All about wax candles

Candles are an essential attribute of numerous holidays, romantic dates, and just a cozy pastime. For all these purposes, it is best to use wax products sold in specialized stores or created by hand.

Today, it is quite difficult to find high quality wax candles - as a rule, more budget paraffin varieties are preferred. This solution is quite dangerous: when a product is burned from an oil derivative, toxic substances such as benzene and taulol are released, which enter the body through the respiratory system.

Against, candles made from untreated natural wax are not only environmentally friendly, but in some cases even useful. Such products have a pronounced natural aroma of wax, which is felt when they are approached to the nose.

To the touch, wax candles are pleasant and natural: either rough or smoother. They bend and cut easily, like plasticine, without breaking or crumbling. Products burn brightly, evenly and slowly. They do not form streaks, but they periodically emit a crackle. Burning is accompanied by the melting and formation of a droplet of wax inside the candle.

If you place glass over the fire, then the soot will either not appear at all, or it will be practically invisible. The extinguishing will be accompanied by a natural odor. It is worth mentioning that wax candles are considered quite cheap, if we are not talking about designer pieces made by hand.

Candles can be made from several types of wax.

Beeswax, a natural material, has long been used to create lighting fixtures. Such honey samples even have a beneficial effect on the body in the absence of allergies to the key component and its derivatives. The plastic material, in turn, also has a number of varieties. So, beeswax or melted beeswax is obtained in apiaries by processing combs, crumbs or beeswax. Industrial wax is created in specialized enterprises by industrial processing of apiary heats.

Kapanets, the highest quality material, is formed thanks to the raw materials collected in a well-lit wax furnace. To create an ardent beeswax, you will need to organize a water bath and protect the wax from water. There are also raw beeswax, peasant, substandard, containing impurities with propolis, press and others.

Soy wax is made from soybeans. This natural product is non-toxic and burns for a long time without emitting soot... Melting of raw materials is carried out at a temperature of 70-85 degrees, since when the indicator rises above 90 degrees, it becomes discolored, acquiring an ugly icteric shade. Soy wax is suitable for making container candles as well as pillar candles. In the first case, the material should adhere tightly to the box and be quite soft. In the second, it is easy to move away from the walls of the form and differ in increased density.

Palm wax is a good alternative to beeswax, made from the fruit of the palm tree. A solid substance melts at a temperature of 60 degrees. After hardening, its surface is covered with "frosty" patterns, as on a frozen window.

Coconut wax is non-toxic and burns cleaner than paraffin wax without producing harmful soot. In any condition, including heat treatment, it has a pleasant, but specific smell. The melting point of raw coconut is quite low, so it burns out longer than other types of wax, and almost 60% longer than paraffin wax. The consistency and shade of the substance is reminiscent of coconut oil. It is worth mentioning that the process of producing coconut wax is considered to be more environmentally friendly even than soy wax.

If the candle indicates that it is made of artificial wax, it is a foundation made from paraffin wax and similar compounds. The disadvantage of such a material is the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide during combustion, which is harmful to both human health and the environment.

Today, industrial production, and small firms, and needlewomen create candles of all shapes and sizes. The selection of this or that option is carried out depending on your own preferences. For example, the largest candle in the world, included in the Guinness Book of Records, had a height of 73 meters. Common specimens, as a rule, have a diameter of no more than 10 centimeters.

For interior decoration, both flat options and thin or thick tall candles are used. As for the shape, classic models are made in the form of a circle, square or cone. However, an increasing number of manufacturers are attracting customers with candles in the form of silhouettes of people, animals, dishes and abstract figures.

Although wax candles look very interesting in their original form, some people choose their colored varieties to decorate their homes.... For example, whites will look great in a Scandinavian interior or minimalist space.They are also most often used for meditation or protective rituals.

Decorative red candles are essential to create a romantic atmosphere. Products of green, monetary color can be lit to improve the financial situation. Gold and other sparkling candles help bring variety to the gray everyday life, while thick black ones add style to a laconic interior.

