Excerpted
from the book
by
C. Kaila Westerman (Published by Storey Books)
Candle
gel is the hottest new product in candle crafting. This new product
(95% mineral oil, 5% resin) is transparent, is extremely easy to
clean up, and has a significantly longer burning time than
traditional waxes. In the book Gel Candles, 40 Creative Projects,
Author Kaila Westerman gives the basics of gel candle crafting in ten
easy steps, then explores the endless possibilities for creating
special effects and embediments such as glass, botanicals, shells,
stones, and pieces of solid paraffin candle wax. Readers can create
candles that look like rainbows, aquariums, seascapes, playful sodas
and other drinks, and more. Since gel candles cannot stand alone,
each design is enhanced by wonderful whimsical, vintage, or even
sophisticated containers.
Follow
the 10 Easy Steps Wth These Variations
Pouring
a Martini - When using martini, margarita, and other types of
glasses with narrow bases, string glass beads along the wick so the
gel doesn’t burn down to the bottom and become a fire hazard
(see page 19 for more information). Scent and color the candle gel.
Set the swizzle stick in the glass, then pour in the gel.
Making
Wine and Margaritas - For wine, margaritas, and other drinks
that have no natural carbonation, remove bubbles from the gel with
the heat technique. To finish off a margarita, wait until the candle
is completely cool. Then, run a thin bead of glue around the rim of
the glass and immediately dip it into a plate of salt.
Gel
candle crafting is far simpler and less messy than candlemaking with
traditional waxes. Gel is easy to handle — you just cut it with
scissors or tear it with your hands. Unlike paraffin wax, which turns
a lighter shade as it dries, candle gel is easy to color with candle
dyes — what you see is what you get.
No matter which
candle project you make, the basic steps are always the same; you
simply vary the colors, scents, containers, and embedments. Once
you’ve learned the 10 easy steps of gel candle crafting,
you’ll be ready to tackle the simple projects in the next
chapter and then the more complicated projects that follow.
What
is Candle Gel? Candle gel is not a wax. Like paraffin, it is made
from hydrocarbons, but rather than being solid and white, candle gel
has a soft, gelatin-like consistency and is crystal clear.
Candle gel has two
big advantages over traditional paraffin waxes. First, the gel burns
three to four times longer than paraffin, making it more
cost-effective. Second, the gel is transparent, which allows the
crafter to create some really fabulous designs that look completely
different than those of traditional wax candles.
Most candle gel
products have one important limitation, however. Since they are not
solid like paraffin wax, they can’t stand alone as a taper or
pillar candle. Instead, they are usually cast into some type of
container. This isn’t really a drawback, though, as selecting
and decorating the containers is a fun part of gel candle design.
Project: Martini
Glass Gel Candles
Excerpted
from the book Gel
Candles: 40 Creative Projects
by
C. Kaila Westerman
This
project is a fun way to use interesting glasses with classic shapes.
Glass swizzle sticks, which add a nice retro flair, are available in
unique and eclectic designs. This project uses martini glasses, but
you can make drink-theme candles in wine, margarita, and cocktail
glasses, as well.
Gel candle
crafting can be done in 10 easy steps. You may find that you wish to
change the order in which you do things or even skip some of the
steps, depending on your project or personal preferences. However, if
you are new to gel candle crafting, follow the order of these 10
steps until you feel comfortable with the process.
Set
Up the Workspace
Assemble your
materials and cover your work surface with newspaper.
Prepare the Container
Wash your
container with soap and water and dry it thoroughly with a lint-free
cloth. If you wish, wipe the inside and the outside with some rubbing
alcohol, vinegar, or commercial glass cleaner to remove fingerprints
and the last bit of soapy residue.
Set the Wick
Your choice of
wick is very important to your success at crafting a safe and evenly
burning candle. Once you have chosen the proper wick, trim it so that
it stands about 1 inch higher than the mouth of the container. If it
is too short or too long, you’ll find it hard to keep it in
place while the gel cools. Next, straighten the wick out with your
fingers. If the wick isn’t straight, your candle will burn off
center as it follows the wick’s curve.
Also, since you
are working with a transparent medium, people will see that the wick
is not straight and the candle may look odd. Finally, set the wick in
the container by using one of the following methods:
Use fast-setting
clear epoxy glue to adhere the wick to the bottom of the container.
Make sure the glue is completely dry and hard before you pour in the
melted gel, or the glue will contaminate the gel and make it appear cloudy.
Use Sticky Wicky
or a bit of clay to adhere the wick to the bottom of the container.
Use these products sparingly, though, as they can contaminate the
clarity of the gel.
Pour a little
melted candle gel into the bottom of the container and then quickly
set the wick on top. This method is the easiest and fastest, but
it’ s also the least stable, so be careful to not knock the wick
out of place as you move on to the next steps. After you pour in the
hot gel, you’ll need to make sure that the top of the wick stays
centered in the candle. The easiest way to do this is to place two
skewers, chopsticks, or pencils in an X shape across the top of the
container and prop the wick in one corner to keep it straight as the
gel cools. Once the gel is almost cool, gently tug the wick straight.
Melt the Gel
Candle gel is
usually packaged in a tub of some sort. Tear it out with your fingers
or cut it out with a knife or scissors. Melt enough gel to fill the
container to the top, less 1/4 inch for headroom. You can estimate
this amount by eyeballing the container and comparing it to the
amount of gel in your melting pot, but if you do, be sure to
overestimate. If you underfill the container and then top it off with
another batch of melted gel, you will end up with a visible line
where the two separate pours meet.
Rather than
estimating the quantity of gel you will need for a container, it
’s better to measure the amount precisely. Simply fill the
container with water, stopping 1/4 inch from the top. Pour the water
into a measuring cup to figure out how much gel you will need. Be
sure to dry the container carefully before pouring in the melted gel.
After you
determine how much gel you need, cut or tear the gel into small
pieces about 1/2 inch across and put the pieces into the pot. If you
drop one large chunk of candle gel into the pot, it will take longer
to melt and parts of it will get very hot before other parts have
even begun to liquefy. This creates a fire hazard and forces you to
stir more frequently. More stirring will create more bubbles in the
final candle. If you are working with direct heat on the stovetop,
set the temperature to medium-low. If you are using an enclosed
heating device, such as a freestanding electric pot, set the
temperature control to 200–225°F. Leave the container
uncovered; otherwise, steam will rise to the lid and then condense
back down onto the candle gel, resulting in a candle that burns
poorly and contains excessive bubbles.
Using a
thermometer, heat the gel until it is 190–225°F. How hot
you make the gel depends on the density of the gel and on your
project. A good general temperature is 200°F. At this
temperature, fragrances and colors will blend well. You can heat the
gel up to 225°F if you want to reduce the amount bubbles but,
for safety, don’t exceed 225°F.
Add Fragrance
Add about 1/2
ounce of fragrance per 16 ounces of candle gel, or 1 tablespoon per 2
cups of gel. If you add too much fragrance oil, you will we taken the
gel and make it mushy. Also, completely stir the fragrance into the
gel or it will be trapped in the cooled candle as little hot spots of
flammable matter, creating a fire hazard.
Add Color
The uniqueness of
candle gel lies in its clarity, so your candle will be beautiful even
when it is crystal clear. There are also dyes specifically formulated
for use with candle gel. However, most of the candle colorants on the
market are made to color traditional opaque candles, which require
more dye than transparent candles do in order to achieve a medium
shade. While just one drop of concentrated liquid candle color may be
fine for a pound of paraffin wax, it can overpower a pound of candle gel.
