Floating Candle Ideas

Floating candles make a great party decorating idea, they can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings, in water features or simply in glassware such as bowls and vases. Floating candles are also quick and easy to make. You can make them easily from scratch or you can very quickly alter a tea light candle into a floating candle.

Floating candles are one of the quickest and easiest candles to create from home. Floating candles are also fantastic from a safety perspective. Fundamentally, a candle will float when its base is smaller than its top and if its wick doesn't go completely through the candle.

There are plenty of floating candle molds available at craft stores and online at places like ebay.com and amazon.com. However, you do not have to buy molds made especially for candle making. You can use cupcake molds and even ice cube molds. These days silicone cup cake and ice molds are available in an assortment of shapes and sizes. Generally, at holiday times you come across novelty silicone trays, e.g. I saw skulls and brains at Halloween and hearts and flowers at Valentine’s Day. These make fantastic novelty floating candles. If you are planning to use your floating candles in an outdoors setting you will need to look for ones where the wick is recessed allowing it some defense against breezes.

If you make candles at home and find they do not float for very  long it may be because you have thread the wick completely through the candle. If you have pierced the base of the candle, water will manage to get through to the wick and the wick will stop burning.

When I am making floating candles for table centerpieces I don’t tend to scent them. If they are room decorations or used in an outdoor setting adding a candle scent or essential oil is a great idea, but if people will be sitting close to them in a dining setting I leave them un-scented. At a dinner party I feel it should be the fragrance of the food, not the decoration that dominates.

Centerpieces using floating candles

If you make candles at home you will find it easy to make stunning centerpieces using floating candles. Table centerpieces are generally created in large bowls, glass containers or flower vases.

A really easy centerpiece involves using a big bowl of water filled with a variety of floating candles. If there is a contrast in colors between candles and the bowl the effects is a lot more impressive. Alternatively keep the candles white and color the water using a couple of drops of food coloring. Take care when using food coloring though as it will stain if spilled.

If you have numerous thin vases of various heights you can also make a really effective display with floating candles. Even if you have very similar sized vases you can still create a fantastic effect simply by creating levels of water within the glasses. Again different colored candles can certainly make this display better.

One of the real delights whenever you make candles at home is able to alter your products to match the topic of the event. This could be as easy as the color of wax you choose. If you dinner party has a theme then extend it to your candle decorations. Sometimes I will choose my candle colors to match the flowers or the tableware or even the color of the dessert. If you simply have white candles you can still incorporate your color theme in a couple of ways.

1.       Submerge a string of beads of the theme color inside the bowl and float your candles on top. At Christmas this particular notion may very well be extended to placing colored baubles in the dish. You can also use small river pebbles or floristry rocks to complete the look of your display.

2.       Submerge plants in dish. Flowers can be real or synthetic; if you find they have a tendency to float you can weigh them down. I have used both drape weights and fishing weights to keep the flowers submerged.

3.       As already mentioned, the simplest method is to use a couple of drops of food coloring in your water and then float your white candles on top.

Flower shaped floating candles look really effective in a pool or on a pond. Floating candles may add that perfect final touch for a backyard party or family get together. If making use of the candles in a pool you will likely wish to weight the candles to prevent them moving around the pool. I recommend using lengths of fishing line together with a fishing weight or even a balloon containing sand to keep the candles from constantly drifting across the pool.

Lastly, if you haven't had time to make any floating candles you can easily alter some tea light candles to ensure they float. If you make candles from home you probably have some tea light candles around. If you, remove the tea light from its metal holder and turn it upside down you will see a metal sustainer on the base of the candle. In order to make sure water doesn't get to your wick you will have to cover the base, including the sustainer, with melted wax. Again, assuming you're making candles from home you'll have few candles put away, and can easily light one of them and drip the melted wax over the base of the tea light. Once the sustainer is covered, water will not penetrate the wick and the tea light will float.

For more great candle making ideas visit http://candlemakingskills.com you will find ideas, inspiration and a library of ‘how to’ videos for members.

Wedding Favor Candle Ideas

With today's focus on DIY projects, present day brides are interested in more of these projects being incorporated into their wedding. One great project that can be done months beforehand is making candles and candles are excellent wedding favors. They may be personalized to match the happy couple's style and therefore are a much more useful present than other popular choices out there today. Make these candles months ahead of time and store in a cool and dry place before the big event. These are the one favor that guests will make sure to use additionally they’re easy to make also.

Soy candles are a good choice as they burn cleanly and have an excellent scent throw compared to paraffin wax. Start by assembling your supplies. You will need soy wax flakes, wicks, containers, and fragrance oil. Dye can be used to make the candles into a signature color that matches the wedding theme. You will also need a selection of containers. These can be as simple as jelly jars or containers like vintage tins, miniature pots, teacups, or any other similarly unique items. A number of these are available at craft stores, but consider looking through vintage, thrift and antique shops to locate unique candle containers. Take into account that the containers do not need to match. It's possible to buy matching sets, but having different shapes and sizes is usually a fun way to add an eclectic style to your wedding.

Whenever you make candles in the home, preparation is the vital thing. Make certain that the containers are clean before beginning and then put them in rows on the counter or table. Cut the wicking material to match the depth of the container. You want to make sure the wick is straight, the very top of the wick could be tied loosely to some small wooden dowelor a kitchen skewer which rests on top of the jar. The dowel might be taped to the jar to keep it still but it is rare for dowel to move a great deal. Take into account the wick should graze the bottom of the jar, but attempt to avoid using a wick that is too short or long.

