How to Make Fall Themed Gel Wax Candles
I just love the look of those clear candles in the store. They add a warm touch to any home. If you're looking for a great home decorating project, then learning how to make your own gel wax candles is a great start. For a fall theme, just add miniature artificial leaves, plastic pumpkins or tint the candles with the fall colors of orange, yellow and red.
Things You'll Need
- Small glass container
- Low density gel wax
- Candle wick
- Old pot
- Old spoon
- Glass measuring cup
- Candy thermometer
- Hot glue gun
- Pen or pencil
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Newspaper
- Item to add for decoration in the candle
- Fragrance -optional
- Liquid dye - optional
Instructions
-
Making a gel wax candle
-
1
Spread newspaper over your kitchen counter or whatever work space you will be using to make the candles.
-
2
Glue the candle wick to the bottom of the glass container you will be using for your candle.
-
-
3
Wrap the extra wick around a pen or pencil to hold the wick upright when the gel is poured into the container. The pen or pencil should lie horizontally across the opening of the container.
-
4
Put gel wax into the old pot to melt. Use enough gel to fill your glass candle container.
-
5
Place the pot over low heat.
-
6
Melt the gel wax to 225 degrees farenheit. Watch carefully and stir often until melted.
-
7
Add fragrance to the melted wax, if desired, at this time.
-
8
Add liquid dye to the melted gel wax, if desired, after the fragrance. Stir in quickly not letting the gel wax cool below 200 degrees farenheit.
-
9
Carefully pour the melted gel wax into the glass measuring container.
-
10
Fill glass candle container about half full of the melted gel wax.
-
11
Add in any embedding items into the glass candle container.
-
12
Fill the glass candle container with more melted gel wax to about one inch from the top.
-
13
Let your candle cool for several hours.
-
14
Remove the pen or pencil from around the wick.
-
15
Cut the wick to the desired length, light and enjoy your candle!
Preparing the embedding items
-
16
Pick up the embedding items with the tweezers.
-
17
Dip the item into a small amount of melted gel wax covering the item completely with the wax.
-
18
Remove the item from the wax.
-
19
Hold item over the container of melted wax letting the wax become hard.
-
20
Place the embedding items aside until ready to place in the glass candle holder containing the melted gel wax.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To help reduce the amount of bubbles in your candle pour the wax slowly and at an angle into the container.
Preheating the glass container in a low temperature oven for at least ten minutes also helps reduce the chance of bubbles in the candle.
Be sure the melted gel wax is between 185 and 200 degrees farenheit when pouring into the glass candle container. If below that temperature, bubbles may result.
Do not leave the melting wax unattended.
Do not let children handle the hot melted get wax.
