Stylish and well-executed interior decor speaks of the excellent sense of taste of the owners, and the original decor with hand-made candles emphasizes the individuality of the home.
Today you will learn how to make a candle yourself, spending a minimum of time and money.
All that is required from you is just desire! In this article we will talk not only about all the stages and subtleties of creating a candle, but also consider some ideas for decorating candles that will delight the eyes of both hosts and guests.
Making candles with your own hands
It may be hard to believe, but making and decorating candles with your own hands does not require any expensive or rare materials.
We will use only what is in the arsenal of any housewife. So, for work we will need:
- A vessel in which we will melt the wax;
- Any shapes for candles;
- A large container with which we will make a water bath;
- Wooden sticks (2 pcs.);
- Various details for decorating finished candles (lace, beads, shells, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans);
- Any wax pencils (crayons will do);
- If available, use the stubs of used candles; if not, use regular paraffin candles;
- Paper yarn (cotton threads).
This is all that will be useful to us in creating our own wax candle. Who knows, what if we end up with a real decorative miracle?
Romance of New Year's Eve
New Year's holidays are conducive to creating a warm, romantic atmosphere in the house, and candles do an excellent job of this task. You can decorate them using the decoupage technique - then an ordinary white candle will turn into a fabulous one.
You need to prepare:
- a pillar candle, preferably a large, wide one;
- decoupage napkin with a New Year or winter theme;
- decoupage varnish.
The simplest is the cold method, when a napkin is placed on a candle and simply smoothed gently over the surface, without leaving a single air bubble under the napkin. The top of the candle is varnished.
Another option is to place the elements of the napkin on the candle, cover it with wax paper, then lightly heat the candle with a hairdryer.
You can decorate a candle using natural elements, using burlap, tree branches, dried berries, cinnamon sticks. Relatives and friends will be happy with such a gift not only for the New Year, because candles - a symbol of warmth and family happiness - are appropriate in any home all year round.
See also: DIY flower pot decor
Selecting the shape for the future candle
Let's start with the good news - there are no restrictions or strict rules in this matter. Your imagination will have plenty of room to run wild!
The most convenient are ready-made silicone molds, but if you decide to do everything yourself, you can easily use improvised materials. Yogurt boxes, tin cans, plastic cups are all perfect for making candles at home.
For example, let's take a plastic cup from your favorite yogurt. At the bottom, in the middle, you need to make a hole with a thick needle - this will be the place where we will insert the pre-prepared wick.
Wax molds
You won’t be surprised by simple candles in jars. The consumer demands an unusual shape that is suitable for a holiday. For example, on March 8, flower shapes are selling well, and on February 23, tanks and grenades were in demand. Master classes on making candles will help you organize your work correctly. What can you think of:
- The easiest option is to order ready-made silicone molds from China. Cheap, large selection, the cost of candles will be minimal, but there is a significant drawback - a long wait.
- You can purchase molds at your local craft store, but their prices are quite high.
- You can use baking dishes.
Of course, it is best to find a wholesale supplier and purchase different wax molds.
Let's give the candles some color
If you just wanted to learn the technology of making candles at home, then this step could be omitted. If you need unique candles to decorate your room, don’t neglect coloring.
For this purpose we will take children's colored wax crayons. They are the best option because... do not dissolve in water, mix well with paraffin and will not “delight” you with a surprise in the form of an incomprehensible sediment at the bottom.
The technology for adding color to a candle is very simple: you just need to select a piece of chalk of the desired color and grate it. Mix the resulting shavings with cinders using a wooden stick and send to melt. This seemingly simple process plays a big role in decorating candles and should not be skipped.
Benefits of beeswax
Beeswax candles are extremely difficult to find. Their cost is several times higher than the usual options, so it is most profitable to sell them. What you can specify:
- Bee has a pleasant smell.
- It has beneficial fumes when melted, which have a good effect on the body.
You can find beeswax in apiaries or on the city notice board.
Decorative candles for every smell and taste
In addition to regular paraffin or wax candles, you can try to make more original options:
Gel candles. Making them yourself will not be difficult, because the recipe is already written on the packages of gel wax - use it! A much more interesting process is decorating gel candles. Any decorations that you like are laid out on the bottom of the mold, and then everything is filled with gel wax. The effect is simply incredible!
Aroma candles. As you know, hand-made candles not only have an aesthetic function, but are also able to exude the favorite aroma of the owners of the house. Add a drop of aromatic oil to the candle base, and you can arrange a whole aromatherapy session at home!
The interior of the entire room depends on the correct decoration of candles. If you want to make the design of the room truly original, photos of the decor of candles made and decorated with your own hands will help you with this.
Choose the option that you like, listen to yourself, experiment, create and you will definitely be able to create a real wax masterpiece.
Halloween candle decoration
Another popular theme for fall crafts is Halloween. This event should be arranged in a special mystical manner, and what could be more mysterious than the faint flicker of a candle in a dark room? Maybe a “bloody” candle like the one in the next photo.
It is very simple to do, but looks breathtaking. To make bloody streaks on a candle, you need to carefully pour melted red paraffin over its edges, as shown in the photo.
Photos of candle decor
Ideas
Maybe you will like some of the ideas presented in the article, and you will want to bring something to life.
Gel candle
Gel products look very beautiful and unusual. There can be many variations: an aquarium, New Year's balls, a product made from geometric bodies, a flower, a “glass of cognac”. It all depends on your imagination and what decor you want to use. It is important not to pile up too many decorative elements. A laconic and tastefully made product will look great.
To make any gel candle you will need:
- Glass container. It will serve as a form;
- Candle gel;
- Gel paint;
- Mineral oil;
- Reinforced wick;
- Decorative elements.
Now - the master class itself. For example, to make a sea-themed candle, we use colored sand as decoration. Place some colored sand at the bottom of the glass container. This is the bottom of the sea-ocean. Now you need mineral oil to impregnate the decor. This is necessary so that numerous bubbles do not form in the body of the future candle. Other elements of the “seabed” are also soaked in oil: pebbles, shells, etc. “Bathe” the wick in oil. Mineral oil is also present in the candle gel, so it will be visually invisible in the finished product. Place the decorative elements inside the glass vessel and secure the wick to the bottom. Now it's time to get started with the candle gel. You can melt it in a water bath or directly on the stove in a steel container. Add dye to the gel to obtain a bluish tint. Fill the decor with gel and trim the wick. The sea theme candle is ready. Do you think this is too difficult? Here's the simplest option: take regular egg shells, insert a wick, holding it with sushi chopsticks, then fill the shells with colorful gel. Any colors. Fast and beautiful!
