Candle Making Basics

Candle making today is most commonly done by large candle making manufacturers. You can buy them ready made in bulk or individual “designer” style. Why then would you want to make your own homemade candles when you can easily go out to your local mall and buy a myriad of different candles for any occasion?  What are the benefits of making your own?

Speaking from personal experience, candles make especially nice gifts that everyone loves to receive and when they are homemade with careful attention to details such as color and scent, the gift becomes all that much more meaningful.  My friends and loved ones know that I cared enough to give special attention to creating their candle. If I know their favorite color, their favorite scent or even the decor of their home, I can customize a home made candle specifically for them and they know they’re receiving a work of art. Additionally, candles made at home are less expensive then the store bought variety especially if you buy your supplies in bulk.  Just like grocery shopping, buying enough supplies to make 20 candles is much cheaper then buying 20 ready-made candles.

Although candle making has been around for centuries, no one knows exactly who were the first candle makers. It might have been the Egyptians but then again it might have been the Romans. It was certainly the Romans who are credited with making the first wick based candle.  Once upon a time, candle making was a necessity in order to have light at night although I’ve often wondered just how you could possibly read by candlelight. But now candle making is a hobby that many people enjoy or even a home based business for those who wish to pursue that path.  Candle making is also a great craft project to do with older children.

Candle making for your own personal use or to give as gifts is an extremely rewarding and easy thing to do.  Many of your local craft stores supply all of the tools you will need in order to make your own candles or if you’re not near any craft stores, the internet provides tons of resources for purchasing your supplies.  I prefer online shopping because of the leisurely nature of the experience however some people thrive on crawling through dusty craft stores where you’ll find waxes, wicks, and molds.  Due to the popularity of candle making, suppliers have also made cool things like color, decorations, and fragrance readily available for homemade candle making. The equipment required to make your own candles will surprise you at the short list of items, many of which you may already find around your own kitchen, garage or basement.

The amount of different types of candles you can make at home is almost limitless with the different fragrances, colors, and decorations available to you.  Candle making crafts takes on a whole new meaning when I’m using my own home made candles. If you’re like me, you will find that making candles at home is extremely therapeutic for calming the mind and getting your daily troubles out of focus during the time you spend creating this beautiful candles. It can be a real Zen experience for you.

Some candle making enthusiasts have gone the extra mile and have found that selling candles can be a very lucrative business.  Have you checked out how much decorative candles cost to buy retail?  You too, can take your love of the hobby and your talent and turn it into a great way to make money.  Basic business sense is all that required, buy your supplies in bulk at discount prices and make batches of candles at each session. Also you can develop special packaging to display your products attractively.  The only limit to your ability to thrive as a talented and money making candle maker is your imagination.  Consumers always love to find something new and creative with a hand-made touch. Introducing to your consumer a whole new look to candle making crafts could make you a very popular and lucrative merchant.

Now let’s get to making our beautiful candles, shall we?