Learn how to turn household items into candle molds.
Making candles is fast becoming a popular hobby. It is fairly simple to do and a cheap way to stock your home with candles. Candle molds can actually be found almost anywhere and a quick look around the house can produce some good ones. With a little creativity almost anything can become a candle mold and help save a little cash when buying supplies.
There are some general things you must know before you choose a household item for a candle mold. Below is a list that will help you rule out any item that can not be used. It also includes some helpful examples.
-Wax is melted at around 200 degrees F and will still be quite hot when it is ready to pour into the molds. In fact the best temperature to pour the candles at is 180 degrees F. The item you choose should be able to withstand the temperature of the wax. Metal containers are ideal, such as empty soup cans.
-The wick can always be placed after the candle has cooled by drilling a hole with a thin drill bit and inserting the wick. The area around the wick is then filled in with more wax. So if you find an item that will look great, but can't figure out how to get the wick in or in straight, it may not be a problem. For example a large shell collected from the beach would look great as a candle, but only if it was sat with the flat side down so the textured part is showing. When adding the wick after hardening, though, be careful not to lose the textured look when adding the filler wax along the wick.
-The mold should be fairly smooth and can not be larger at the bottom than at the top or removing the candle from the mold will be difficult. A clay flower pot with bottom hole plugged works great for candles and has a nice tapered shape. A cup that is made larger in the middle than on the top or bottom would not work because the candle would be unable to slide out. Something with slight detail (like a sundae dish) may work, but may need help when taking out of the mold. In a case like this run boiling water over the mold to loosen.
- The item chosen to be a mold needs to sit flat and sturdy. This is important so the finished candle is even and the wick is straight. For some items you can make a bottom, like cookie cutters. Simply make a foil bottom and leave setting still until wax has hardened.
With these main concerns in mind, you can know take a look around the house and find mold ideas in each room. Take a look at some examples from different rooms of the house:
Kitchen: The kitchen is probably the place where most molds can be found. A good use for old cookware is as a candle mold. Muffin tins, measuring cups, bowls, cups, anything that fits the criteria can be used. Just remember that once it is used for candle making you should not reuse it for food.
Recycling bin: It's always great to recycle and now it's easy to turn those old things into new candle molds. Any old container, like old juice concentrate containers will work as a mold that can be ripped off after use. Even old plastic bottles with their tops cut off can work.
Attic: Old items can be brought back to life as a candle mold. Old light globes can become a candle mold with the addition of a foil bottom. Dried gourds can be cut open to become a mold.
Using household items as candle molds is fairly easy if you remember the general rules about what candle molds. If you try something and it doesn't work out, don't worry, just re-melt the wax and try again. Do not forget that while store bought molds often come with a non-stick coating, homemade molds do not, so spray the molds with a cooking spray or coat with oil before pouring the wax. Follow the general ideas given here and open your eyes to the use of household items as candle molds.
