I love a good bit of DIY, especially searching for it on blogs and pinning my favourite things on Pinterest. I constantly dream of a home I can own where I spend my free time making things for it, blogging about it and just living the life near a beach somewhere, without a care in the world. This for the foreseeable future is just a dream but I can start improving my DIY skills on the way so when the time comes, I am ready.
I found a Groupon voucher for a candle making class a few months ago and jumped at the chance. Candles are one of my favourite things, I buy them quite a lot and they never last too long but thats because I buy the cheaper ones. I wish I had the budget to invest in a more expensive candle but I can't right now so making them is the next best thing.
The company 'Midas touch crafts' is one which is run by a mother and daughter, all non profit as the proceeds which aren't used for the materials and hiring of the venue are put straight back into a charity. For this class we made one cupcake size candle (a slightly bigger size than a tea light) as it needed to set in 3 hours plus some different techniques for decorating candles. This was a great beginners class as you learnt all of the history of candles and the basics of putting one together. Me and my housemate had a wonderful time learning these skills and came away with a lot of knowledge about candles and the process in which to make them. Naz herself was a great teacher and had a lovely personality which made everyone feel at ease. If you want to attend one of her classes (as she has lots of different ones too um hmm..how to make bath bombs, yes!) so check her website out.
So to make a basic cupcake candle you will need (links attached):
Glass containers
Container Wax (soy is better as it uses less chemicals but use paraffin for practising as its cheaper)
Pre-waxed wicks with tabs
Thermometer
Glue dots or Glue gun
Pyrex pouring jug (glass)
Fragrance Oil
If you want to decorate the inside of your glass you will need:
Sprinkles or confetti
Mod Podge
Paint Brush
To make the candle you first of all need to stick your wick down in the centre of the container. You can either use a glue dot or a glue gun if you have one. You then need to take your mod podge and glue all around the inside of the container without glueing the bottom, as this can make your wick move. Then take your sprinkles or confetti and place them onto the glue, however you like and allow to set.
While this is setting, pour some of your container wax into your jug and put it into the microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir and put it back in for another 30 seconds. This is when you should test the temperature of your wax and make sure its at 65 degrees (make sure its no higher before you pour it into the container because if it reaches near to 100 degrees it then becomes dangerous and you will have to throw it away).
This is then when you can add in your essential oils. Remember you only need a few drops as it is highly concentrated. The reason you should use essential oils is because thats the best way to get the longevity of fragrance each time you burn your candle. Have you ever noticed your candle only smells for the first time you burn it? Thats because a fragrance block has been used, which you can find in a lot of the cheaper candles.
You can then leave it to set, either in a cool room or the fridge (make sure it cools a bit before you put it in the fridge so there's no risk of the glass shattering) as this will cut down some time. It is as simple as that and pretty fun too!
These are the basics you need for candle making. You can mix up fragrance oils for different smells and get as experimental as you like. You can also colour your wax with candle dyes if you want a certain look for your candles or to match the colour to the smell (red/berry) etc. Crayola crayons are also brilliant for this as they are already coloured so a lot of the hard work is done for you.
You can also decorate your candles in numerous ways if you make them in votive moulds. These are moulds that you can take the candle out of afterwards so they are free standing. As an example we had a go at adding glitter to ours in whatever way we decided. I opted for an over the top christmas look and covered the whole thing! Use some mod podge as a base and layer the glitter over the top.
I hope you have enjoyed this little candle DIY tutorial. If you dont want to buy all the items separately and give this a go you can either sign up to a candle making class to see if you like it first or buy a starters kit which will give you most of the tools you need except the thermometer and jug.
If you have any questions just leave them down below and I will get right back to you!
Happy making!
Love Khrissie x
I found a Groupon voucher for a candle making class a few months ago and jumped at the chance. Candles are one of my favourite things, I buy them quite a lot and they never last too long but thats because I buy the cheaper ones. I wish I had the budget to invest in a more expensive candle but I can't right now so making them is the next best thing.
The company 'Midas touch crafts' is one which is run by a mother and daughter, all non profit as the proceeds which aren't used for the materials and hiring of the venue are put straight back into a charity. For this class we made one cupcake size candle (a slightly bigger size than a tea light) as it needed to set in 3 hours plus some different techniques for decorating candles. This was a great beginners class as you learnt all of the history of candles and the basics of putting one together. Me and my housemate had a wonderful time learning these skills and came away with a lot of knowledge about candles and the process in which to make them. Naz herself was a great teacher and had a lovely personality which made everyone feel at ease. If you want to attend one of her classes (as she has lots of different ones too um hmm..how to make bath bombs, yes!) so check her website out.
So to make a basic cupcake candle you will need (links attached):
Glass containers
Container Wax (soy is better as it uses less chemicals but use paraffin for practising as its cheaper)
Pre-waxed wicks with tabs
Thermometer
Glue dots or Glue gun
Pyrex pouring jug (glass)
Fragrance Oil
If you want to decorate the inside of your glass you will need:
Sprinkles or confetti
Mod Podge
Paint Brush
While this is setting, pour some of your container wax into your jug and put it into the microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and stir and put it back in for another 30 seconds. This is when you should test the temperature of your wax and make sure its at 65 degrees (make sure its no higher before you pour it into the container because if it reaches near to 100 degrees it then becomes dangerous and you will have to throw it away).
This is then when you can add in your essential oils. Remember you only need a few drops as it is highly concentrated. The reason you should use essential oils is because thats the best way to get the longevity of fragrance each time you burn your candle. Have you ever noticed your candle only smells for the first time you burn it? Thats because a fragrance block has been used, which you can find in a lot of the cheaper candles.
You can then leave it to set, either in a cool room or the fridge (make sure it cools a bit before you put it in the fridge so there's no risk of the glass shattering) as this will cut down some time. It is as simple as that and pretty fun too!
These are the basics you need for candle making. You can mix up fragrance oils for different smells and get as experimental as you like. You can also colour your wax with candle dyes if you want a certain look for your candles or to match the colour to the smell (red/berry) etc. Crayola crayons are also brilliant for this as they are already coloured so a lot of the hard work is done for you.
You can also decorate your candles in numerous ways if you make them in votive moulds. These are moulds that you can take the candle out of afterwards so they are free standing. As an example we had a go at adding glitter to ours in whatever way we decided. I opted for an over the top christmas look and covered the whole thing! Use some mod podge as a base and layer the glitter over the top.
If you have any questions just leave them down below and I will get right back to you!
Happy making!
Love Khrissie x
Great tutorial! DIY candles are one of my favorite holiday gifts. The options are endless!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to let them cool a bit before you put them in the fridge though.. If you immediately transfer, the glass can shatter (if using thin/cheap glass).. I've seen some horror stories online!
xoxo www.ohheyam.com
Thank you and thanks for the tip! I'll add that in now as I would hate anyone to hurt themselves if that happened. x
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