The models are especially chic, when creating which dry leaves, grass or buds were added to the wax. Options decorated with burlap will organically fit into eco-style. It's easy enough to transform a simple candle by covering it with glitter set on plain glue. Equally common are options with inscriptions or decoupage-style elements.

When choosing wax candles, it is important to carefully study their composition: it should not contain paraffin, as well as dubious dyes of incomprehensible shades. The highest quality samples are either stained with food dyes in a low concentration, or remain unstained at all. If the candle is presented in a container, then it must be durable glass, and not plastic or other low-quality material. In a well-made product, an even wick without a zinc thread is located in the core.

It is possible to make a candle with your own hands in different ways, but at home it is recommended to choose the safest and easiest way. For example, it can be dipping - a process during which the wick is dipped into molten wax several times until the product reaches the required thickness. When rolling, the heated foundation is rolled up by a cylinder containing a wick inside.

There are also twisting - evenly sticking wax melted on a water bath, pulling the wick through a bath with liquid raw materials, and also pouring the wick. To give the wax products a color, they will have to be immersed in melted colored wax or, after cooling, painted with a brush.

Before you start creating a homemade candle, you need to correctly organize a home workshop... For work, you will definitely need a wide horizontal table, protected by newspapers, wrapping paper or an old tablecloth. Ideally, the floor is also covered with something like a shabby carpet or a piece of linoleum.

It is more convenient to chop the wax on a cutting board or a piece of plywood. It is safest to heat raw materials in a water bath heated on a kitchen stove. An alternative to it can be a rice cooker, multicooker or similar device. Paper towels are useful for removing wax stains.

Do-it-yourself melting of wax can be carried out in a water bath built from a metal pan and a container of a smaller diameter located inside it. The latter can be made of stainless steel, aluminum or heat-resistant glass. It is extremely important that during the process the substance does not interact with ferrous metal or copper, as its color will deteriorate. Controlling the process is taken with a thin bamboo skewer. You will need to pour water into a large saucepan, and wax crushed into small pieces into a smaller one. To melt, you will have to put a small saucepan in a large one, and then place the structure on the fire.

It is better to start acquaintance with handmade candles with casting, that is, filling in suitable molds with hot substance. Experts recommend preparing seamless aluminum structures, transparent polycarbonate or elastic silicone... You will need a hammer or flathead screwdriver and a knife to grind the wax.

It is more convenient to cut the wick with ordinary scissors. To level the bottom of the candles after hardening, a building hair dryer can be useful.The main materials for creativity should be beeswax and an eco-friendly wick made of twisted cotton ropes. By the way, the larger the diameter of the lighting fixture is planned to be made, the thicker the thread should be.

Before starting the direct casting, it will be necessary to think about how the wick will be fixed in an upright position. For example, you can do this with clothespins, hair clips, homemade wire or wooden structures. Basically, the whole process of making candles with your own hands consists of installing a wick inside the mold and pouring molten wax. If the container is made of glass or porcelain, then a little wax is dripped from below to fix the thread. Next, it is wound on a wooden stick or pencil, placed on top.

To prevent voids from forming inside, it will be possible to make a couple of holes in the substance with a thin stick until it hardens... Homemade products will cool from 2 to 6 hours at room temperature. To make the candles easy to remove from the molds, in the latter it is preliminarily recommended to make a couple of cuts. It is more correct to shorten the upper part of the thread, leaving about a centimeter in length, and then dip it in liquid wax for easier ignition.

It is worth mentioning that the candle wick can be made colored if you use a natural floss, previously soaked in a solution of salt and boric acid. As a rule, there is a tablespoon of the first component and a couple of tablespoons of the second for a glass of water. The soaked thread will need to be dried, then twisted with a flagella or braided with a pigtail. Also, instead of purchased molds, any hollow objects made of material that can withstand a temperature of 100 degrees will do.

All wax candles are used in the same way. With a lighter or matches, the wick is ignited; during combustion, it slowly melts the wax. For safety reasons, the products should be placed on level, securely fixed surfaces away from flammable objects such as curtains. The fire is not left unattended, especially if there are children in the house. In addition, a lit candle should not be taken outside or on a terrace in windy weather.

How to make candles from wax, see the video.