In these uncertain economic times it's good to have a few skills that can help you earn an extra income or even replace a less than adequate one. These skills can range from being an experienced transcriptionist to having a talent for web design to creating your own unique candles. What all these skills have in common is that they can be done at home and they can be learned.
For anyone with a fascination or passion for candles, starting a home based candle making business can be the solution to some of their pressing financial problems. In addition to bringing in an income, candle making is -or can be, once you've perfected your creation method- relaxing and very creative.
Candles are very popular in North American homes. The candle business in the US alone is a $2 billion plus a year industry. Seven out of ten homes use candles and many people use them for relaxation. At one time, candles were used only for light. But now, they are used for home décor and to add scent to the home, to relax and in aromatherapy.
Getting Started
When you're starting your candle making business, you must understand that there will be some start up costs. Unless, by chance, you have the supplies given to you, you must purchase the supplies necessary to create your candles. There are many candle making kits on the market today that you can purchase for around $50.00. These kits are wonderful in that it allows you lessons and practice in making candles. It is suggested that you invest in one of these kits and practice with it. Once you are comfortable making the candles yourself, you may go out and purchase all of the products that you will need to create your own candles.
Tools & Equipment
Here's a short list of what you'll need:
- a double boiler
- wax - usually paraffin but there are other waxes available on the market
- various length wicks
- molds
- jars and other glass cobtainers (optional)
- scented oils
- dyes
- beeswax candles
- hand-dipped candles
- gel candles
- votive candles
- floating candles
- scented candles
- shaped candles
- chunk candles
- taper candles
- jar candles
- unity candles
Let's start with a double boiler. You can probably buy one at any home decor, kitchen or department store, but if you're pinching pennies, setting something up as a double boiler is simple. All you have to do is fill a large low boiling pot with water and place a coffee can or something similar in the center. That's where you boil the wax.
Make sure that the boiler you have in the pan is steady and standing, not floating. The water level should be enough to provide water but not have it disrupt melting the wax.
Once that's ready, you just dump the wax into the center boiler and wait for it to melt. You can acquire fresh wax from different sources: beeswax, fresh paraffin wax, and other wax products are available online as well as at almost any craft store or hobby shop. You can even recycle old wax from spent candles. Just cut up the wax chunks into small manageable pieces so that they would melt faster. A good starting weight that you can work with would be a half-pound of any wax that you're using.
Once you've completely melted the wax you can mix in anything that needs to be mixed. Dyes are usually put in during this stage to give the candles some color. Aromatic ingredients are also put in at this point to provide various scents when you're making scented candles. When you're starting out however, it's best to begin with simple wax candles. If you do want to be fancy on your first try. Crush a few crayons and mix them into the wax with a stick or something similar. Never use a cooking instrument when making candles unless you don't plan to use it again.
Now take your molds – this can be anything from simple cups to shaped bowl, to hand-made specialty molds, and pour in the wax. Be careful in selecting your molds. Empty cans are one of the products yo be avoided. You have to make sure your mold is something that can easily be broken or something from which your candles can be easily extracted from. A simple tip is to place some waxpaper around the inside of the mold so as to facilitate easy extraction. Another tip is to look for molds that have wide mouths so as to make sure your candles can be easily taken out from the top.
While the wax is cooling, you'll have to insert the wicks. It's pretty simple really – you just dip the long wicks into the wax mixture as it cools. Cut them a bit longer than your mold so you can be assured that your candle's wick can be lit.
Making Scented Candles
Making scented candles can be accomplished by using some of the materials you find in your kitchen. But to be sure of the quality of your candles, it would be best to buy materials from the store. Basically, what you will need are wax, wick, essential oils for the scent and coloring materials. For the equipment, all you will need are the kitchen stove, a meat or candy thermometer, candle molds and a double boiler.
The procedure itself is very simple and easy. You start off by placing the wax inside a small pot. Place that small pot in a larger pot with water. The idea is to let the heated water melt the wax. Placing the wax directly over the fire might not be a good idea since the wax burns easily. Use a wooden spoon to mix the wax. Use the thermometer and allow the wax to heat up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t allow the wax to overheat. It's advisable to set the stove at a low heat.