I strongly suggest
that before you begin your adventure into gel candle crafting, you
take the time to make up some color nuggets by blending a little
colorant with candle gel. You will then be able to tear off pieces of
less concentrated color to add to the melting gel.
Position Embedments
Candle gel by
itself is very pretty. But part of the fun of gel candle crafting is
to tell a story or create a montage with various embedments and
decorations, such as glass animals, beads, shells, sand, and the like.
Pour the Gel
and Let it Cool
Do
not pour the melted gel all the way to the top of the container.
Leave about 1/4 inch of space between the top of the gel and the top
of the container. How you pour the gel into the container determines
the amount of bubbles in the finished candle. Think of it like
pouring beer or soda into a glass — if you tilt the glass to
meet the bottle as you pour, there will be less foam. If you pour the
liquid straight from the top, there will be more foam.
In a similar way,
if you carefully tilt the container as you pour the gel in, you will
reduce the amount of bubbles. If you pour the gel without tilting the
container, you will produce more bubbles.
Finish the
Candle and Attach a Warning Label
Once the candle
has fully cooled, trim the wick to 1/4 inch. Carefully wipe down the
container to remove any spills or fingerprints. Use an oven, a heat
gun, a blow dryer, or a heat lamp to polish the surface of the candle
and create a more finished appearance.
Don’t forget
that any candle you give away or sell should come with a warning
label. Many people take candles for granted and forget that candles
are a small source of fire, and therefore potentially hazardous.
Please remind them.
Clean Up
Cleaning
up is simple if you let the extra bit of melted gel in the pot, the
pouring cups, and the other utensils cool. When the gel is cool, you
can simply peel it out of a container or off a tool. Put the scraps
in a covered container to use in your next project. Then wash all the
utensils with soap and water. Some people use the same utensils for
cooking later, but I recommend that you dedicate them to candle
crafting only.
Fire Safety
Candle gel is
flammable. For your safety, carefully read and follow these tips.
• Don’t
melt the gel over high heat or heat it to more than 225°F. If
the gel begins to smoke, it’s getting dangerously hot.
• If a fire
does break out, do not try to put it out with water. Water can make
the hot gel splatter and burn your skin. Instead, use a fire
extinguisher or smother the flame with a metal pan or lid.
Alternatively, throw baking soda on the flame or cover it with a damp cloth.
• Never leave
melting candle gel unattended. If you are going to be distracted for
even a short time, turn the heat off and return to your project when
you can be more focused.
• If hot
candle gel splashes onto your skin, flush it immediately with cold
water to reduce the risk of a burn.
• Do not pour
melted candle gel down the sink. Avoid getting solid bits of candle
gel into your drainpipes, too. Candle gel will most definitely cause
plumbing problems.
• Always
attach a warning label to candles that you give away or sell.
Ready for more
gorgeous gel candle projects like this? You'll find oodles more in
the book Gel Candles:40
Creative Projects. Price: $10.47.
Pouring
a Martini - When using martini, margarita, and other types of
glasses with narrow bases, string glass beads along the wick so the
gel doesn’t burn down to the bottom and become a fire hazard
(see page 19 for more information). Scent and color the candle gel.
Set the swizzle stick in the glass, then pour in the gel.
Set
Up the Workspace
Do
not pour the melted gel all the way to the top of the container.
Leave about 1/4 inch of space between the top of the gel and the top
of the container. How you pour the gel into the container determines
the amount of bubbles in the finished candle. Think of it like
pouring beer or soda into a glass — if you tilt the glass to
meet the bottle as you pour, there will be less foam. If you pour the
liquid straight from the top, there will be more foam.
Cleaning
up is simple if you let the extra bit of melted gel in the pot, the
pouring cups, and the other utensils cool. When the gel is cool, you
can simply peel it out of a container or off a tool. Put the scraps
in a covered container to use in your next project. Then wash all the
utensils with soap and water. Some people use the same utensils for
cooking later, but I recommend that you dedicate them to candle
crafting only.
