Making gel candles is a lot of fun,
and there's a lot of room for creativity ...
but, there is also a lot to it.
So, I'm going to start to cover
some of the basics here and then
continue to explore some of the
various designs that can be achieved,
as well as some tips to help you
create beautiful candles.
If you have made candles before, you will
find that candle gel is quite a bit different
to work with than wax ... so, there are some
things you'll need to get used to.
The easiest thing for me was the clean up! ...
much easier with candle gel! You may find
little pieces of gel here and there, but
overall, I think it's an easier wax to
clean up after. The other thing that is
amazing is that if something didn't go
the way you planned, that it's usually
very easy to simply remelt the gel and
begin again, something that isn't quite
as simple with regular wax.
As with wax, you want to make sure to
monitor the temperature and mix your
scent thoroughly. Your wick needs to
be centered in the container if you
are making a container gel candle.
There are three densities of candle
gel ... light, medium, and high ...
the light and medium are used in
container candles and the high density
can be used for free-standing candles.
For now, I will be writing about gel
container candles and hopefully do
my own exploring in the future in
regard to free-standing gel candles,
as I have only made container candles.
Also, the topic of wax embellishments
or embedded objects or wax shapes will
topics I plan to cover in another post.
Your glassware needs to be of good
quality (thin glassware can shatter),
and your wicking and scent need to
be gel-compatible. In regard to the
wick, this means that it should have
a wire core so it will stand on its
own. There are some special gel wicks
available, which I am personally not
familiar with, as I have always used
a zinc core wicking ... one which has
not been coated with any wax.
When I first began making gel candles,
there wasn't a lot of information
out about them and I tried using
pre-waxed zinc core wicks only to
find that the wax that the wick has
been dipped in could cloud the gel.
So, I soon switched to a non-coated
wick ... only to find that once the
gel was poured, the fibers in the wick
released foamy bubbles! So, now,
I use zinc core wicks which I dip in
gel prior to securing in the bottom
of the container. I simply dip the
wick in some melted gel and allow it
to cool for a few minutes.
This prevents the bubbling.
Wicking in gel candles needs to
be secured (mounted) to the bottom
of the glass with a wick tab.
You may use the common methods for
securing a wick as with wax container
candles, but, with candle gel, you
may use the gel as your "glue" by
dipping the wick tab into hot gel
(must be hot) and immediately
centering your wick and tab in the
bottom of your glass, pressing
lightly with a metal pick (poultry
lacer works well) ... first on one
side of the tab, then on the other
to give even pressure and then allow
it to sit until cooled ... it should
form a suction with the glass.
Check it by tugging (VERY gently)
on the wick to see if it is secure.
For a safety measure, there is
another note about wicks and tabs ...
a wick tab with a longer neck is often
preferred. A shorter neck will allow
a candle to burn to the bottom of a
container ... if you have a long
stem or neck on the wick tab, the
candle will cease to burn when it
reaches the metal. In some designs,
a longer stem is not needed as there
may be something else there that will
prevent the candle from burning to
the bottom, such as in seascape gel
candles where there is sand in the
bottom of the container, etc.
For a candle scent to be compatible
with gel, it should be a "non-polar"
scent ... the practical description
of this means that it will not sink
down through the gel and concentrate
at the bottom of your candle as a
"polar" scent will. Instead, it
blends with your gel and remains
suspended within it so it is evenly
dispersed throughout the life of
the candle. A concentration of
scented oil in the bottom of the
container can ignite when the
candle burns down to the bottom.
With a non-polar scent, the scent
burns evenly along with the candle
and there is no concentration of
oil at the bottom of the candle.
(Polar scents are fine for other
types of harder waxes.)
Also, most polar scents will
cloud the gel and non-polar
scents will not. Most suppliers
can tell you if a scent is
"gel safe" ... if they can't,
or if you have a scent and you
aren't sure if it is or not,
there is a way to test it,
which I will describe later.
As for colorants ... I have always
used liquid dyes in my gel candles
for optimum clarity. Some people
use powders, which I have not tried
in gel, although I have a feeling
that you have more control with
liquid dyes. As for color blocks ...
colored wax, I know that some folks
suggest using this and many may do
so with success, but it is my
experience that these blocks are
wax with liquid dye mixed in and
the wax can somewhat cloud the gel,
or at least make it not as crystal
clear. Since over-coloring can be
a real issue and too easy to do,
it's important to only add a little
at a time and do a "drop test" ...
pour a small amount of gel out
onto a plate, allow it to cool down
a bit and roll it into a ball or
a clump and see what the color
looks like ... often times, the
color may appear lighter in the
melting pot than in reality when
it's gets into the container.
These are primarily the basics of
what you will need to know before
getting started, besides the safety
precautions I have already posted.
Melting pots and some other issues
have not yet been covered ... but
we're getting there!
You may find that my "lesson plan"
here is one that starts in the
center and works its way outward ...
it's not a "step by step" ... if you
have a true interest in making gel
candles, then you will want to know
some of the dynamics ... and if you
are a creative person, it's my belief
that an understanding of what you are
working with will serve you better
than a step by step plan.
Speaking of "step by step" ...
there are plenty of them around and
I have recently read a few of them
to see what is available on the
Internet for beginners to read.
My advice, is probably to get a
good book, which I will start to
take a look at as time goes on,
as there are many websites which
offer a lot of half-knowledge, which,
when it comes to candle making, can
be dangerous. I'm going to explore
some of these next to share them ...
if you are a beginner, you will want
to know how to identify the bad
information. After reading some
good overall basics and having
an understanding of what you are
working with, then, some "steps"
are certainly in order, but it's
nice to have an understanding before
taking those steps.
It's almost ten years since I saw
my first bag of candle gel and when
I got it, it stayed in the bag with
me looking at it and touching it now
and then before I got up enough courage
to melt it and try to make a candle
with it! It seemed to strange to me!
Now, there is shared information to
read ahead of time, but back then,
there was little to nothing to go on.
Hopefully, for beginners reading some
of this material, they won't need to
poke at their gel for so long before
trying it out and making a candle!
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