When melting the soy wax flakes, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions as waxes differ in their melt and pour temperatures. If available, put the flakes into a double boiler with a spout. This can help to eliminate spillage through the pouring and makes controlling the flow of hot wax much safer. Keep an eye on your melting wax checking its temperature doesn’t get too high. Now, you'll be able to opt to have plain, unscented candles or add fragrance and dye on the candles. Adding your personal fragrance is really a fun way to personalize the candles. Using essential oils, pick a plain scent or mix several together to create your signature scent. Lavender is usually a good choice as well as citrus and wintergreen. If you have a theme to your wedding you could include it in your scent e.g. a beach wedding in a tropical location may use lime and coconut. Also, consider using a fragrance to match the flowers in your bouquet. My bouquet had roses and lavender which perfectly suited the candles I had made.

After adding dye and fragrance, you can pour the wax in the jars and allow them to sit until the wax has hardened. Avoid disturbing the jars and ensure to keep them out of the reach of children during this process.

Now it is time to really display your creative flair - finishing the candle. Simple gift tags can be added with the wedding date, the names of the happy couple or even a simple phrase or the words ‘many thanks’. Consider cutting out circles of linen or tulle to cover the candles then tie ribbon, twine, or any other material around the mouth of the containers, before attaching the gift tags. If desired, springs of lavender or dried flowers can be added.

They're some ideas on how to make candles at home to use for wedding favors. Use the ideas here or embellish them with your own ideas. Candles are incredibly popular and fun to create as well!

Why don't I use paraffin when making candles?

As you can no doubt tell, I like to make candles from soy wax. I would like to take a minute and explain to you why that is.

Soy pillar candle

1. Soy is 100% natural. Yes, I have seen the arguments that paraffin is natural as it originates with the decomposition of organic matter. But seriously, how many of us consider petroleum to be a natural product? Paraffin is a by-product of the petroleum industry. Yes, paraffin is used in a lot of women's health and beauty products but that doesn't necessarily make it natural or good for you. Take a quick look at any cosmetic item you use and you will see an extensive list of chemical compounds. Why would you want to burn chemicals in your home? Surely a 100% natural wax is a healthier choice.
2. Soy is renewable. Soy beans can be harvested and then more grown the following season. It takes millions of years to make the petroleum necessary for the production of paraffin.
3. The use of soy beans to make wax for candle making helps local farmers in the USA and many other countries
4. Soy wax works in so many forms. You can use soy to make pillar, container and molded candles. I use to worry about using soy in silicone molds but really works well. Soy wax is softer than paraffin and it is a white wax, therefore the colors are not as vivid, but it is a great wax for making candles.
5. Soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin candles. I burn candles everyday and I am often surprised when I see other people's candles with black sooty residues around the edges. I never have black soot on my soy candles.
6. Soy candles burn slower and therefore they last longer. This makes soy candles a good economic choice as you are getting a longer burn time for your dollar.
7. Soy has an excellent scent throw. Most of us burn candles for the beautiful scent they give off around the home. Soy wax has an excellent cold and warm scent throw meaning your house will smell delicious in no time at all.

Soy Candle using Silicone Mold

As you can see, there are so many reasons why soy wax is a great decision when making candles. Soy wax is better for you, your family and the environment. You know when you use soy wax you will get great looking candles and a candle that will burn well.

Great ideas on using soy wax in candle making can be found at Candle Making Skills

Advent Candle Wreath

Do you have an Advent Candle wreath? 

I think this is one of the Christmas traditions that is losing popularity. Many people still use wreaths, generally though these are hung on their doors. My daughter taught me something new about wreaths this year. I had no idea a wreath was traditionally made from ever green boughs to symbolize ever lasting life. I did know that is was circular to show the continuous love of God and the immortality of the soul. Modern day wreaths are made of so many different items, burlap, plastic bags, candy, tinsel, paper, baubles and ribbons to name a few.

I have a few friends who light Advent candles, these are generally the ones that count down the days to Christmas much like an Advent Calendar does. Initially I thought perhaps Advent Candle Wreaths were rare because most people are unaware of the term "Advent" but then I realized the proliferation of Advent calendars refutes that argument. As a candle maker I am going to encourage the use of Advent Candle Wreaths. So what is an Advent Candle Wreath?

Generally an Advent Candle Wreath is made up of four or five candles. The four candles on the wreath are lit on the four Sundays of Advent (the 4 weeks before Christmas). Three of the candles are traditionally purple and the other is pink.

The candles represent

1. Hope - faith in God keeping his promise to the world
2. Preparation - reminding people to get ready to receive God
3. Joy - reminds us of the angels joyfully singing of Jesus' birth (the pink candle)
4. Love - a reminder that God loves the world so much he sent his Son

Often, a white candle is placed in the centre of the wreath and it is the Christ candle.

In the first week of Advent the Hope candle is lit, in the second week both the Hope and Preparation candles are lit, in the third week the Hope, Preparation and Joy candles are lit, on the last Sunday of Advent the Hope, Preparation, Joy and Love candles are lit. Lastly on Christmas day or sometimes at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve the center candle, representing Christ, is lit.

While an Advent Candle Wreath is a traditional way to remember the Advent season there are variations to this practice. Some people use a single Advent candle while others have a display of candles.