCALES - You will need scales to measure the correct amount of wax for each project.  Ordinary kitchen scales will do.

MEASURING JUG - The easiest way to judge how much was you will need to melt for candle molds is to fill your mold with water, then poour it into a measuring jug.  The amount of wax you will need is fractionally less than this amount.

DIPPING CAN - This should be a tall, cylindrical container that will hold enough wax for dipping or over-dipping, the size of candle that you are using.  Surprisingly, one of the best containers to use is a large, clean pet food can. 

POURING JUG -A metal jug with an enclosed spout is perfect for pouring liquid wax into molds.  A glass jug could also be used, but avoid plastic, which may not withstand the heat or the molten wax.

KNIFE - Use a knife to gently remove any seams that you might have in your finished candles.  A pair of scissors will be useful for the trimming wicks as well.

MOLDS - Molds come in all sorts of bizarre shapes and sizes.  You can experiment with household items--such as waxed paper yogurt pots, terra cotta pots, milk, and juice artons--or choose from a huge variety of commercial molds, which range from basic geometric shapes to more complex ornate ones.  The two main types of molds are rubber, or flexible molds, and rigid molds.

STIRRER - To help the wax melt and to ensure dye is evenly dispersed you should use a wooden stick, or metal skewere, to stir the mixture.

THE TWO ESSENTIAL MATERIALS NEEDED FOR CANDLEMAKING ARE WAX AND A WICK, BUT AS YOU BECOME MORE CONFIDENT YOU MAY WANT TO EXPERIMENT MORE, WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF WICKS, TYPES OF WAX, SCENTING, ADDING DECORATIONS, OR PAINTING THE FINISHED CANDLE.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAX TO CHOOSE FROM THAT IT CAN BE QUITE DIFFICULT FOR A BEGINNER TO KNOW WHICH WAX TO USE.

MOST CANDLES ARE MADE FROM A PARAFFIN-BASED WAX, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER TYPES OF WAX THAT HAVE DIFFERENT USES.    SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR ARE:  PARAFFIN WAX, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, STEARIN, VYBAR, DIP-AND-CARVE WAX, BEESWAX.

NOTE:  All waxes have different melting points, so it's important to read the manufacturer's instructions.

IF YOU FIND THIS OF INTEREST -- PLEASE CHECK OUR AUCTION SITE WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE CANDLE MAKING KIT ALONG WITH OTHER KITS SUCH AS CALLIGRAPHY, GREETING CARDS, BONSAI, DETOX, AROMATHERAPY, ZEN GARDENS......AND MORE