Candle Mold Tricks for Handcrafted Candles

March 20, 2010 · Filed Under Craft · Comment 

You might stand there gaping at the beautiful candle creations of experts without realizing that you too can craft elegantly shaped candles.  First you see a lump of wax get transformed from nothing but a rough mass to something that is formed like the most rounded sphere.  Molding the candles properly is one of the secrets of crafting the most elegant candles.  Molds are the equipment you should use to shape your wax.  Without sturdy molds, we won’t be able to create the best looking candles around.  People who become candle collectors and enthusiasts are mainly drawn by the shapes of the candles.

Before your customers can get close enough to sniff your candles, they will see the outline of these candles from afar and get attracted.  This means your molds must be perfect for your candles to come out shaped the way you want.  The main reason why candle molds are so vital is the fact that they act as a container for the gooey wax.

After you’re done adding reagents to your candle wax, place the fragrant colored candle inside the molds for cooling.  After you are done melting the wax, the next step is to pour them in the molds for setting and cooling.  As the wax solidifies it takes the shape of the mold. If you’re going for geometrically shaped candles, your molds must also be geometrically fashioned.  Molds that are deformed will result in badly formed candles so you have to select the molds that won’t get deformed when hot wax is poured  inside.  Molds come in different girths, shapes and styles.

Take note of the following tips for guidance on what type of molds you can buy for your candle making business.

Aluminum molds are very familiar for the reason that these are tough and heat hardy.  For that finished, seamless look on your candles, go for aluminum molds.  Clean up is a breeze with this type of mold, which means you can wash quickly and use them again for next time.  Aluminum molds are flimsy enough to be stored in small cabinets and even the kitchen storeroom.  No matter what dimension or form, metal molds can be kept together without getting malformed while in the storeroom. Professional candle makers make use of metal molds for mass manufacture of high quality candles.  The only setback with using metal molds is the fact that they are not elastic.

You will need a releasing agent to get the candle from the mold.

There are many other kinds of molds you can use for creating your candles.
The other molds you can buy for your candle
production enterprise are made of silicone, polyurethane and latex.  These molds are more costly than metal molds however they are more flexible.  Because of this, you don’t have to spend too much money to buy releasing agents you will need to get the candle out.  The high grade molds made of silicone can be stretched around the candle edges.  Comparing silicone and polyurethane as mold types, the former is more flexible but the latter is a lot cheaper. Molds made of latex are not as popular among candle makers as before.

The most reasonably priced type of mold is the plastic sort.  If you search around your home, you can find a lot of plastic molds that you aren’t utilizing anymore.  These can serve as your candle molds for the meantime while you’re honing your technique.  If you would like to recycle your old household items, turn them into candle molds.  Almost any old container can be used as a mold for your candles.

Here is more information on Candle Making Molds.  Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Candle Making.

Container Candle Crafting Made Easy

February 23, 2010 · Filed Under Craft · Comment 

Decorating a candle does not always mean dyeing and adding garlands on the candle itself.  If you want a candle that is really your own, with your logo or brand stamped on it, use containers to hold the candle.  If you are in the candle enterprise and you want your candles to stand out among the rest, you ought to try crafting container candles.  It is easier to attach a theme to your candles by using customized containers.  For example, red is the color of choice for Christmas and Valentines, while red, white and blue are the colors for the fourth of July.  The jar that contains the candles can come in a variety of shapes and girths.

You can produce candles the way you want without worrying about their forms by using candle containers to hold your candles.  Do not worry about not being an expert at candle molding. With container candle making, you don’t have to worry about imperfectly formed candle wax.  Simply purchase the best-looking candle jars you can find and place your candles inside these jars.  Your candles will really attract attention if you just let your creative juices flow and design your candles to your heart’s content.  To start with, you can paint the can or jar, draw a nice design on it and tie ribbons.  If you are skilled at painting, you can create abstract murals or other quaint designs on your containers.

The best thing about container jar candle project is that you can cater to those who want custom-made candles for special birthdays, valentines and other special occasions.  If you’re using container candles to embellish your home, you can get containers that combine with your area décor. If you want an ambiance that reminds you of your home state, you can place the candles in containers with your state colors.  You can choose smoked glass containers for your living room table.

[Making|Creating|Crafting] Container Candles for Your Home [Enterprise|Business|Venture|Project]

If [you’re|you are] mass producing these candles, get the [sturdy|durable|hard-wearing] glass [containers|jars].  Bulk buying your glass candle containers can save you money because wholesalers offer discounts for wholesale orders.  Look out for big yard sales. You will find so many valuable containers for your home made candles in these places.  Flea markets are the best sources of cheap glass candle containers and unique containers in general.

[Recycling|Repurposing] Your [Old|Long forgotten] [Stuff|Things|Belongings|Equipment] for Container Candle [Making|Crafting|Production]

If you have [pretty|cute|beautiful] [jars|containers] at home, you can [use|make use of|utilize] them to [create|produce|make|craft|design] your container candles.  The fact is,, you can utilize everything from an old baby food container to a beautiful plastic jug.  Glass jars are exceptionally terrific for container candle making because the glass reflects light , which is awesome for design purposes.  Wash your jars before pouring warm candle wax.  Your containers might have tiny particles in them that will tarnish the exquisiteness of your candles.  Wash the containers meticulously by rinsing in the dishwasher or manually scouring the jars before usage.  If you are using old, cast-off containers, the dust or other bits that accumulated inside might transfer to your candle wax and be plainly visible after the candle wax has cooled.

