Painting with acrylic paints
The most affordable material for painting candles is acrylic paints, which are known for their versatility and paint well on almost any surface. Using acrylic paints on candles, you can create quite complex multi-color drawings with smooth color transitions using basic painting techniques.
Paints are mixed on a palette, which can be used as an ordinary white faience plate. To apply a picture and obtain a variety of pictorial effects, various hair brushes are used - round and flat.
An interesting technique is in which paint of different colors is applied to the two halves of the tip of a wide flat brush, and then lines and shapes (petals, leaves, etc.) are obtained on the candle with a single stroke with a smooth transition from one color to another. Thus, you can achieve natural volume and depth of the picture.
However, sometimes water-based paints do not adhere well to the surface of the candle, so in some cases, before starting the painting process, the candle is wiped with a cloth soaked in an alcohol solution, and a little detergent is added to the paint.
There is another, much more professional tool, which makes it easy to apply paint to the surface - a varnish for decorating candles, which increases the adhesion properties of paints (i.e. improves the adhesion of paint particles to wax or paraffin). This is a special non-flammable water-based varnish, which includes acrylates and paraffin. Due to its composition, the varnish does not smoke and does not smell when burning a candle.
Lacquer is applied to the surface of the candle before painting. Then he is allowed to dry and the candle is painted with acrylic paints. After the paint layer dries, another layer of varnish is applied to the candle, which securely fixes the pattern. In addition, such varnishes give the surface of the candle various additional effects - glossy, silky and others.
Painting with special contours
To make ornaments, arabesques and inscriptions on candles, it is very convenient to use special contour paints for candles on a liquid wax basis. They also have a specially selected composition that makes them non-flammable and non-smoking. The applied pattern melts along with the wax as the candle burns out.
The painting is done directly with the narrow tip of a tube of contour paint, which is convenient to draw and write like a regular pencil. In this case, you need to lightly press on the tube so that the paint evenly lays down on the drawing. Upon completion of the painting, the paint is allowed to dry for a day and a layer of varnish for candles is applied.
Pencil paint leaves a thin three-dimensional trace, which creates an additional beautiful relief effect. It is not very convenient to mix such paints, besides, they have a pasty consistency, so they cannot be used to create a realistic pictorial drawing on a candle.
In the painting of candles, you can also use mixed media: a picturesque drawing with acrylic paints is perfectly complemented by an ornament or an inscription applied with a liquid wax contour.
If you bought simple white candles (which are much cheaper than colored ones, by the way), you can color them yourself. Candles after coloring will acquire a unique personality, and will delight you on New Year's Eve!
For coloring we need:
White candles of any shape
Alcohol
cotton fabric
Colored adhesive tape (duct tape)
rubber band
acrylic paint
Tassels
Instructions:
1. Wipe the surface of the candles with a cloth soaked in alcohol to degrease the candles before painting.
2. With electrical tape we seal those parts of the candle that we want to leave unpainted (if necessary, the electrical tape can be cut and made the same). And if we want to color a candle in a box, then we cut out the squares.
3. We paint over the non-glued places with different paints (as fantasy tells us). We will paint “checkered” candles in two or three approaches: first, we paint unglued squares with paint of the same color.
4. Let the paint dry well. It is better to leave the candles overnight. If necessary, apply another coat of paint the next day. With "striped" candles, the tape can be removed when the paint is still wet. But the “checkered” ones are better to dry overnight, then remove the tape, glue the already painted squares and apply paint to the unpainted ones and dry again. So we get candles painted in a box of different colors.
Note: Only smooth candles can be colored this way. If the surface of the candle is rough, then the paint will not fall. 
Coloring with dyes for wax
AT hardware stores sometimes you can find aniline paints for wax. They are also suitable for coloring paraffin. Such paints are available in the form of tablets or powders. The staining method is not much different from the previous one. The tablet must be thoroughly crushed, wax or paraffin - melt in a water bath. Pour in the dye, stir, hold the mass in a molten state until an even shade is obtained. In the same way, paraffin is dyed using colored candle scrap, so do not throw away the cinders of multi-colored candles, they can still come in handy. True, the color will turn out a little lighter than the original.Coloring with natural materials
Many plants contain natural dyes suitable for dyeing wax. For example, marigolds give a rich yellow color, with the help of tansy you can color the wax in various shades of green, the peel will give your paraffin a delicate golden hue. For 1 kg of paraffin or wax, you need about 4 cups of tansy or marigold leaves. Leaves or flowers do not need to be crushed. It is enough to place them in a bag made of cotton or woolen fabric (that is, one that does not contain artificial fibers that can melt when the temperature rises). You need to add a little stearin to the paraffin, nothing can be added to the wax. Melt the paraffin or wax in a water bath. Immerse a bag of flowers or leaves in the mass and observe the process, stirring the wax occasionally. Keep in mind that melted wax is somewhat brighter than solidified wax. finished product out of him.Finished product coloring
You can also paint a product cast from wax or paraffin. In this case, it is better to use wax crayons. Crush the crayon to make a powder, melt in a water bath. Add a little wax or paraffin (depending on the material of the product), mix. Dip the finished product into the paint and quickly remove it.Individuality in the design of your interior will always be its winning side. Nothing gives home comfort to an apartment like things made by the hands of the owners. And if until now you could not boast of such fruits of needlework, you have a great opportunity to fix it. We suggest you try to make candles with your own hands.
Candles are a wonderful souvenir that, on occasion, can decorate the atmosphere of any family holiday. Candles have long been an attribute of celebration, significant dates, romantic evenings. Yes, just to sit in silence, listen to your favorite music under the trembling of a gentle light - this is sometimes not enough.
For some, a candle is nothing more than a cute piece of decor. And there is nothing wrong with this either, such products serve as a wonderful decoration in the house. But scented candles can become a real psychotherapeutic tool: they will help create the necessary atmosphere for relaxation, take a person into the world of dreams and pleasant memories.
In addition, a candle is a wonderful gift. The warmth of your hands and the flame of a beautiful candle will best wishes close person. Candles will decorate even the most modest environment, emphasize color scheme your apartment, will become evidence of the owner's excellent taste.
Needless to say, mothers who are on parental leave can even earn extra money on such a pleasant activity. And not only mothers - everyone who is fascinated by the process of creating a candle. And those who wish to acquire such man-made beauty, be sure, there will be.
So, we have many reasons to finally start our creative process. But to make a candle, we need to stock up on certain materials and tools.
Materials for making candles
Indeed, how to make candles with your own hands without special materials? In our work we will need:
- Vessel for melting wax
- Candle molds
- Saucepan (for a water bath)
- Sticks (the first is to fasten the wick, the second is to stir the wax)
- Decorative elements to decorate the product
- Wax crayons
- Household candles or stubs of old candles
- Paper threads (cotton 100%)
All this will help us create, if not a wax masterpiece, then a beautiful original candle. So let's get started!
Candle wick
Now we have to learn how to make a candle wick with our own hands. We make a gel, paraffin or wax candle, in any case, we will need a wick. In order to make it, we need a natural cotton thread without any impurities. Alternatively, take colored floss as a wick. Looks very cute and unusual.
The thickness and texture of the wick depend primarily on the thickness of that part of the candle that should burn through. For example, there are candles, partly consisting of combustible materials. Only the core burns in them.
For those who are going to cast a candle from wax, you need to take thick threads and twist them not very tightly. Paraffin and gel candles, on the contrary, need a tight weave of threads (otherwise, the wick will smoke when burning).
Wick for wax candles
Wick for gel candles
You need to be attentive to the following detail: if the candle is painted with wax crayons, small chips can clog the wick without dissolving in paraffin or wax. In general, there are a lot of nuances in this matter, be prepared for the fact that you will have to select a wick for a certain type of candle by trial and error.
If you take a very thick wick, excessive melting of the candle is possible, and this is fraught with soot. If you make a very thin wick, it will constantly go out.
There are several design options for the wick: it can be crocheted, braided, twisted with a rope. Before pouring the candle, you can impregnate the thread with wax, or you can do both filling and impregnation at the same time.
If you do not want to waste time making a wick, then use a wick from ready-made household candles.
candle mold
In this matter, your imagination plays a decisive role. You can use any plastic or metal molds that you find cute and appropriate for making candles. Don’t limit yourself to ready-made molds: yogurt packaging, cream jars, baking molds, tins, glasses or mugs that can withstand high heating temperatures can also play their role. Some even use milk tetrapak as a mold for a future candle.
Candles poured into tea cups
Candles made in egg shells
But for your first experience, it's better not to philosophize slyly: take something simple. For example, a glass of yogurt. Be sure to remove the paper label first, as it may catch fire.
We take our glass and in the middle of its bottom we pierce a hole with a thick needle - we insert a ready-made wick there. On the back of the cup, the wick must be tied with a knot. In this very place of the knot will be the top of our candle, because filling it will be “upside down”: the knot minimizes the flow of paraffin, stearin or wax through the hole we made at the bottom of the glass.
Move on. Across the glass we need to put any stick - a toothpick, brush or pencil. On it we need to tie the other end of the wick. It should be placed strictly in the center in a vertical, even position. So, you guarantee yourself that the candle will burn evenly and melt.
Candle coloring
You will get really beautiful candles on the condition that you do not forget to paint them. The easiest and most acceptable way is to color candles with simple children's wax crayons.
Do you think it would be wiser to use watercolor or gouache? Indeed, the palette of these colors is richer than the color variety of crayons. But the problem is that both gouache and watercolor are made on a water-soluble basis: these dyes are unsuitable for working with a candle. They do not mix well with wax or paraffin, they can float in them in flakes of an incomprehensible color, and then completely settle to the bottom.
The decoration of candles can and should be carried out only with fat-soluble dyes, and these are our wax crayons.
Often, many craftsmen use lipsticks or shadows in the decoration of candles. If you don't feel sorry for your makeup, please follow their example. But be sure that the scent of lipstick will soar throughout the house, which is far from always pleasant. To many, this smell may seem intrusive.
If you already undertook to make decorative candles with your own hands, it is better to use less aggressive materials. Choosing wax crayons, we dwell on the soft types of this dye. Candles made using mother-of-pearl wax crayons are especially good.
If you come across hard crayons, the procedure for melting them will be difficult. And yes, it's pretty hard to cut them. So, we chose a piece of crayon, with the help of a grater, we cut it off and added this shaving to the wax stubs. Thoroughly mixed the chips and cinders with a stick.
However, there is another coloring option. It is easy to find tableted pigments of different colors in special stores. They can be mixed with each other, dosed. Using such pigments, you will be able to make a truly unusual, bright or delicate candle. Pigments in tablets greatly expand the possibility of obtaining interesting shades.
You should not refuse to use dyes: they give the candle a unique look, create a unique pattern.
Pouring a candle
Now the wick is ready, it's time to fill. We need a regular tin can. It will have to be flattened a little to form a kind of nose. This is necessary in order to facilitate the process of pouring the molten material.
It is better to lubricate the pre-prepared form with a thin layer of dishwashing liquid or simple vegetable oil. Both of them are equally good.
We need to put the fragments of candles into the jar (the candles must be of the same quality). If we are going to make a paraffin or wax candle, you can take a saucepan or a ladle for melting, which is not a very pity. In any case, this container must be placed in the pan that will be used as a water bath. In principle, you can use whatever you want, except for glassware.
So, we fill the pot with water, boil the water, and then immerse the container with wax or paraffin there. So our material will melt.
When the material and chips are completely melted, you can start pouring the candle.
We fill the bottom of our mold with wax, let it cool. Do not rush to fill the entire mold at once, otherwise a lot of wax or paraffin may leak out through the hole in the bottom. Wax is poured in layers, what has leaked out is re-sent for remelting. When the candle is already completely filled, it must be cooled. The temperature should be at room temperature.
Many people make a mistake at this point: they try to speed up the cooling process by placing a candle in freezer. In this case, it may spread unevenly.
This is not critical if we fill the candle upside down. If you use another method, then you should leave a little wax in order to fill the recesses next to the wick. And after drying, they will definitely appear.
When the temperature of the candle already becomes equal to the temperature of the room, you need to untie the knot at the bottom of the mold. At this moment, we remove the product itself by gently pulling on the wick.
If this is not possible, the form can be cut. Or put it in the refrigerator for a minute, and then put it under hot water for a few seconds.
After that, we cut off the excess part of the wick, leaving a tip of 1 cm. If ugly seams remain from the form, they can be removed with hot water. But with these manipulations, the candle may become cloudy, its brilliance may fade. Therefore, the optimal solution would be to choose a candle shape that does not contain seams.
Do-it-yourself aroma candles
It is quite possible to make scented candles with your own hands. In particular, this is worth doing for those who are true fans of aromatherapy. In order for you to get just aroma candles, you need to add some essential oils before pouring into wax. The choice of oil depends on your taste: you can add any oils, except that you should not take pink. After all, its smell when burning will be suffocating, heavy.
