Imbolc 1997 Newsletter A Quick Guide to Candle Making

Drip or Dipped Candles

Many people melt down their old candles and make new ones at this particular time of year. For those of you not familiar with candle making, here is a short introduction:

You will need:

• paraffin wax
• candle wicks
• oils and herbs (for scenting if you like)
• candle dye (expensive) or wax crayons (cheapish) for colour
• a wooden spoon
• a stick (to hang wicks over)
• old tin cans (for melting wax in)
• an old saucepan for placing the can in to melt the wax (never melt wax over direct flame, always use a "double broiler method", ie. put your can with wax in a saucepan filled with water
• old rags and bits of paper (to hold the tin and stop wax going all over your kitchen)

You will then need to:

1. Prepare your candle wicks by hanging them over a stick ready to be dipped into the wax (see diagram).

2. Place broken pieces of wax into can and place can in a saucepan that contains water.

3. The wax will take a little while to melt, when it is three-quarters melted place your crayons or herbs or oil in the mixture (a little bit of restraint needs to be exercised. eg. 2 crayons is enough for a strong colour, and only a few drops of oil is sufficient) Please only stir with a wooden spoon, and never leave hot or heating wax unattended. (A non-water based fire extinguisher or a bucket of sand nearby are really good safety practices when dealing with hot material on the stove).

4. When the mixture is melted, take your prepared "wick sticks" and dip them in the mixture (you may like to add a weight to the bottom of your wicks to stop them floating in the early stages of the dipping process).

5. Allow the early layers to dry a bit before continuing, and then dip, and dip and dip until your candles have reached the desired thickness.

6. The bottoms can be trimmed up with a knife or by heating the bottom and pressing firmly onto a flat surface.

Rolled Candles

This method of making candles is by far and away the easiest!

You need:

• sheets of beeswax
• candle wicks
• a hairdryer or heater

Essentially all you need to do, is warm (not melt!), the sheet of beeswax, place the wick at the left edge and roll! You can trim up the edges with a pair of scissors, or warm the bottom and press on a flat surface. It's as easy as that!

Grow your own

The herb Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) was traditionally used centuries ago to make the wicks for candles. Mullein is a tall straight plant with a hard stem. When the plant became mature the stem was cut and the hard outer stem was removed (watch out for itchy hairs!). The stringy cords were removed from the middle, twisted, tied at the top and bottom and them a weight was placed on the bottom and hung up to dry. This then became the wick for ancient candles.

Mrs M. Grieve in her book A Modern Herbal explains the ancient use thus:

"The down on the leaves and stem makes excellent tinder when quite dry, readily igniting in the slightest spark, and was, before the introduction of cotton, used for lamp wicks, hence another of the old names: 'Candlewick Plant'. An old superstition existed that witches in their incantations used lamps and candles provided with wicks of this sort, and another of the plant many names, 'Hag's Taper', " (editors note: charming!)." refers to this, though the word 'hag' is said to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Haege or Hage (a hedge) - the name 'Hedge Taper' also exists - and may imply that the sturdy spikes of this tall hedge plant studded with pale yellow blossoms, suggested a tall candle growing in the hedge, another name being, indeed, 'Our Lady's Candle'."

More Information

Further information about candle making can be found in many books available through the craft section of your local library, craft magazines or alternatively I'm sure that there would be information on the internet about making candles.