Making Candles Can Make You Money

In a younger day of my life, I had many hobbies. I built model cars, planes and other types of military vehicles. I collected baseball cards, football cards, bottle caps, records, coins and even a few black eyes along the way. During my middle years I tried my hand at woodworking and carpentry, .but never quite found the knack to be all that good, in fact not good at all. Nothing in the way of hobbies has ever held my interest for too long, except that four years ago I started making candles and have been doing so ever since.

When I started, I scoured the web searching for articles on how to and what was needed. Plenty of free information for anyone having the desire to learn. While the candle making process is more complicated than simply pouring melted wax into a mold, one can create a beautiful candle at the kitchen stove following certain safety precautions. Since wax is a petroleum based product, never melt wax directly over a source of heat, using instead a double boiler method much like one would use to melt chocolate. Never leave the melting wax unattended.

Wax and wick are the components of a candle and they should compliment one another in the manufacturing of the ultimate candle. Different types of wax have different melting points and are more conducive to forming a pillar style of candle than say a votive style. Some waxes require an additive to ensure the hardening of the wax. Dyes and fragrance blocks can be added prior to pouring. Use a candy thermometer to determine the appropriate pouring temperature. Wicks come in different sizes and composition and their use is dependent upon the diameter of the mold and the style of candle. It is important that when stringing the wick into the mold, the wick remains centered to allow even burning and melting of the candle.

Initially, it is an expensive hobby with the cost of quality molds running anywhere from $15-20. A good pouring pot is necessary and the cost is around $20. Other utensils such as long handled non-stick spoons and ladles are relatively cheap at the dollar store. With proper care, these items will last for years and you can more than recoup the initial investment. Of course, a good book on the art of candle making provides instant references to technique and can contribute to your own creative ability.

My first endeavor in candle making was at "chunk candles." A 16"x11"x1" cookie sheet was first sprayed with cooking spray and melted colored wax was then slowly poured onto the sheet. As the wax hardened , yet while still pliable, I pressed different shaped cookies cutters into the wax. I also cut ½' squares with a small utility knife. When the wax hardens, the cookie figures and the squares pop right out of the pan. They can then be placed into the mold filling the mold to the top. Since it was Christmas time, I made tiny Santa Clauses, Christmas trees, angels, bells of various colors and placed them against the inside walls of the mold and over poured with either a clear wax or in some cases a colored wax. I added fragrance - pine, Christmas tree, mulberry - to match the composition of the candle. The first year I made twenty-five candles, took them to work and sold them all in a matter of hours. It then became a Christmas tradition and a lucrative hobby.

This year I tried a different approach. One household could only maintain so many Christmas candles and I had to change the marketing strategy. I discovered that acrylic paint will adhere to candles. I made several heart shaped and pillar candles of a single color and painted floral and landscape designs on one side. I was soon besieged with orders and spent every evening in January and most of February making no less than two candles per night.

Making candles can be an enjoyable hobby. You can feel the pride in your accomplishment when the beauty of your work unfolds with the finished product. And there is a sense of pleasure when you hear someone say, "That is just too beautiful to burn."