Make your own beeswax candles and soy candles at home

How to Make Candles

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Evoking The Right Moods With Aromatherapy Candles

October 28th, 2006 by

Evoking The Right Moods With Aromatherapy Candles

For your wedding anniversary this time, you planned a lovely evening, complete with a sumptuous dinner by the candle light. Though everything went right according to your plans, it were the candles that spoiled the evening. First, the table got all dirty with burnt wax all over it. Second, the soot and smoke marred the romantic atmosphere.

The ordinary candles that we get in the market are made out of paraffin. Paraffin is a petroleum-based product and thus results in more soot and smoke when the candle is burnt. So, if you are using these candles, be prepared for the unclean burning. However, if you want to avoid these, go for aromatherapy candles.

Tip! Soy Candles provides detailed information on Soy Candles, Soy Wax Candles, Wholesale Soy Candles, Scented Soy Candles and more. Soy Candles is affiliated with Discount Yarn.

Aromatherapy candles are made from essential oils of plants. And lighting the room is only a secondary feature of these candles; the primary use is in stimulating oneself physiologically and therapeutically. It is well known that aromas and fragrances are effective for evoking mood and emotions. So if you are looking forward to romantic evening, just use aromatherapy candles and see how your beau says just the right words.

The market place has a wide range of options for you to choose in aromatherapy candles. Choose from floating, pillars, gel, votive and jar candles. If you are free and want to do something creative then go for designing aromatherapy candles for yourself. It is easy. You must be aware of the basic preparation method and have a knowledge of essential oils. And lo! Your candle is ready.

Tip! Blended wax candles burn slowly as compared to plain wax candles. Today candles are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles.

Lavender is the most popular oil used in the preparation of these candles. Light a candle when you are taking bath. Or place a candle by the dining table. Lavender has stress relieving features and will keep you stress free for the entire day.

You have a large choice in fragrance too. Just understand the mood you want to stir up and make your choice. If you are suffering from sleeplessness, you can use Sage, Chamomile, and Ylang Ylang. Looking for uplifting mood, use Rosemary and Grapefruit induced aromatherapy candles. Similarly, there are candles with aromas of Eucalyptus, Geranium, Peppermint, and many more.

The wax used for preparation of the candles must preferably be natural. The soot released from paraffin candles has been associated with many diseases. Vegetable based wax like soy, palm and beeswax burn clean and for long. They release less soot.

Tip! Beeswax candles grew in popularity very quickly. These produced less smoke, gave off a pleasant scent, burnt for longer periods of time and did not drip.

However, while purchasing aromatherapy candles, one must be cautious. What is sold as aromatic candles may be made of synthetic wax and fragrances. These may be toxic at times. So choose the aromatherapy candles with care.

Bryan Josling is working with the Horticultural Research Station in Adelaide. He has also been involved with research on Plants. To find Aromatherapy essential oils, Aromatherapy Massage Oils, essential oils wholesale visit http://www.ndaroma.com

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Aromatherapy candles | The brighter side of candles

October 27th, 2006 by

Candles are commonly used for lightening a dark room when your home’s power is gone or more often in a candle light dinner. But, the usage of candles is not confined to this only. Introduction of aromatherapy candles have added a new perspective to the usage of candles, candles now serve as a basis to achieve health, vitality and rejuvenating of the body as well as mind and spirit.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

Aromatherapy candles are made with beeswax, soybean wax or vegetable oil. One can even find pure essential oil candles in the market. The best thing about aromatherapy candles is that they are environmental friendly as they are derived from natural plant sources.

Uses of aromatherapy candles:

Set the atmosphere

Improve the ambience in many situations

Can be used in any room of your home and provide a wonderful enhancement.

Scented with essential oils or herbs that send messages of relaxation or rejuvenation to the mind and body

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

Aromatherapy candles are available in different styles, sizes and scents. You can choose the appropriate candle as per your requirement and aspiration. Scented candles can add warmth to any home, they can give a clean, refreshing feel. Many candles are scented with essential oils, or oils that some from plants.

If by now you have decided to buy an aromatherapy candle, learn what kinds of scents they are available in and what are their benefits:

Frankincense is warming.

Peppermint is strong and minty. Can aid with alertness

Lemon is also a strong scent and can help dispel fatigue

Jasmine smells as good as it sounds can help spark romance

Tip! Soy wax candles contain hydrogenated soybean oil as their chief ingredient. Candles with varying strengths and melting points are made adding some other materials in different proportions.

Grapefruit is another citrus scent that can lift your spirits

Vanilla is very rich and helps to relieve tension and irritability.

