Gel candles: features and manufacturing methods

Candles have gained immense popularity since the Middle Ages. At that time, they were available only to people with high incomes, and therefore their cost was high. They were made from various materials, for example, paper, papyrus, plants, fat. Nowadays, candles are not something very expensive and unaffordable. They are sold in many stores and come in a variety of shapes. In this article we will take a closer look at gel candles.

Candles are not uncommon today. They can be found in many retail outlets and even made by yourself. If earlier all candles were approximately the same, today there are more original products with interesting shapes and different colors. It is not for nothing that decorative candles are often given as an additional gift on various occasions.

Recently, gel candles are gaining more and more popularity. By itself, the gel cannot keep its shape, it only fills it. Outwardly, the gel composition resembles a shapeless jelly-like mass. This is the main difference between these candles and the classic paraffin wax varieties.

In most cases, gel candles are made in completely transparent molds. Often they are additionally decorated with beautiful beads, flower arrangements, shells, and pebbles. By adding such interesting details, the candle becomes more effective and original in appearance. Gel candles are often used as unusual decor for home interiors. Such decorations can easily fit into any setting.

Gel candles, like any other interesting decorations, have their positive and negative sides. Before rushing to make such a product with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with both. First, let's dwell on the advantages of such candles.

• The gel from which the candles of the type in question are made, consists of absolutely safe, environmentally friendly components such as gelatin, tannin and glycerin. These components will not harm the health of the master or household members, will not lead to allergic reactions or the appearance of unpleasant chemical odors.
• Candle gel in the process of burning does not release hazardous chemicals into the environment.
• Gel candles look much more interesting and brighter, rather than their outdated "cousins" of wax or paraffin. The main thing that makes these products stand out is their transparency. Such a structure looks unusual, which attracts a lot of attention.
• Gel-type candles burn many times longer, rather than other types of candles.
• These products never leak, do not smoke and do not exude unnecessary odors.
• A candlestick for this type of candlestick is completely unnecessary. After a certain time, the gel simply evaporates from its glass container, which initially serves as a necessary candlestick. In the future, the vessel left over from the candle can be used at your own discretion. To do this, it is enough to get rid of all the remnants of the gel composition, remove the decorative elements, and also thoroughly wash the container using a regular dishwashing detergent.
• Candle gel gives free rein to the imagination of the master. Such a product can be decorated as soon as your heart desires. It was already mentioned above that the most popular decorative elements are beads and shells, but this is not the limit. Each user can independently choose the design option for the original candle.
• If desired, such a candle can be scented, so that when burning, a pleasant smell comes from it.
• Gel candles can be a spectacular decoration for any interior. They look harmoniously in different conditions, and this is what attract increased attention from craftsmen and consumers.

There are no significant drawbacks to these decorative items. Of course, their fragility is upsetting, because when burning, the gel inevitably evaporates. But after all, other types of candles will not last forever, so this drawback should not be considered serious.

Gel candles are not so common on sale, so they are made at home. To do this, you can purchase a ready-made kit with all the necessary components and detailed instructions, or you can buy components yourself and make beautiful products by studying a step-by-step master class. There are several recipes for making original transparent candles with your own hands.

Let's take a closer look at the easiest way to make such a product at home.

1. First you need to prepare the gel wax, a wick for a future candle, as well as a variety of dyes and any decorative elements that are at hand.
2. Gel wax can be purchased ready-made, but you can do it on your own. To get such a composition, you will need to take gelatin, tannin and glycerin. You can find glycerin in a pharmacy, and tannin - either in the same place, or in a specialized store that sells various ingredients for cooking. Gelatin can be found in almost any grocery store.
3. A cotton wick will not work for such a candle, because it is designed to fit into paraffin wax or hard wax candles, which are usually straight and hold their shape well. Here, a reinforced wick is the ideal solution, since it is solid in itself.
4. Having prepared all the necessary elements, you need to choose a shape for a candle and take a thermometer. If the wax was purchased ready-made, you will need to work with it like a water bath. The temperature should be no more than + 70-75 degrees. When cold, this type of wax will have a milky hue, and when hot, it will be transparent.
5. The reservoir that you have chosen for the scheduled candle, must be thoroughly rinsed and dried. After that, it will be necessary to securely fix the purchased, suitable wick in it. The latter should be located just above the container itself (about 3-5 cm).
6. To fix the wick it is allowed to drip glue to the bottom of the container, and then carefully lay out the selected decorations in the container. Each of the parts must be dipped in a hot gel composition.
7. Before pouring the gel into the mold, it is necessary to warm it up a little, but not higher than +60 degrees. This can be done in the oven. Thus, the vessel will be strengthened and will not crack from temperature jumps.
8. The hot gel should be poured into the container with a thin stream. Don't worry if a few bubbles remain. Almost all of them will dissolve as soon as the product cools down. Wait 24 hours until the candle has cooled completely.

