1. If you bought your candle making supplies separately and not from a candle making kit, choose non-flammable products. Remember that you will be using heat in making it, so you have to take the necessary precautions. Also, keep a fire extinguisher handy.
2. Do not replace zinc wicks with cotton wicks; the latter can absorb the gel. Your gel candle will not burn well with these. Also, you can glue your wick to the bottom of the container to make sure that it sticks to the center. Do not trim the wick yet, leave it long enough to let it reach outside the container.
3. Cut the gel into small strips, this will aid in melting the gel faster. You can use a double boiler or a multiple cooker in melting the gel. Control the temperature. Do not leave it too high, or the candle can lose its gloss.
4. Wooden spoons should not be used for stirring the gel candle wax, as they can cause bubbles in the mixture. You do not want bubbles in your candle.
5. Once the gel becomes smooth, pour the liquid dye into the mixture. You do not need to pour a lot of the liquid dye; a small drop is all that is needed to add color to your gel candle. Gel candles pick up color more readily than other candle waxes. You can also skip pouring the dye altogether, and keep your the candle clear.
6. To make scented gel candles, you can add scents or fragrance oils ( these must be non polar and over170 flash point) to the gel mixture. They can come in low, medium and high densities. The higher the density, the more fragrance it can hold. This also holds true for embeds. You have to keep in mind though, that with a higher density gel candle, the gel will also be thicker. So, it will take a longer time for the gel to melt.
7. Prepare the container that you will be pouring the gel into. Containers used are preferably those that are made of glass, in order for the design to be displayed as well as any decorative embed. You can use flexible types molds for Gel Candles.
8. Before pouring the mixture into the container, heat it in the microwave oven for about a minute. If you want embeds to be at the bottom of the container, add these embeds before pouring the mixture into the container. Embeds are great additions to your candles. The embeds that you use can include glitter, crystals, seashells or marbles.
9. After pouring the candle and adding the embeds, trim the wick to its desired length, this is a great gel candle making tip.
Final Notes
Temperatures to remember:
Heat gel to 225°
Add fragrance and color - 200°-225°
Pouring temperature – 185°-200°
Improper or unsecured wicking using polar fragrances, adding flammable items to the gel candle, all of these go in to making a candle that can flare up and cause the glass container to break. Research, test and experiment your gel candle making.
Get your Free 10 part Mini course to making candles from the following link.
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