Frosted & Flower Candles

Candle making is an art that offers creative opportunities for anybody, even those who are not inclined to art. There are several ways of decorating candles aesthetically using dyes, paints and decorations such as flowers, leaves, beads, buttons,  etc. You can give unique effects by adding ice pieces, chunks of wax etc and a snowy effect by whisking up wax a bit. Here below, have given the materials needed and basic method for making a frosted candle. A ready made candle decorated with beaten wax gives a snowy effect. You can also try out the various ways in which a plain candle can be made to look spectacular.

Wax are of two types. Paraffin (a by product of oil refining) and Bee Wax (a natural product). They are usually available as blocks. Paraffin wax is also available as Cylinders or flakes. Apart from blocks, Bee wax is available in thin sheets. These sheets can be rolled with a wick inserted to make hand made candles.

Rigid and flexible candle moulds are available in craft shops or else we can use any heat resistant materials like steel, tin or aluminum as moulds for making candle. Pots, cake moulds, egg shells, cans or tins with their top part removed make good moulds.

Wax soluble dyes are available from shops to give colour to the candles. They are also available in powder form. But we can use Poster paints and wax crayons instead of Readymade wax dyes.

Materials

• A broad candle
  
• Wax – Paraffin wax or Bee wax  (or about 15 tealites)
  
• Double boiler
  
• Dry Flower sprays
  
• Dry leaves
  
• Silver Glitter

Procedure to make a Frosted Candle :

• Melt the wax in a double boiler or a bowl over a pan of simmering water, and leave it for setting. When the wax starts solidifying and looks cloudy, start whisking it with a fork. Keep whisking until it froths up into a foam, which looks like frost and it is pure white.
  
• Take your candle and start applying the foam on it immediately, before it hardens.  Try not to press it with the fork too much or you could get  its impression. You can design to make it look like a snow slope or just keep it even.
  
• Stick in a few dry flower sprays and leaves while the frost is still warm and soft, so that when the wax hardens these sprays are held firm.
  
• Sprinkle Silver glitter over it and lo you have a Frosted Candle ready for a party table.

Procedure to make a Flower Candle :

• You can make beautiful flowers with thin layers of wax. Take a flat plate, grease it and pour melted wax on the plate approximately, a layer 5mm thin. When it is half set, take a knife and cut small pieces in the shape of semi circles. Roll this pieces from one end to make a small rose flower.
  
• Place a primed wick in the middle. Make many such roses and decorate it under any other finished candle. Light shades will give the flower candles a beautiful look.
  
• We can also make green leaves with green colour wax, following the same method as the flower. Leaf shapes should be cut out from the thin layer of wax. If required, you can press veins on it with a knife and even shape the sides of the leaves by cutting it.
  

Author: Sylvia DSouza- UAE