Preparing gel candles is very simple and quick. It doesn't take a lot of time and effort.

Consider another interesting recipe for making a beautiful gel candle using dye.

1. The first step is to stock up on all the necessary ingredients.: gel for candles, reinforced with a wick, a vessel for the future product, non-combustible filler, perfume (optional), dye.
2. Next, you should prepare the gel. It will need to be melted in a water bath.Do not forget that absolutely all containers in which the gel composition is placed or will be placed must be absolutely dry.
3. A glass vessel where you will pour the gel, you must first wash well. Even if there are barely noticeable fingerprints on its surface, they can spoil the appearance of the candle.
4. As in the previous recipe, you will need to securely fix the wick in the chosen reservoir for pouring the gel. It is not necessary to glue it onto the adhesive. Instead, craftsmen often use an ordinary pushpin. Do not forget that the wick should only be reinforced.
5. When you notice that the gel has melted, in it it will be necessary to moisten the wick with maximum accuracy, leave it for a short while to dry, and then immediately fix it in the central part of the tank selected for filling. It is worth dropping a little gel into the center of the bottom of the vessel and pressing the button mentioned above there. When fixing the wick in the vessel, it is important to ensure that it is located in the center, then the candle will burn correctly, evenly.
6. Any decorations that you want to add to the vessel, as in the previous case, it will be necessary to dip it in the gel solution. When the gel acquires a completely liquid consistency, you can add perfume to it, and then mix the whole mass very gently.
7. So that the gel candle is not transparent, but had a beautiful color, it is necessary to add a dye to it, but this must be done even before the heating stage. Otherwise, the coloring component may simply melt.
8. Now you can pour the gel blank into the prepared vessel. You can pour only half a glass, wait until the liquid hardens, put more decorations on this layer, and then pour another layer of gel. In the finished candle, the borders will not be noticeable, and the product will turn out to be very original, especially if you use different dyes.

It so happens that there are too many bubbles left in the candle. They can be left - they do not greatly harm the design of the product, and sometimes even make it more interesting. If you want to get rid of them, then the candle should be placed in a warm place for 1-2 days. Under these conditions, bubbles can escape from the composition.

You can create a real work of art from a gel candle by choosing beautiful and original decor elements. There are many options for decorating such an original product. Let's consider the most successful of them:

• beautiful pebbles of perfectly rounded shapes will become a spectacular decoration;

• dried starfish;

• cones and small pieces of spruce branches (with imitation of snow on these details, amazing New Year's candles are obtained);

• artificial algae and fish figurines (you get a kind of imitation of a small aquarium);

• flower buds and petals;

• fruit pieces or vanilla sticks;

• coffee beans.

There are countless ways to decorate gel candles. Here the master can let his imagination go free and decorate the product as he pleases! The most beautiful candles can be safely presented as a gift. In a festive package with colored ribbons, such a thing will make an indelible impression.

As mentioned above, there are no frames or restrictions in the design of gel candles, except for a suitable wick. You can decorate and decorate the product in any way. Let's look at some beautiful examples.

Gel candles, consisting of several layers, look very unusual. To make such a little thing, you need to pour the gel into the vessel only up to a certain line, wait until the first layer hardens, and then pour the solution further. At the same time, there may be different decorations at different levels.

For example, the first layer can be light with many bubbles, decorated with a shell. The second layer is augmented blue dye and a small starfish. And the third can be done in the same way as the first.

Transparent gel candles without dye look cute, in which they are used as decorations red hearts of different sizes. In such a product, the remaining bubbles will definitely not spoil the overall appearance.

A gel candle poured into a large round glass vessel will look very unusual and original. The solution should be tinted with a bluish or greenish dye to create a spectacular imitation of water.

If you decide to start creating a gel candle with your own hands, You should consider the following helpful tips:

• the best fragrance for a gel candle is essential oil; when the product burns, the oil will evaporate along with the gel composition, filling the air with your favorite aromas;
• for coloring a gel candle, only food coloring is not always used, since it contains water; instead, oil paints or special dyes (sold in candlestick stores) are also suitable;
• as an original form, you can use not only a vase or wine glass, but also the peel from an orange, lemon;
• all decorative items for the candle must be heat resistant.

For information on how to make do-it-yourself gel candles, see the next master class.