Lavender is fresh and floral. This can help dispel a Soor disposition

Aromatherapy candles are cost effective and are natural candles. They have many benefits over candles made up of paraffin. Soy wax that is most commonly used in making aromatherapy candles is natural nontoxic, biodegradable renewable resource. It also burns slower and produces very little dust and smoke.

Tip! Soy wax candles burn substantially longer than petroleum wax and more uniform.

Internet has made it easier for all to access the desired aromatherapy candles with ease without going out for shopping. You can access infinite number of lenders with just a few clicks. Look for lenders who provide pure aromatherapy candles with essential oil.

Aromatherapy candles are the best cost effective means to relax and can rejuvenate your senses and body. Choose the desired candles with caution, a little bit of research can help you get the desired candles at reasonable rate.

Bryan Josling is working with the Horticultural Research Station in Adelaide. He has also been involved with research on plants. To find Aromatherapy essential oils, Aromatherapy Candles, Aromatherapy Massage Oil visit http://www.ndaroma.com

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How to Make Bees Wax Candles

October 27th, 2006 by

How to Make Bees Wax Candles

Materials:

Bees Wax Sheeting
Scissors
Candle Wick

Instructions:

For this project we are using beeswax sheets, which come in a variety of colors.
The candle wick we are using is a medium thickness suitable for our candle dimensions. Sheet wax works best when you are in a warm environment or the sheeting may crack.

Tip! Soy wax candles burn substantially longer than petroleum wax and more uniform.

1: Cut your wax on a diagonal to get a tapered effect, this piece is half way across our sheet and around 2 inches in from one side. Using your Scissors cut along the edge. You can vary your measurements just take note of them if you wish to make more than one candle the same size.

2: next start by cutting you candle wick to length. It needs to sit flush at the bottom and over hang around 1 inch at the top of the candle , remember you can always trim the length later. You are rolling your candle from the largest/widest end to the smallest so the wick goes at the biggest end.

Tip! Soy wax candles contain hydrogenated soybean oil as their chief ingredient. Candles with varying strengths and melting points are made adding some other materials in different proportions.

3: Press the wax tightly around the wick, this insure that your candle will burn correctly by providing it with an even source of wax for fuel.

4: applying a firm pressure roll the candle up, making sure to keep your bottom edge even so that it will stand up.

If you make a mistake just unwrap it and start again.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

5: Once you get to the end of your candle press the end firmly into the candle to stop it unrolling.

Its now ready to burn. You can embellish your candles with ribbons, raffia and even cut out shaped of different coloured bees wax.

To view the free step by step video for this project visit
http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=916″

This Article was written by Shellie Wilson See more Free Candle making projects and instructions

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Everything You Need To Know About Beeswax Candles

October 27th, 2006 by

Everything You Need To Know About Beeswax Candles – And More

Beeswax candles are made from all natural ingredients made by honeybees. When bees eat honey, they produce this wax. Beekeepers filter the beeswax from the honeycombs, cool it and sell it for use in making candles. Beeswax candles are the most natural candles that you can buy. They are available as taper candles, votives, tea lights and pillar candles. For those with sensitive allergies, beeswax candles allow them to enjoy the warmth and beauty of a burning candle.

Tip! Soy wax candles burn substantially longer than petroleum wax and more uniform.

You don’t need to add any scent to a bees wax candle because the wax is naturally scented with honey. Therefore beeswax candles rarely have any additives and this includes color. The natural yellow color adds to the ambiance of a bees wax taper candle and the scent of honey will perfume the air. Like soy candles, bees wax candles burn longer and cleaner than paraffin candles. However, one of the disadvantages of using bees wax taper candles is that they cost more than soy or paraffin candles.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

The wax used in making beeswax candles can vary from white to a light brown. In some cases, candle makers may add bleach to the wax to lighten the color of the bees wax. Candles that have been bleached may not have as much of a honey scent to them, but you won’t be able to smell the scent of bleach. The bleach also helps to filter the beeswax. A candle made from unfiltered bees wax may contain small bits of wood or even parts of the bees.

Over time, you may notice that there is a white powder on the outside of your beeswax candles. This does not mean that the bees wax candles are no longer any good. The development of this powder is a natural occurrence with beeswax taper candles and is called blooming. You can easily wipe the powder off of the beeswax candle. It is actually a good thing for this to happen because it will tell you that your bees wax taper candles have been made from pure beeswax.

Tip! Soy wax candles contain hydrogenated soybean oil as their chief ingredient. Candles with varying strengths and melting points are made adding some other materials in different proportions.

