Candle Making Class

Creative Arts
#1

A while back Nicole asked if we knew of anyone to teach candle making. I’ve made my fair share of them over the years and would be willing to bring in my molds and tools if anyone is interested. They are relatively easy to make and can be a lot of fun.

There are essentially three major types, not including the oil types, which are soy, paraffin and beeswax. Nicole @uglyknees tells me we have a few molds and some soy remaining from the Rhodes candle making extravaganza. I usually heat my wax in a large broiler in either tin cans or other metal pots. Then I pour it into molds.

There are a lot of different types of molds, fragrances, additives, techniques and materials which are possible with candle making.

You can also slow dip and make tapers if you like.

If you are interested in such a class please email me [email protected], IM or just post here in talk.

#2

We have several scents and colors leftover from the festival 'de la Rhodes but I’m not exactly sure the quantity nor type. Not many containers or molds but we have some.

We have the large black warming tray that worked semi-well (it was slow) to melt the wax.
The room never smelt so good as the day we attacked it with synthetic good smells.

#3

In my young hippy days of the 60’s making candles was a big deal. We use to get the paper labels off the items, use the container as a mold, then put the label back on after getting hid of the glass. Favorite was an Ovaltine “jar”.

This would be a great class to Segway into or from Val Curry’s mold making class.

#4

I used to pour a lot of candles into cheap on the rocks glasses from the thrift store. I would use them a lot like votives.

I may also have some colors and scents. Don’t know how good they are, I have used them in 10-15 years

#5

I’ll set up a candle class for October. Everybody can bring their candle making supplies, molds, scents, wax, old candles they want to melt down and anything else they want to experiment with. I’ll teach a class on how to make a candle, or at least how I’ve done it, and then we can swap experiences on past “hippy” days or “Val Curry’s” molds etc.

The idea is to learn some about candle making, have some fun and have a social experience, too.

We can use some of the soy from the previous candle making and I’ll bring some of the candle supplies that I have. We will then donate a couple of bucks to CA to cover the cost of materials.

Any takers? I won’t set up an eventbrite but you can email me if you are interested in attending.

I’ll likely set this up for a Monday or Wednesday night, however, if you are interested in a different night during the week please let me know. I shy away from the weekends only because there are so many other activities going on, but if this is preferred we can schedule a class for then, too.

I have not yet schedule a class date.

Comments welcome,

2 Likes
#6

I have some fragrance oils that I could donate to the class if you are interested. I could leave them in CA room. Just let me know!

2 Likes
#7

You can bring up the supplies anytime or I can notify you when the class is. I haven’t scheduled it yet as I’m gauging interest. It will likely be the week of the 19th.

#8

Depending on the day I am very interested.

I am most interested in the soy candles.

Thanks so much!

#9

Joyce,

What day would work best? I’m pretty flexible.

#10

Most evenings and weekends are not a problem but I will be mostly unavailable from the 12th through the 19th. After the 19th is fine.

Looking forward to it!

#11

I will most likely be up there next weekend so I will drop them off then.

#12

I’d be interested in learning about candle making as well! Never done it before or have any molds/scents to contribute, but would gladly pitch in a couple bucks to cover materials :smile: Mondays or Wednesdays evenings around 7ish or later work for me (except this Wed Oct 7th). Thanks for offering this class!

#13

After taking the candle class folks may want to take Val Curry’s mold making class for some of you designs, maybe even made on the 3D printer or in Foundry (lots of cross-maker potential here)

2 Likes
#14

I’ve scheduled a candle making class for October 21st at 7:00PM. Anyone can come to the class, but if you want to make a candle please bring $5 to class. (To pay for materials) I’m going to bring a number of molds, some paraffin and beeswax, wicks, colors and scents.

If you have any old candles you want to remelt, paraffin (like you would seal your jars with when canning) or anything you’d like to put into a candle please feel free to bring it.

My overall objective is to have a little fun making something that has been around for thousands of years since about 3000 BC when the Egyptians formed a true candle out of beeswax.

Below is the general outline of the class but we can modify the class based upon people’s interests and things that you bring to class.

  1. Introductions
  2. What is candlemaking? A little history of why it is an important part of culture.
  3. Introduction to tools, materials and methods for making candles.
    a. Wax types - soy, paraffin and beeswax (discussion of bayberry and other waxes).
    b. Coloring a candle
    c. Molds - what kinds and how to use them
    d. Wicks and scents - how to wick a candle and when to put the scents in for the best effect
    e. Pouring a candle.
    f. Cooling and extracting a candle
    g. Treatments and extras for candle making
  4. Demonstration of making a candle.
  5. Students to make candles.
5 Likes
#15

Dang it…I was hoping for a candle class, but my Tues & Wed nights are booked for a while. Hopefully, it will be a RAGING success and we can do it again!

#16

@coloneldan I left a box of fragrance oils in the CA room for you this afternoon for the class, on the back table, by the ironing board (there is a note on it that it’s for the class).

It’s a random smattering of scents…feel free to use them for the class, or people can take them home after the class to experiment at home making candles.

3 Likes
#17

Thank you so much for the fragrances. We used them in the class this evening and everyone loved them. The contribution is most appreciated. We put them back into the same area as the other candle making materials.

2 Likes
#18

We had a great class last week. I appreciate the donations and the support for the class. We had a lot of fun melting the soy and paraffin waxes. Almost everyone made three candles: soy in the tin, paraffin wax in the soda can and wax crystals in the jars that I brought for the purpose.

If there is interest I’m happy to teach another class where we take a little longer to make various candles. We can bring ice to make the cure time shorter, too.

As a set of short takeaways from the class here are some candle making tips:

  1. Be sure to add the fragrance right before pouring
  2. When pouring the wax be sure to pour at the lowest possible temperature that will not cause defects in the candle (air bubbles, frost marks).
  3. Only use quality fragrances.
  4. Be sure the wick is sized properly and not too large or small for the application.
  5. Since you have worked with the fragrances in the most concentrated form have someone else outside of where the candle was poured do the evaluation on the fragrance throw.

I made another half a dozen or so at home this weekend from “recycled” candles. This is one of the most interesting ways to re-purpose candle wax. Simply melt old candles, which have been disfigured through use, into new candles.

Perhaps if people have candles that they no longer are able to burn could bring them to the CA room we could use them for the next class. I’m not asking people to do this, but instead asking what the interest is in doing so?

#19

If you have wicks, old on the rocks glasses make good things to pour candles into. I have also used yougurt containers. Cut the small end off, put the lid on and it is easy to slip the candle out of.

Many years ago, most SCA feasts were only lit by candle light, and I kept a supply I could loan to newcomers or someone that forgot theirs.