How to Make Molds With Liquid Plastics or Rubber

Use a fresh pear to make a rubber mold for pear candles.

You need a mold to replicate an object in another material. For example, you could replicate a small pumpkin in wax for a candle if you make a mold of the pumpkin. Once you have cast the mold, the number of replicas is unlimited if you keep the mold in good condition. Try a rubber compound pear mold for pear candles, a perfect project for the holiday season.

Things You'll Need

• Pear
• Plastic quart containers
• Plastic measuring cups
• Rubber compound OOMOO 30, pink and blue
• Candle wax
• Old saucepan
• Green and yellow color chips
• Wicking
• Dowel
• Scissors
• Serrated knife

Instructions

1. Place the pear in the center of a quart container.

2. Mix equal parts of the pink and blue rubber compound in another quart container.

3. Pour the liquid rubber inside the quart container around the pear, leaving the very top of the pear visible. When the mold has hardened, remove the mold from the container, cut the mold down the side with the serrated knife and take out the pear.

4. Melt the candle wax over a low oven flame in an old saucepan. Add the color chips and swirl the wax to mix in the color.

5. Place the mold back into the quart container.

6. Insert the wick into the mold. Wrap the end of the wick around a dowel that is balanced on the quart container to ensure the wick stands straight.

7. Pour the hot wax inside the mold. Let cool for several hours. Pull the mold from the container, pull it apart at the cut edge and unmold the pear candle. Cut the exposed wick to 1/2 inch.

References

• Martha Stewart: Gourd Candles
• Urethane RTV Rubber