If you like making your own candles, beeswax candles are the easiest ones to make at home. Beeswax is sold in sheets and you don’t have to bother with any additives, colors or candle scents. The bees wax that you buy is already filtered so you don’t need to bother with bleaching it. All you have to do is melt down the bees wax and pour it into your molds to have the perfect beeswax candles.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

To find out more about Candles visit Peter’s Website Your Hot Candles and find out about Soy Candles and more, including Custom Candles, Floating Candles and Scented Candles

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Candles: Why people are making their own

October 27th, 2006 by

Candles - Why People are Making Their Own

Candles are very cheap: you can get hundreds of small candles in a bag for the price of a Happy Meal, and the bigger ones aren’t much more expensive. When it’s so easy to just buy your candles in a shop, why on earth would you want to make candles yourself?

Well, that’s like asking why you’d want to do a painting yourself when you could buy a print and put it in a frame. Candle making is an art, with often beautiful results, not to mention the fun time you can have while you’re making the candles.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

Candle making today belongs thoroughly in the arts and crafts category, which means that you can get all the equipment and waxes you’ll need from your local crafts shop.

To make a candle, all you really need to do is get some wax and melt it in a pan (you can even use wax from mass-produced candles if you can’t find any plain wax). Once the wax is melted, you can add dye if the wax isn’t already coloured. Then just put the wick (the string that burns) into a mould, pour in the wax and leave it to set. Again, if you can’t get a real candle mould, you can improvise with disposable household objects, such as half a milk carton or some other kind of bottle.

Tip! Blended wax candles burn slowly as compared to plain wax candles. Today candles are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles.

Of course, that basic method is just the beginning. Once you’ve got that down, you can start mixing different coloured waxes, and using more complicated moulds, and even adding things like glitter and other decoration. You can add small objects like shiny pebbles into the hot wax, or even cover larger objects in wax to make them into big candles. If you need more inspiration, the chances are that the craft shop (or the library) will have books about candle making, with more in-depth ‘recipes’ that you can either follow directly or incorporate in your own designs.

John Gibb is the owner of candle-making guides For more information on candle - making please check out http://www.candle-making-guide4u.info

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Can you make scented candles at home?

October 20th, 2006 by

Can You Make Scented Candles at Home?

A great many of my friends have been asking me to share the secret of making a scented candle at home, though I tell them repeatedly that it is no great secret. Any web site or online manual can teach you the basics of making scented candles at home, and once you have mastered those, the rest is up to your imagination and creativity. Both these qualities, I have found, increase with experience, and never mind what they say about inborn creativity and genius.

However, since it does appear that plenty of people want to know just what it is that causes my candles to smell so good, I will begin by saying that the process of making a candle with the aroma of your choice is a simple one. As I have said before, the increasing demand for scented candles has caused a lot of enterprising folks to come up with books, magazines and web sites dedicated to the art of candle making.

Tip! Blended wax candles burn slowly as compared to plain wax candles. Today candles are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles.

To begin with, you need the right equipment, though that may seem obvious. I always stress this point because, despite its simplicity, candle making is easy only when you follow instructions correctly. Otherwise, you will find that it can be darned tricky as well!

So, depending on whether you are making a wax or gel candle, you will need enough of it, plus the ‘cooking equipment’, or the equipment needed to melt the wax and mould it. And obviously, you will need the essential oils that will give you the aroma of your choice. In my experience, I have always found it best to combine at least a couple of aromas, though beginners might find it easier to stick to one fragrance initially.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

What a beginner definitely should not do is pack the candle with as much fragrance as possible. Most ordinary scented candles contain about 0.5 oz of essential oil, though if you want to intensify the fragrance, you may increase it to one whole ounce. However, any more and the scent that your candle gives will be unbearable, probably making you sick!

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

A lot of people confess to being intrigued by the scents that I use for my candles. ‘I just can’t place it, but it smells so good,’ is something that I hear all the time. Shall I tell you why? Well, I tend to experiment with the most unlikely combinations, most often based purely on instinct, and end up with a fragrance that is marvelous yet unidentifiable! For instance, the first time I used rose and cinnamon together, I was convinced I was headed for disaster. As it turned out, it became my most popular aroma! Similarly, I combined clove and iris to produce another well-appreciated fragrance. The point is, dear reader, it is largely up to you what fragrance you produce.

Tip! Beeswax candles grew in popularity very quickly. These produced less smoke, gave off a pleasant scent, burnt for longer periods of time and did not drip.

