Sherri's Helpful Hints

Candle Craft Projects

Aromatic Votive Candles craft
Heatproof flower pots or glasses
Candlewick
Wooden Skewers
1 pound paraffin
Empty coffee can
Saucepan
Essential oil
Needle

Fill selected candle holder with water; pour water into measuring glass and note the quantity.

Tie wick onto wooden skewer so that the free end touches the bottom of the candle holder. Lay skewer on rim with wick centered.

Place paraffin in a very clean coffee can set in a saucepan of boiling water; let paraffin melt. Add a few drops of essential oil and mix in well, using a wooden skewer.

Pour melted, scented paraffin into the selected candle holder. Pour slowly to avoid creating air bubbles. Let cool.

Prick surface of candle with a needle. The candle is ready to be used when no liquid wax residue appears on the needle.

Candle Wicks craft
2 tablespoons table salt
4 tablespoons borax
1 1/2 cups warm water
12 inches regular cotton kite string or twine

Dissolve salt and borax in water.

Soak string or twin in the solution for 15 minutes.

Hang the string with a clothespin for five days to be sure it is completely dry.

Use a paper clip to dip the string in melted wax three or four times, coating it completely. Hang it up to dry as before. Store wicks rolled up in a newspaper.

NOTE: Add 1 teaspoon of one of the following chemicals for colored flames:

Strontium chloride for a brilliant red flame
Boric acid for a deep red flame
Lithium chloride for a carmine flame
Calcium for a red-orange flame
Sodium chloride (table salt) for a bright yellow flame
Borax for a yellow-green flame
Copper chloride for a blue flame
Copper sulfate (blue vitriol/bluestone) for a green flame
Potassium sulfate or potassium nitrate (saltpeter) for a violet flame
Epsom salt for a white flame

Candles in Sea Glass craft
Source: Kurt Cyr Centerpieces Through the Year
Clear glass flat-bottom dish
Tumbled colored sea glass
Assorted white pillar candles

Wash and thoroughly dry the dish. Because of the simplicity of the centerpiece, take care to remove any smudges or fingerprints. Arrange the candles in the desired locations. Since the centerpiece will be seen from all sides, create a pleasing composition. Carefully fill around the base of the candles with the tumbled sea glass and the centerpiece is complete. Simply light the candles.

Gel Candles craft
This makes a crystal clear gel that burns five times longer than wax.

2 cups 95% white mineral oil 375 degrees F Flash Point 200 Viscosity
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) 5% CP9000 thermoplastic resin powder
Metal spoon
Measuring cup
Crockpot with a thermostat or saucepan and candy thermometer
Wick and base
Fragrance (optional)
Color (optional)

The formula for 1 pound of gel is .05 pound of CP9000 trp to .13 gallon of white mineral oil.

Mix mineral oil and resin powder and allow to set at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Begin heating ingredients slowly bringing to 200 to 210 degrees F and hold at this temperature for 1 hour or until the gel is completely smooth flowing and all the lumps have dissolved. (The temperature should never exceed 230 degrees F.) The consistency should be that of corn syrup. Be sure to never let the temperature exceed 230 degrees as this may scorch the gel. If gel does scorch it is worthless and no amount of fragrance can save it. Give up and start over.

Stir the mixture often while cooking to assure proper mixture. If you don't have a crock pot be sure to watch your temp on a thermometer. The gel may smoke slightly during the process, this is not a cause for alarm unless smoke is excessive.

Just before you are ready to pour, add fragrance to suit (do not exceed 3%) as this will lower your flash point to an unsafe level. Color should be added now if desired.

Dip wick base in the gel, then place in bottom of container and hold for a few seconds to allow gel to adhere to the glass. This will hold your wick in place during pouring.

Pouring the gel is easy. You can get different effects from different pouring temperatures:

Lots of bubbles 180 to 190 degrees F
Few large bubbles 200 to 210 degrees F
Almost no bubbles 210 to 220 degrees F

To ensure bubble-free candles, pre-heat the glass container for 10 minutes in preheated 150 degrees F oven.

Tips:

To embed objects, wait 2 to 5 minutes after pouring and drop into place. Only use glass or ceramic non-flammable objects. Marbles and aquarium rocks work well.

If you goof up some colored gel, cut them into cubes, then toss them into the glass container. Just let them lay as they fall. Pour clear gel over the top of the cubes to hold everything together.

Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine