Learn How to Make Scented Candles With These Easy Candle Making Tips
Candles have been around for a long time.
For ages before electric lights were available to light up the darkness candles were the first choice for illumination.
Up until the last century or two the prevalent material used to make candles was tallow which is nothing more than animal fat.
Tallow candles provided dependable lighting but they also emitted a malodorous aroma.
In the beginning this was accepted as a necessary evil but later other materials were developed to make candles that did not give off offensive aromas.
Today candle makers have devised ways to make candles smell much better with the addition of scents to clean burning waxes.
It is very popular today to make candles that give delightful fragrances ranging from orange blossoms to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Scents are only limited to the imagination of the candle maker.
They come in several types and are readily available at craft stores or online.
Some are oil based and others are water and alcohol based.
Oil based scents are recommended because most candle waxes today are derived from an oil source and consequently mix better.
Water and alcohol scents when used in oil based waxes will not mix properly and gravitate to the bottom of the mix and fail to produce the desired aroma in the finished product.
Scents are the last item to be added to the wax during the heating process.
It should be stirred into the melted wax just prior to pouring the wax into the mold.
This minimizes evaporation of the scenting agent.
The correct temperature of wax at which to add scents is around 175 degrees and it is important to keep tabs on it with a dependable thermometer.
Adding the scenting agent at the correct temperature just prior to pouring the wax into the mold will go along way toward capturing the most of the fragrance.
Gel wax is a little different in that it must be heated to 200 degrees and it does not reach the same viscosity level as the other waxes.
Scents come in several forms.
They include liquid scents, solid wax perfume chips and different forms of aromatic herbs.
Natural candle waxes such as soy, beeswax, palm or bayberry and the old standby paraffin wax work best with scenting agents.
With candle scents the old adage of more is better does not work.
Often candle makers want to increase the aroma of the candle.
Once they have enjoyed the delightful aroma of fresh baked apple pie emitting from their candles there is a desire to make it even better by adding more scents.
This doesn't work.
It will only make it more difficult to demold, cause the candle to be mottled or pitted and make the candle burn improperly.
The generally accepted rule of the right amount of scents is one ounce per pound of wax.
Follow this rule and your candles will smell great.
When properly made scented candles can add delightful fragrances to a room whether that are ignited or not.
This a feature that makes hand-made scented candles a wonderful gift.
Candles are a special addition to any room and adding aromas to them only enhance their appeal so when you make you own candles consider adding scents.
For ages before electric lights were available to light up the darkness candles were the first choice for illumination.
Up until the last century or two the prevalent material used to make candles was tallow which is nothing more than animal fat.
Tallow candles provided dependable lighting but they also emitted a malodorous aroma.
In the beginning this was accepted as a necessary evil but later other materials were developed to make candles that did not give off offensive aromas.
Today candle makers have devised ways to make candles smell much better with the addition of scents to clean burning waxes.
It is very popular today to make candles that give delightful fragrances ranging from orange blossoms to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Scents are only limited to the imagination of the candle maker.
They come in several types and are readily available at craft stores or online.
Some are oil based and others are water and alcohol based.
Oil based scents are recommended because most candle waxes today are derived from an oil source and consequently mix better.
Water and alcohol scents when used in oil based waxes will not mix properly and gravitate to the bottom of the mix and fail to produce the desired aroma in the finished product.
Scents are the last item to be added to the wax during the heating process.
It should be stirred into the melted wax just prior to pouring the wax into the mold.
This minimizes evaporation of the scenting agent.
The correct temperature of wax at which to add scents is around 175 degrees and it is important to keep tabs on it with a dependable thermometer.
Adding the scenting agent at the correct temperature just prior to pouring the wax into the mold will go along way toward capturing the most of the fragrance.
Gel wax is a little different in that it must be heated to 200 degrees and it does not reach the same viscosity level as the other waxes.
Scents come in several forms.
They include liquid scents, solid wax perfume chips and different forms of aromatic herbs.
Natural candle waxes such as soy, beeswax, palm or bayberry and the old standby paraffin wax work best with scenting agents.
With candle scents the old adage of more is better does not work.
Often candle makers want to increase the aroma of the candle.
Once they have enjoyed the delightful aroma of fresh baked apple pie emitting from their candles there is a desire to make it even better by adding more scents.
This doesn't work.
It will only make it more difficult to demold, cause the candle to be mottled or pitted and make the candle burn improperly.
The generally accepted rule of the right amount of scents is one ounce per pound of wax.
Follow this rule and your candles will smell great.
When properly made scented candles can add delightful fragrances to a room whether that are ignited or not.
This a feature that makes hand-made scented candles a wonderful gift.
Candles are a special addition to any room and adding aromas to them only enhance their appeal so when you make you own candles consider adding scents.
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