How to Make Bacon Scented Candles
If there's someone in your life who really loves the smell of bacon, there's a cheaper and less fattening way to enjoy it that doesn't involve constantly cooking bacon on the stove. With bacon scent for sale, and candle-making supplies and kits readily available, you can make your own bacon-scented candle to scent your home whenever you like. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that it will curb your bacon cravings --- or keep away that pack of wild dogs roaming by your house every day now.
Things You'll Need
- 1 lb. paraffin candle wax
- Pre-tabbed wick
- Wide pan
- Taller, narrower pan
- Bacon-scented natural oil
- 16 oz. glass container
- Pencil
- Thermometer
- Superglue
- Heat gloves
- Colored dye (optional)
Instructions
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The Wax
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1
Place the taller, narrower pan inside the wide pan and fill the wide pan with water. Set it to boil. Do not let any water get in the taller, narrower pan; put the candle wax in that pan instead. This will melt the wax without diluting it. Measure the wax temperature regularly with your thermometer.
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2
Add the bacon-scented oil when the wax reaches 170 degrees: 1 oz of oil for each lb of wax. If you want to add dye, add it now.
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3
Stir for at least two minutes so the fragrance and color can mix completely. Don't let the temperature raise above 180 degrees; the oil can burn.
The Container
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4
Glue your wick's tab to the bottom of the glass container. Make sure the glue is dry and the wick tab securely fastened before pouring the candle wax.
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5
Preheat the glass container to about 150 degrees. This will keep it from cracking when wax is introduced. You can do this in an oven on the lowest setting, though a heat gun will do if you can heat the entire container evenly.
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6
Take the heated container from the oven (remember your heat gloves) when the candle wax is ready. Lay a pencil atop the container opening and loop the wick around it; this will keep it from sinking or shifting when you pour the candle wax.
The Candle
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7
Pour 80 percent of the wax into the container. Let it cool completely; this will take at least six hours. As the wax cools, it will sink into the center.
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8
Reheat your remaining wax to 180 degrees. Pour it over the cooled wax to fill in the sunken center. Leave it, and the new wax will bond and smooth out the old wax as it cools.
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9
Untie and trim your wick so 1/4 of an inch is visible.
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1
Tips & Warnings
There are different waxes you can use for candle making. Most common is paraffin wax, however, other waxes like soy wax or special wax blends from candle making companies can be used. Be sure you know the melting directions before use when substituting a different wax; they don't all melt alike.
Bacon scented fragrance oil is uncommon, but can be found from online store Nature's Garden.
Because it takes awhile for the wax to melt, many candle makers prepare the glass container as the wax heats, but that's up to you.
The double boiler method (using two pans) is the safest wax-melting method, but don't forget you're handling searing hot wax. Wear your heat gloves, monitor the temperature, and always use caution.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit candle image by isisdiamond from Fotolia.com