definition of wax
In ancient times, people used candles to obtain light and illumination. It is believed that wax was initially invented by dipping dried branches in animal fat to produce a source of light. In the Middle Ages, it was used as a means of calculating time in auctions; This is by placing pins in the candle and waiting until it melts and the pin falls, and that is the end of the time period specified for the auction. Initially, vegetable and animal fats were used to make them, and with time the candle industries evolved to include many different materials and multiple uses.
Wax making methods
There are several types of candles that can be made in different ways, including:
Rose wax
- Materials and tools required:
- Preferred type of candle. priming.
- waxy colors.
- baking paper.
- Metallic mini candle containers.
- gas stove.
- boiler.
- Work steps:
- Put the required amount of wax with the desired wax color in a kettle on the gas stove, and melt them together well.
- Pour the wax onto a baking sheet in the form of small circles resembling rose petals, making sure that their sizes are the same, approximately the size of a teaspoon.
- Once the wax begins to harden, a petal is taken and wrapped around the wick, and then the petals are wrapped around each other in the form of a rose.
- Take a small metal candle container and fill it in the melted wax, and put the rose that was made in the previous step inside it; So that when the wax hardens, the rose sticks inside it.
- Adjust the wick size and light the rose candle when needed.
Floating wax
- Required materials and tools:
- Paraffin wax.
- Aromatic oil.
- Muffin pan or tart pan.
- priming.
- dye chips.
- wooden spoon.
- Double boiler.
- Thermometer.
- gas stove.
- Cooking spray or Vaseline.
- Work steps:
- Prepare a double boiler by filling a large pot with water to a boil, and then placing a smaller pot in the middle; So that the water boils whatever is placed in the small pot.
- Put the wax in the small pot and heat it on the gas stove until it reaches a temperature of one hundred and eighty-five degrees Celsius, and put the dye chips on it while it is heating, and mix them together with the wooden spoon until the color blends well in the wax.
- Add the essential oil to the wax after it has been removed from the heat source.
- Cover the mold with cooking spray or petroleum jelly, and then pour the wax inside, making sure to distribute it evenly in all parts of the mold.
- Leave the wax to cool down a bit, then put the wick in the middle of the candle, leave it to solidify and cool, and then take it out of the molds.
- Prepare a vase filled with water and put some jewels at the bottom, and put candles so that they float on top.
Candle pillars
- Materials and tools required:
- Paraffin, soy, or beeswax wax.
- candle molds.
- olive oil or vegetable oil.
- baking paper.
- boiler.
- gas stove.
- Thermometer.
- wax tincture.
- Aromatic oil.
- priming.
- scissors.
- pencil.
- Work steps:
- Choose the mold to be poured with wax when it is ready to withstand the heat, and then grease it with a little olive or vegetable oil to facilitate removing the wax from it.
- Place the molds on baking paper to make it easier to remove and clean any wax that may spill during the making process.
- Melt the wax in a kettle on the gas stove with a low fire, and stir it until it reaches a temperature of 65.5 degrees Celsius, and the temperature must be measured with a scale.
- Add aroma and dye when all the wax is completely melted.
- Cut the wax wick along the length of the mold you want to pour the wax into, making sure to increase it five centimeters from the length of the mold.
- Tie one end of the wick from the middle of the pencil, put the pen over the edge of the mold and let the wick hang down the mold. The wick can be fixed from the bottom with tape or putty.
- Pour the wax into the mold slowly, and gently press on the mold to get rid of any air bubbles inside, wait for the wax to cool slightly and shrink in size, and pour more wax around it, leaving it until it hardens and cools completely.
- Take out the candle from the mold, remove the wick from the pencil and cut it until it is a length suitable for the size of the candle.
Decorated candle
- Materials and tools required:
- Preferred type of candle.
- Heat-tolerant molds.
- thermometer.
- priming.
- Wax dye.
- gas stove.
- Double boiler.
- Aromatic oil.
- pencil.
- Work steps:
- Cut the wax into small pieces, and then put it in the double boiler and put it on the gas stove over medium heat, stirring it from time to time.
- He took a wax wick and dipped it in some melted wax, left it to dry, and then put a little melted wax on its base and fixed it at the bottom of the mold to be placed in.
- Connect the tip of the upper wick to the center of the pencil, and place the pencil over the edge of the template; So the wick stays straight and in place while you pour the wax.
- Add wax dye after the wax has completely melted and is removed from the gas stove, wait until its temperature becomes 85 degrees Celsius and add drops of essential oil to it, and stir it well until the colors and smell mix in a consistent manner.
- Pour the wax into the mold and leave it for a whole day to dry and firm, then remove the pen from the wick, and remove the candle from the mold. It is better to put the mold in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes before removing the candle from it.
- Candle decoration:
- The first method: drawing a specific picture or decoration on a paper napkin, then wrapping it on the candle and fixing it with glue, and then placing wax paper over the paper napkin and exposing it to heat with a hair dryer, and then removing the wax paper; In this way, the decorations and graphics will stick to the candle.
- Method 2: Stick dried roses and dried fruits on the candle using glue.
Types of wax
There are many types of wax, and each has its own characteristics, including:
- Paraffin wax: It is one of the most used and common waxes at the present time, and is produced from the process of refining crude oil, and it has different melting points, which makes it suitable for making many products.
- Soy wax: It is made from soybeans, and sometimes mixed with other vegetable oils such as coconut, palm oil, beeswax, and some other types of wax such as paraffin.
- Gel wax: It is a mixture of gum and mineral oils, and it has a high degree of transparency that makes it easy to make candles, and it is usually used in the manufacture of candles that are placed in containers.
- Beeswax: is produced by bees while extracting honey from it, and it is one of the best and oldest types used in the manufacture of candles.
- Palm wax: It is made from natural palm oil, and is usually used in the manufacture of candlesticks. It is hard and dry and is sometimes mixed with soy wax to make it more solid.