Finally, though I stuck to wax candles for a long time, I do believe that soy candles hold the scent much better than wax, and they also burn longer. The process of melting the soy wax is similar to that of ordinary wax, though you will probably need a double boiler. You add the color and scent as usual, and pour it into the mold of your choice. As you probably know, a staggering variety of molds are available in the market today. Once your candle is complete, do send me a sample!

Tip! Soy wax candles burn substantially longer than petroleum wax and more uniform.

Tania Penwell is a successful author who provides information on scented candles and how to make candles for Candles 4U - your guide to candles and candlemaking.

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Richly Scented Candles For Outdoor Use

October 19th, 2006 by

Richly Scented Candles – What Exactly Does This Mean?

Richly scented candles are the ones you need to buy if you want to enjoy the scent of the candles outdoors as well as indoors. These candles do not lose their scent when you light them outside on the patio table. Richly scented candles do not contain essential oils, but rather they contain fragrances similar to perfumes. You can have floral scents, fruit scents or the scent of home baked goodies. The scents from richly scented candles are perfectly safe to use in your home and are balanced evenly throughout the candles to give you even effects when you burn them.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

When you buy richly scented candles, experts will tell you that it is healthier to buy soy candles. This is because artificial candle scents in soy wax will liquify and the candle will burn all the way down. You have less soot with soy candles than with richly cented candles made from paraffin wax. Beeswax is also another great choice to make when buying a richly cented candle. This is an all natural ingredient that is healthy to use in your home.

There are many different candle scents you can choose from when buying or making richly scented candles. Some of these scents sound very strange, while others conjure up ideas of tropical holidays in the sun. Some of the scents used in making richly cented candles may take you back to the days of your childhood in such scents as bubblegum, popcorn or different kinds of candy. There are various berry scents you can have wafting through your home when you light a richly cented candle. You may find yourself experimenting with a lot of these scented candles before you find the scent that you enjoy most of all.

Tip! Soy Candles provides detailed information on Soy Candles, Soy Wax Candles, Wholesale Soy Candles, Scented Soy Candles and more. Soy Candles is affiliated with Discount Yarn.

Richly scented candles are also odor eliminators because they can help hide the smell of cooking or pet odors. The warm glow of a burning candle along with the various candle scents can transform the atmosphere of any room. The long lasting aroma will stay in the air long after you extinguish the flame of a richly cented candle and in most cases you don’t have to light the candle to benefit from its wonderful scent.

Richly scented candles usually contain fragrance oils, such as those you find in lotions, soaps and shampoos. However, there is only so much fragrance that you can add to candle wax. If you add too much it will run out. When making your own richly scented candles, you do need to keep this in mind so that you will have perfect results every time.

Tip! Beeswax candles grew in popularity very quickly. These produced less smoke, gave off a pleasant scent, burnt for longer periods of time and did not drip.

To find out more about Candles visit Peter’s Website Your Hot Candles and find out about Richly Scented Candles and more, including Custom Candles, Floating Candles and Soy Candles

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Fragranced Pillar Candles – The Most Popular Candles Of All

October 19th, 2006 by

Fragranced Pillar Candles – The Most Popular Candles Of All

Fragranced pillar candles are quite common in just about every room of the home. They are great centrepieces for mantles, dining room tables and coffee tables. Decorated with bows and flowers, fragranced pillar candles are easy to coordinate with any décor because they come in all sizes and colors. When you look at the choice of scents you can have in fragranced pillar candles, you can have a different scent in your home for every season of the year or for different occasions. Of course you can also have non-fragranced candles if you just want to have the colored candles or you can even go with plain white candles.

Tip! Soy Candles provides detailed information on Soy Candles, Soy Wax Candles, Wholesale Soy Candles, Scented Soy Candles and more. Soy Candles is affiliated with Discount Yarn.

Fragranced jar candles are also perfect for any occasion. When you want to put out the flame you just have to replace the top of the jar. You may need to buy a special candle lighter for jar candles because it is hard to get your hand down in the jar to light it once the candle burns down to a certain level. With fragranced pillar candles, you don’t have this problem because the wick is always exposed and easy to light. You can choose different types of wax as well when you are buying a fragranced pillar candle and this will affect the way the candle burns.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

Non-fragranced pillar candles are suitable for anyone, but they are most preferred by those with a scent allergy. You don’t have to do without candles because there is no scent whatsoever with the non-fragranced pillar or jar candles. Use three or more of these pillar candles on a plate candle holder and tie them together with a bow. You can have colors matching all the décor of your room or choose the same color candles. If you choose fragranced pillar candles, you can choose heavily fragranced candles if you mainly want to use the candles as a centrepiece and not light them. The fragrance from the candle is enough to emit a delightful scent throughout the room.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

You should never use fragranced pillar candles near food. If you are using them as part of a table centrepiece, then you should remove them from the table before you serve the food. This is why you will always find non fragranced pillar candles lit for a dinner. This applies to fragranced jar candles as well as free standing candles and tapered candles. If you want a clean burning fragranced pillar candle, then your best choice is one made from soy wax or beeswax. Paraffin wax pillar candles tend to be more sooty and five off smoke.

