How To Make Gel Candles
Learning how to make gel candles is fast and easy… and has many advantages.
The most important advantage is that there are so many possibilities when it comes to creating wonderful candles with gel wax. Plus, gel candles burn more slowly than regular wax candles so they will last a little longer.
How To Make Your Candles Unique:
Of course, as you can do with all types of candle waxes, you can add color to the gel wax, even make your candle multicolored if you want, and you will be able to see all the colors because the gel is translucent.
On the other hand, in addition to the color, you can add small items or decorations (that will not melt) to the hot wax before it cools down and, thus, make your candle as unique and specially tailored to the receiver as you want. Another option is to leave out the color and just add the decorations to the wax.
When cooled, these items seem to float in the middle of the container (providing you have chosen a transparent glass container). How unique you make it depends only on your imagination.
Because other waxes end up being opaque when cooled down, it’s useless to add decorations or small items to the melted wax. Not so with the gel wax; even cooled down, it remains translucent. This ability to change the uniqueness of your gel candles because of its translucency far outweighs the limited ways one can change the uniqueness of the candle made with the other types of waxes– that is, by changing size, shape, and/or color only.
Other Ways Gel Waxes Are Different:
While gel candles can burn pretty well the same way as regular wax candles, they are made differently, and as mentioned above, the candle melts more slowly, so the candle lasts longer. The other waxes are made from refined oil, but the gel wax is made of 95% mineral oil and 5% polymer resin Strangely enough, the resin is originally a powder which when mixed with the mineral oil becomes a solid state.
Gel waxes come in three densities: high, medium, and low. The higher the density, the more fragrance it can hold. In addition, the thicker gel can better hold suspended decorations within the gel candle. The only drawbacks about working with thicker gel wax are that it takes longer to melt, and it is more difficult to pour.
Melting your Gel Wax:
You have learned that when working with the other types of candle waxes, one is wise to melt the wax in a double boiler. However, it would take an eternity to melt gel wax in a double boiler, so one must put the pot holding the gel wax directly on low heat or use something like a multi-cooker (which is somewhat like a deep fryer).
Multi-cookers are usually made of metal and have a non-sticking coating inside. The fact that each multi-cooker has its own separate heating element with a temperature dial makes it easier to adjust the temperature when melting the wax.
Caution: To avoid burning your wax, or even worse, have it burst into flames, always use a separate candle making thermometer which you can insert into the wax to make sure the wax is melting at the proper temperature
Moreover, make sure you have a chemical fire extinguisher nearby and avoid using wooden spoons which could complicate matters. Another reason to avoid using wooden spoons is that sometimes they can be the cause of bubbles appearing in your gel.
Coloring Your Melted Wax:
When working with gel wax, it is a good idea to use liquid candle dyes to change the color of the gel candle wax because the liquid candle dyes will not ruin the gel’s translucency.
Be careful with that dye, however. It takes only a very small amount of the dye to actually change the color of the wax. Even a drop of dye might be too much, so don’t be afraid to experiment by using less rather than more until you are satisfied with the color. (There is a way to test)
If you wish to have your candle burn the way it should, avoid using crayons, clothing dye, food coloring, or soap dyes in your gel candle wax. These dyes are not made for candle making.
To summarize: Using gel wax to make gel candles is getting to be popular because one can do so many variations with the gel wax. The best thing about gel candles is that you can add decorations directly to the wax so that they float within the candle. This is a clever and unique way to personalize a gift if you are making the candle for someone else … or even for yourself.
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