Air dry the containers after rinsing thoroughly.  But, you must never use containers with broken bits or cracks in them.  Abnormalities in your container might produce cracks and flaws in the hardened wax.  Container candles are the least costly sort of candles to craft.  There’s no more need to purchase molds and releasing agents when you’ve decided to produce only container candles.

Here is more information on Candle Making Molds. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Candle Making.

Candle Making Molds Details

December 17, 2009 · Filed Under Craft · Comment 

Today, candle makers most often use molds to shape their candles. Candles can be shaped into just about any imaginable using the appropriate mold. 

Although many different forms can be used for molds, not every hollow form is suitable. Two characteristics need to be considered. Candle makers refer to these concepts as draft and undercut.

Draft is the easier concept to grasp. Draft refers to the degree of taper a mold has. Without the taper, it would be difficult or impossible to remove the candle from a solid mold.

It’s possible to use mold with parallel sides because wax tends to shrink slightly as it cools, thereby separating from the mold enough to allow it to slide out.

Undercutting is another term you should be familiar with. You can think of undercutting as any part of the shape that would keep the finished candle from sliding out of the mold. You have probably seen candles shaped like Christmas trees. All those branches represent undercuts.

If the form you want to make has undercuts, you can’t use a one-piece solid mold. Fortunately, there are a couple of options. One is to use a mold that separates into two or more parts. Another solution is to use a mold made out of rubber or other flexible material that can be stretched to allow removal of the finished candle.

Symmetrical objects are usually casted for candle making using a two-part mold.  Flexible molds also work for these but are really only needed for more intricate shapes such a figurines. In use, the candle maker clamps the pieces of a multi-part mold together, seals the seams to keep wax from leaking and then uses it as if it were a solid mold.

As I mentioned, you can also deal with undercutting by using flexible molds, which can be stretched to allow the candle to be removed once it has hardened. Silicone is probably the premium material for making flexible molds, but other materials work almost as well and the less expensive.

To find out more about this subject visit: Candle Making Molds

While you’re there, definitely sign up for your free candle making mini-course. You may also want to check out:

Candle Making Wax

You’ll definitely be surprised when you see how many choices you have concerning this most basic material!

May be the most helpful advice I can give you that will help you save time and money and avoid frustration is to check out Home Candle Making Made Easy

That book will help you avoid all the mistakes beginners typically make and have you producing flawless candles from your first attempts.

 

Different Types of Candle Making Molds

October 16, 2009 · Filed Under Craft · Comment 

The different types of candle making molds that are available to buy to make candles at home are almost as endless as the amount of different candles out there. Since candle making is a popular hobby and many people buy candles for their homes, a variety of candle making molds are available on the market.

The container in which wax is poured in while it cools is called the candle mold. The wax will hold the shape of the mold when it has cooled completely. There are various shapes and sizes of candle making molds available. They also offer a variety of different uses.

Aluminum molds are a very popular type of mold that candle makers use. Durability and heat resistance are some of its properties. Plus, they leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle. This provides the candles with the appearance of a professionally made product. These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles. They are also inexpensive when compared to rubber candle making molds.

The ease of cleaning is an added advantage of aluminum molds. All you need to do is to put them on a baking sheet in your oven. By placing them upside down and heating them to about 150 degrees the leftover wax will melt and run out of the mold onto the cookie sheet. Just remember to line your cookie sheet. One disadvantage of aluminum candle making molds is that they are not very flexible, thus there are few choices when it comes to changing the shapes and textures of the candles. Another disadvantage is that they need a releasing agent to pop the candle out of the mold.

Rubber candle making molds have more flexibility compared to aluminum molds. Some of them include polyurethane, silicone, or latex molds. Polyurethane is flexible but not very stretchable. Rubber molds are usually less expensive than silicone ones. The disadvantage of a rubber mold is that, they pass a strong odor to the candle and will also require a releasing agent to separate the candle from the mold. These molds are often used for making pillar and taper candles.

One more variety of rubber molds is the silicone mold. These candle making molds possess extraordinary qualities, hence they are very expensive. They leave no parting lines; they are flexible but also stretchable to a point so getting the candles out of the molds is easier and requires no releasing agent.

Although latex molds used to be used very often, with the advances in other types of rubber molds they are losing their luster. However, making your candle making molds molds at home is easy, by using liquid latex and painting it onto a structure. Lots of coats of latex are required but the flexibility it provides for making a variety of molds is infinite.

The cheapest kind of candle molds is the plastic mold but it is not the best. They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle. The ease of cleaning plastic candle making molds is an advantage, though. All you need to use is some warm water and a little soap. Just make sure that the mold is completely dry before you use it again or you will get water bubbles in your candles. In order for you to convert your candle making hobby into a business, you need to invest in different types of molds.