When you are choosing non fragranced or fragranced pillar candles to suit your décor, you have to consider whether tall or short candles will suit better. You also have to decide whether you should use contrasting colors to accentuate small details or whether you want the candles to blend in with the main color of the décor. So as you can see, it’s not just the fragrance that you have to consider when buying fragranced pillar candles.

Tip! Another recent arrival in the candle world are gel candles. While these are very different than soy wax candles, they possess an appeal all its own.

To find out more about Candles visit Peter’s Website Your Hot Candles and find out about Scented Candles and more, including Custom Candles, Floating Candles and Soy Candles

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Health Benefits of Soy Wax Candles

October 19th, 2006 by

Health Benefits of Soy Candles

Soy is everywhere these days, including in your milk, chips, nuts, and even burgers adding health benefits through and through, now it seems soy is also in your candles. Soy wax candles are a new and emerging type of candle the offers great benefits to those candle heads in the world that can’t live without fresh aroma burning each and every day in their homes.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable and easily cleaned up with soap and water.

“If it lasts longer it’s okay with me” said a friend of mine once during a casual dinner. Take that comment for what you will, my friend could’ve meant a variety of things by it, but in general consumers prefer long lasting items to those that are short in life span. Soy candles last 30 to 50 percent longer then traditional candles. Your average 14 oz candle, similar to a Yankee candle large size, will last about 75 hours. If you were to have that candle be a soy candle, it would last over 100 hours and smell just as sweet as the traditional candles do.

Tip! Soy wax candles are biodegradable. They emit less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, when compared to paraffin wax candles.

Traditional candles are known to cause soot in and around the general area they are burning. For those that aren’t familiar with our friend soot, think grayish black smoky smelling fog that clouds the top of your candle jar, on your walls, and even on ones ceiling. Soot is caused by the toxic elements in the traditional candles that are released when ignited. Soy candles are all natural and do not contain any toxins, thus no soot will come of them.

Carcinogens are released into the air when a traditional candle is burning. Carcinogens can cause cancer, and other health related problems. New research is showing links between candles, charcoal, and other burning devices we use in our home lives as cancer causing. Research is just beginning on this issue; however it is a fact that soy candles do not produce carcinogens. When thinking about buying soy candles think of the old cliché, better safe than sorry.

Tip! Another recent arrival in the candle world are gel candles. While these are very different than soy wax candles, they possess an appeal all its own.

Clark Covington provides tips and information on soy candles and gel candles for Candles 4U - your guide to candles and candlemaking.

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How to Make Soy Wax Candles

October 17th, 2006 by

How to Make Soy Candles

Many people who enjoy exercising their creativity by making candles, are discovering the joys of making them from soy wax instead of the traditional paraffin. The key attraction is that soy wax can be cleaned up with plain soap and water, with no scraping off the upper half of your double boiler. In fact, all your utensils can be safely run through a cycle in the dishwasher when you’re done.

Soy candles can be made in the same metal molds or milk cartons as paraffin candles, but because they do clean up so easily, they are often made in Mason jars, which can be covered to intensify any scent you’ve added, or to keep the dust off the top. To add to the candle’s country air, you can cover the top with a gingham circle cut with pinking shears, and tuck some dried flowers into the ribbon or wool you tied the cloth “cap” onto the jar with.

Tip! Soy wax candles contain hydrogenated soybean oil as their chief ingredient. Candles with varying strengths and melting points are made adding some other materials in different proportions.

Melt your soy block after cutting it in chunks, or using the flakes, which are easier to handle. If you choose to scent the candle, a good rule of thumb is to add .5-1.0 ounces of essential oils for every pound of wax. Make sure to anchor your wick in the mold or jar first, by putting a dab of melted way on the tab, and sticking it in the center of the bottom. It should be cut 2″ longer than the depth of the mold, to allow for trimming after.

Tip! Soy wax candles burn substantially longer than petroleum wax and more uniform.

Soy wax is just as easy to decorate as paraffin, so when it is starting to cool, feel free to insert sea shells, dried flowers, colored crystals or whatever takes your fancy.

Visit http://www.learnhowtomakeit.com for instructions on how to make just about anything you can think of.

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