Hand Made Candles

In these times when most things are produced by the thousand and abundantly sold on the shelves of large and small establishments, it comes as a challenge to find something for someone that is both creative and personal. What could be more disappointing than receiving the same gift as your friends? If you want your gift to be ultimately personal, try giving handmade candles.

Candles have been existent long before gift-giving became an essential practice. The Egyptians used to make them from beeswax as far back as 3000 B.C. The Chinese created their version out of whale fat. There was even a time when American colonists used bayberries as the main ingredients in their candles. And then spermaceti, which is found in the sperm whale’s head cavity, was also used to make expensive candles. It took centuries to finally come up with alternative ingredients which are cheaper and more efficient. Now, even children can create beautiful candles right from their homes.

Even if you’re not an arts buff or a creative genius, it is still quite easy to come up with a very nice handmade candle. The thought of creating something from scratch can be intimidating at first. But once you get inside the craft store, you’ll find that there are actually a lot of tools and supplies that will help make the task a lot easier and more engaging.

You basically need 4 basic things to get started on your handmade candles: the wax, a container to melt your wax in, another container to pour the melted wax into, and the ready-made wick for your handmade candles.

Handmade candles do not really require you to make use of the special candle supplies. In fact, you can opt to use the usual kitchen stuff. However, if you don’t like a cup-shaped candle, you can choose a variety of candle molds from the craft stores.

The wax comes in different colors as well. You can choose the colorless one and dye it later, or you can skip the hassle and buy the pre-dyed ones instead. The size of the wax you need to buy will depend on how many handmade candles you intend to make. If you only need them as gift for a friend, then a small-sized wax is enough. However, if you plan on giving out the handmade candles as party favors or souvenirs, then you probably would like your candles to come out in different colors. Thus, it would be appropriate to buy some small-sized wax in various colors.

Handmade gel candles are also great gift ideas. The candles gel consists of 95% mineral oil and the rest is polymer resin. When these two are cooked, they produce a crystal-clear candle gel. You can even choose to create gels of various colors, and even accessorize them for a more customized look.

It is not really that complicated to know the kind of materials to buy. The important thing is you know what you will be using the candles for and what particular style or “look” you want it to have. If you have these figured out, then you wouldn’t have any trouble finding the right candle supplies.

Making the candles yourself can actually be an interesting hobby. Some people have even made profit from it. While it is quite easy to understand the process of candle-making, don’t expect to turn into an expert overnight. Like all other hobbies, continuous practice makes it perfect. So take your time and let your creative side shine. Learn from your mistakes, and soon enough, before you know it, you’ll be producing handmade candles like a pro.