By: Aisling Bronach of House Shadow Drake

Making your own candles can be alot of fun. It is very simple to do and is a wonderful activity for yourself or a group. The first thing you must decide is what kind of wax you want to make the candles out of. Some people like to save old wax and try to recycle it. For a nice scent, you can use beeswax. Or, you can just try using a straight paraffin wax. One thing you will notice is that some waxes are harder than others. Harder waxes tend to burn hotter and melt less. If you use a softer wax, you will notice that there is alot of waste and dripping. So, most often, the best solution for making candles is to make a blend of beeswax and paraffin.

Next, you will need two containers - one large and another that will fit inside. There are several considerations that you will need to have when choosing your containers. The first is that they must both be able to withstand boiling temperature. The outside container must be big enough so that you can fill it with water and place the inside container so that it is halfway submerged. The next consideration is that the inside container will determine the amount of wax available, and the height of the candle. Possible solutions which I have seen utilized in the past include an old electric frying pan with a no. 10 can, an old cast iron pot hung over an outdoor fire, and a pyrex glass tube inside of a stock pot. However, whatever containers that you decide to use, realize that they will be covered in a wax residue from now till eternity.

Your next step is to place the larger container on a heat source and fill it partially with water. Let the water begin to boil lightly. Then, place the secondary container inside and begin to fill it with wax chips or slices. You need the wax to melt slowly and evening. The heating of the wax must be indirect, and you will need to occasionally stir it with a stick to make sure that all of the wax stays melted. Also, you will need to make sure that the water in the primary container does not boil over and into the secondary container.

Next, take a measure of string, hemp, or other string-like material which is suitable for a wick. You can actually buy wick material in a local craft store. Cut the string to about a one foot length. Tie a loop at one end which will act like a handle. Then, as soon as the wax is ready, you can begin to dip the string into the wax. You will need to get an adequate amount of wax on the string, and then pull it taunt. If you have difficulty with this, try tying a metal washer or other small weight to the bottom.

The basic rhythm is to dip the string and then wait about five to ten seconds for the wax to cool. You need the wax to cool between dips so that it will adhere properly. Otherwise, you will actually begin to remove wax because it will melt off in the wax bath. There are a few things that you will need to monitor during the dipping process. The first is that the candle need to remain straight. The first half of the dipping process is crucial for this and you will need to make sure the string stays straight and taut. You want the wax coats to be smooth. Sometimes, the bottom will begin to build up a wax bulb. All you need to do when this happens is take a sharp knife and shear off the bottom.

Once you get used to the dipping process, you can set up a container of cold water where you can dip the candle and then spin it. This will do several things: One, it will cool the outside wax quicker. Two, it will leave a sheen on the candle. The problem is that if you do not remove all of the water during the spinning process, you will have water bubbles which will disfigure your candle and also spit and pop when you try to burn it.

Finally, you will need to hang your candles for a few days before storing them to make sure that they are sufficiently dry.

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