It's great if the decor of the aroma candle matches the plant whose oil we use. For example, taking lavender oil as the basis for the aroma, pink or lilac dyes should prevail in the decor of the candle.
Using laurel or mint oil, it is better to decorate a candle with green shades.
Vanilla or cinnamon will go well with warm, beige-brown candle tones.
Not only oils can make your candle scented, regular coffee is a strong and pleasant scent.
In principle, it is not so difficult to achieve the fragrance of a candle. Aromatic oils are added to paraffin, wax or gel. And then the process of making an aromatic candle is no different from creating an ordinary candle.
Experimenters are advised to mix oils: an unusual bouquet of aromas is guaranteed to you. If you are afraid to “fuck up” and synthesize incongruous smells, look at perfume recipes. Follow their directions, just don't add rose oil.
Gel candles
And now let's talk about how to make gel candles with your own hands. In order for us to get gel candles, it is better to use ready-made gel wax. On packages with it, the recipe for creating candles is often written, and you can use it.
For those who are used to doing everything themselves, the following recipe can help:
- 5 g gelatin
- 2 g tannin
- 20 ml water
- 35 ml glycerin
First we need to dissolve the tannin in the glycerin during the heating process. We continue to heat, adding the remains of glycerin and gelatin to the composition. Add water to the resulting clear solution. Bring the mixture to a boil. Some turbidity of the solution should not frighten you: it will soon disappear. Until the water completely evaporates, you need to boil the solution.
Essential oil can also be added to gel candles, this does not contradict the recipe. A separate, especially pleasant process, decorating gel candles. We freely lay decorative elements at the bottom of any transparent container: beads, beads, pebbles, shells, sequins, coffee beans, dry plant stems or flowers. Then fill everything with gel transparent wax. Such a candle looks simply incredible: transparent, delicate, with a magical pattern inside.
coffee candles
Decorative candles are also easy to make. For example, you can make an original coffee candle. Decor - naturally, coffee beans. The principle of operation is as follows: a small one is inserted into a large form. Between the walls of the two forms, you need to fill in coffee beans, and then fill them with candle mass.
As soon as the mass with coffee beans has frozen, the walls need to be blown with a hot hairdryer. Thanks to this, excess paraffin will drain, the coffee beans will be clearly visible.
So the outer layer with coffee beans is ready. We put it back into the mold, fill it with paraffin / wax of a different color from the inside.
Coffee candles can be:
Sea candles can be made in the same way: instead of grains, they will contain pebbles or seashells. As an option - transparent gel candles with small pebbles or coffee beans.
Candle decoration options
How else can you decorate a candle made by yourself? The first way to give your candle originality is to use unusual, unexpected shapes. Sometimes an interesting shape can be more advantageous than even the most skillful decor. A wonderful element of candle decor is various kinds of glass coasters.
In a specialized store you can find special stickers for decoration. Or decoupage is a great way to decorate candles. By the way, it is very fashionable among professional candle makers. Most often, napkins are used as the basis for decoupage. Do not forget about safety: use a special varnish for candles.
For lovers of original decor, the following option is suitable:
Before pouring, lay out shells, pieces of dried fruit, cinnamon, seeds, dried flowers around the edges of the mold. Or let it be coffee beans in an ensemble with rhinestones and beads. But in the latter case, it would be more appropriate to talk about the decor of the finished product: we insert decorative elements into melted paraffin / wax.
An already frozen candle can be pasted over with bamboo or cinnamon sticks. You can add star anise stars or all the same coffee beans to them. It will be a beautiful decoration for aroma candles.
If you are using dried plants (or any other decorative items that can become combustible), the candle wick should be thin so that the candle only melts in the middle.
In principle, if you have the opportunity to apply for material in specialized stores, there you will acquire a lot of useful tools. For example, markers and contours are sold there, they do not burn, and during smoldering the wick melts together with wax / paraffin.
If you don't want to collect old candle stubs, use paraffin beads or candle gel. In specialized stores, you can even find ready-made wicks (with a metal holder). For floating candles, you can purchase specially formulated wax.
Today, the fantasy of a creative person is practically not constrained by anything: the prices for materials for making candles do not bite, the process is exciting and not as long as it might seem. Having once created a beautiful candle with your own hands, you are unlikely to deny yourself the pleasure of experimenting again.
And for inspiration, we invite you to watch a wonderful video master class on creating carved candles
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