| When people are out shopping for candle making | | | | a double boiler, so most people who are making gel |
| waxes. they are innundated with a huge variety to | | | | candles today use what is call a multi-cooker. |
| choose from. There's beeswax, soy wax, and | | | | A multi-cooker has it's own temperature control dial, |
| paraffin wax just to name a few. But there is one | | | | but it's still recommended that you have your own |
| type of wax that provides creative advantages over | | | | thermometer and a chemical fire extinguisher nearby. |
| the others when making your own candles. It is called | | | | The thermometer to manually check the wax |
| gel wax and in this article we'll be going over the | | | | temperature and the fire extinguisher just in case, |
| basics of making gel candles. | | | | because gel wax is flammable. Also, don't use a |
| People love making gel candles because they are | | | | wooden spoon to stir the gel wax. This can leave |
| translucent, meaning you can see through them. Also, | | | | bubbles in your wax. Instead use a metal or hard |
| if you buy a higher density wax for making gel | | | | plastic spoon. |
| candles, you can suspend ornaments in the wax for a | | | | After the wax is melted, that is when you add your |
| very personal and creative touch. Gel candle wax is a | | | | scents colors. Using liquid dyes when making gel |
| little different from say paraffin wax by nature of it's | | | | candles is recommended because it maintains the |
| composition. Most waxes are oil based, but gel | | | | tranluscency of the wax. Using crayons or dyes not |
| waxes have a tiny amount of polymer resin. Originally | | | | specifically for candlemaking is a no no because they |
| the resin is in powder form, but when mixed with the | | | | can mess with the integrity of your candle and it |
| oil base it solidifies. | | | | may not burn as well since, obviously, they were not |
| When purchasing gel wax for making gel candles you | | | | made for coloring candles. When adding scents, make |
| have 3 densities to choose from, each of which have | | | | sure you measure them out exactly as adding too |
| their pros and cons. Low density gel wax has a lower | | | | much can also ruin your candle. This would also be |
| melting point and pours more easily, but cannot hold | | | | the time you would add your own personlized touch |
| decorations or fragrance well. High density on the | | | | to the candle by suspending decorations in the wax. |
| other hand has a much higher melting point and can | | | | The amount of personlization you can put into |
| be very trying to pour, but can hold quite a bit of | | | | making your own gel candles is endless really. You |
| scent and suspends decorations very well. Medium | | | | could take 100 gel candles, each made by a different |
| density of course has a moderate melting point and | | | | person and compare them and the only major |
| pours decently, can hold an average amount of | | | | similarities would be that they are all made from gel |
| fragrance and can suspend ornamently well, if not as | | | | wax. So if you are looking to make gifts for your |
| well as high density. | | | | family, I would definitely recommend making gel |
| After you choose which wax you think would work | | | | candles as not only are they fun to make and easy |
| well for project, you then have to melt it. If you try | | | | to personalize, but they also burn longer than regular |
| to melt gel max in a double boiler like you would with | | | | candles, meaning the recipients will have more time |
| other candle waxes, you'll have a lot of frustration in | | | | to appreciate the beautiful candle you made just for |
| store for you. It can take forever to melt gel wax in | | | | them. |