Need a good gift for the holidays? What about a home-made candle? Tri-color candle jars are easy to make and beautiful too!

Materials Needed:

• 2 lb of Palm 1 wax
• Pouring pitcher
• Thermometer
• Burgundy liquid dye
• EVO-12
• Apothecary jar
• RRD-50 wick
• Wooden popsicle sticks

Step 1

Add 1 lb of the Palm 1 wax into the pouring pitcher.

Step 2

Clip the thermometer onto the top of the pouring pitcher with the thermometer inside.

Step 3

Place the wax filled pouring pitcher into a large pan of boiling water. This will create a double boiler for you to heat your wax. Do not allow the water to boil dry.

NEVER HEAT WAX DIRECTLY ON A HEAT SOURCE. Heating wax on direct heat can cause the wax to overheat and possibly ignite.

Step 4

As the wax melts, monitor the temperature with the thermometer. For accuracy do not allow the bottom of the thermometer to touch the bottom or sides of the pouring pot. Tip the pouring pot until the bottom of the thermometer is covered with the liquid wax. When the wax temperature reaches 185° F add two teaspoons of the liquid EVO-12 Burgundy color and stir.

Step 5

Now you are ready to pour the first layer into the Apothecary jar. Monitor the temperature making sure it is at the pouring temperature of 180° F. Pour the first layer of colored wax into your jar to a height of 1”. After approximately 5 minutes place the RRD-50 wick into the jar. Make sure the wick tab is centered on the bottom of the container. The hot wax will cause the wick to lean so use wooden popsicle sticks or wooden coffee stirrers to prevent the wick from falling toward the sides of the jar. Place the stick across the top of the jar to support the wick. Two sticks may be needed. Place the wick between each stick until it is centered.

Step 6

Allow the wax to cool for approximately 3 hours or until the layer is solid and firm.

Step 7

To prepare your second layer you will add 4 oz of Palm 1 wax to the colored wax that remains in your pour pitcher and repeat the melting and pouring process above (remember do not add any color).  We are increasing the wax amount so that the original color will decrease in intensity.

Step 8

Repeat the cooling time for the second layer.

Step 9

Last layer, add 4oz. of Palm 1 wax to the remaining wax in the pour pitcher and repeat the melt and pour processes, making sure that the pour temp is at 180° F. Repeat the cooling process.

A unique candle project sure to hypnotize buyers!

Ingredients

• Polycarb Pyramid Mold
• 6" (15 cm) – 2/0 Wick
• General Purpose Wax
• Gel Wax
• Liquid Gel Dye – Red
• Mold Release
• Mold Sealer

Instructions

STEP 1

In separate pots melt the General Purpose Wax and the Gel Wax.

STEP 2
Prepare mold by securing wick, applying Mold Sealer on the bottom and spraying the mold with Mold Release.

STEP 3
When the paraffin wax is approximately 175-200°F (80- 93°C), pour into mold. Fill the mold one-half to three-quarters full to leave room to pour the Gel Wax into your candle.

STEP 4

While the paraffin wax is cooling, prepare the Gel Wax. Add approximately two to three drops of red dye to 1/4 of a cup of Gel Wax and stir. You may want to dye your gel wax in a separate measuring cup, so that you only have to dye a small amount of your Gel Wax. Make sure the Gel Wax is quite hot before dying because you do not want it to harden before you have time to dye it and pour it into your mold. Make sure to dye your gel only after the paraffin wax has cooled for several minutes.

STEP 5
Let the paraffin wax cool until there is about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of hardened wax on the top. Puncture this skin on the wax and pour your dyed Gel Wax through the hole.

STEP 6
Let the candle cool completely, and remove it from your mold. No two candles will ever look the same, so every time you complete this project, you will make a 100% unique candle!

ALTERNATIVES
Try dying your parrafin wax before you add

your Gel Wax to the candle. Be sure to use complementary colors as the waxes will mix as they cool!

Use this swirl method as a layer in a container candle!

Add glitter to your Gel Wax before pouring,and watch the sparkle spread throughout your candle!

Before beginning to describe this project, it may be best for us to describe what a "grubby candle" might be. While you probably will not find an official definition for a grubby candle, many people use the term to refer to the look of the candle, appearing like the surface of the candle is frosted or a layer is missing.

Unlike mottling, where the finish is actually "internal" on the candle, the finish on this candle will actually impact the surface. This candle is always a favorite among candle makers since it is relatively easy to make. The level of "grubbiness" can be controlled.

Any size aluminum mold can be used for this candle. We find the most popular is the 3 x 4½. You begin this project by chilling the mold for about 10-15 minutes. You then take the 4045H wax and add about 10% stearic acid to the formulation. Melt your wax to around 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit and pour it into the chilled mold as any standard pillar. Top off where needed and remove from the mold when the candle has completely hardened. Due to the peeling of the wax, the candle may have to be placed in the freezer for removal.

 

A big part of Candlewic's manufacturing capacity is making all of our Pre-Wick Assemblies. This is the process where we take the raw wick, wax it and then put it in the Wick Sustainer machine. This machine can cut the wick to any length from 1" up to a height of 9". The machines can run 15mm, 20 mm and even 33mm clips.

Order custom candle wicks.

We previously posted 5 Luminary Candle-Making Secrets, but did you know just how easy it is to make a luminary candle? I'll show you in 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Select a votive to use. For making this project you can use one that you made or a standard 15-hour votive.

Step 2: Fill a luminary bag with enough sand to prevent the bag from blowing away in the evening. Place the votive in the bag and light. Naturally, these candles should only be used in outdoor displays.

Step 3: Line along a driveway or a sidewalk.

Enjoy!