You can add your chosen essential oil and the coloring at this point. Stir the wax gently. Ideally, using one ounce of essential oil per pound of wax is more than enough. If you don’t know how much an ounce is, you can use a teaspoon. Half a teaspoon of scent is fine. If you add too much scent material the candle may not burn properly.
After you mixed the melted wax, scent and coloring thoroughly, you can pour the mixture into your candle molds. Make sure that you set the molds on a flat surface so the wax is evenly distributed. Of course, you can intentionally use slanted surfaces to produce some unique looking shapes. That’s your call. When you pour the hot wax, the wick should be in the right place as well. You should secure the wick properly to keep it in the middle of the candle. Pour the wax slowly. You may need to tap the mold lightly as you pour the hot was to remove any bubbles. If the candle sinks, add more wax to the mold.
Place the mold in a bowl of cool water. Use something to weigh the candle down since candles naturally float. Once the candle has been cooled, you can take it out of the water and remove it from the mold.
Make Your Own Environment Friendly Beeswax Candles
Everything today is environment friendly. And why not? Considering how we caused the sorry state of the environment today it's only fitting that we find ways to further reduce the impact of pollution and overall environmental destruction. More often than not, we're taught to find our own small way to help out. And one of that small initiative is using environment friendly candles like the beeswax candles. These kinds are devoid of dangerous chemicals that could be harmful to the environment.
Bees produce wax to hold the honey they harvest. When honey is harvested, the wax is also removed. Aside from candles, it has a variety of applications. Furniture polish, lubricants and candles are just a few of the products where bees wax is used. Making candles using beeswax is very easy. The whole process is no different from making candles using paraffin wax. The natural color of beeswax ranges from cloudy white to brown. The color actually depends on the kinds of flowers the bees are getting honey their nectars from.
When you buy your beeswax, you'll probably be presented with a choice between a block and a sheet of beeswax. Buying a beeswax sheet might be a better choice especially if you feel that melting the blocks of wax is troublesome work. However, with beeswax sheets you won’t have a chance to add colors to your candle. If you want candles with varying colors, beeswax blocks should be your choice.
Get your sheet of beeswax and cut it to the desired length of the candle that you would like to have. Place the wick on one of the edges of the beeswax making sure that you have an inch of extra wicks sticking out at both ends of the sheet. With beeswax, body heat is often enough to mold it. Gently press the edge to make sure the wick stays in place.
Once you have placed the wick, start rolling the beeswax sheet slowly. Ensure that you roll the sheet tightly and straight. If the sheet is rolled too loose, the resulting candle does not look good and probably will not burn as proper as a tightly rolled beeswax candle. You don’t need any adhesive to close the roll. Body heat is often enough to stick the wax together. However, if you find that not working, you can use a hair dryer to help you.
Start trimming the edges or any excess wax to make the candle even. Choose which end you would like to be the top and cut down extra wick of the designated bottom part.
Aside from being all natural, beeswax candles burn longer and provides a warm light and calm atmosphere. It has a sweet and natural scent unlike paraffin wax candles which can emit toxins like lead, benzene and mercury.
Some kinds like the citronella beeswax candles help guard against flying pests. Some people with allergies also find beeswax candles more relaxing than scented paraffin ones. Beeswax candle making has been around for ages.
Making environment friendly beeswax candles is a good project that you and your kids can do. The candles made from beeswax have a number of advantages over paraffin wax candles. The cost might be a little high but the overall rewards are worth the extra money.
Showcase Your Art by Making Gel Candles
Perhaps one of the more popular candles today, gel candles, has captured the imagination of candle makers and artists alike. The uniqueness of the candle has allowed makers to go beyond the conventional candles and even elevated the candle making process to a sort of art form. That may be a little bit of an exaggeration but still the popularity of gel candles is undeniable. And making gel candles isn't that difficult. You can showcase your art by making gel candles whose functions really depend on what you want it to be. You can create a gel candle purely for ornamental purposes only or you can combine the aesthetic with the therapeutic. Gel candles like all candles can be made with essential oil components which makes them great for aromatherapy and moments of relaxation.
If you've been made candles before you probably have a some equipment already but basically all you need can be found in your own kitchen. A scale, a candle or candy thermometer, glass measuring cup, gel wax, zinc core wicks, a hot glue gun, different glassware depending on your preferences and various liquid dye and fragrances for aromatic kinds of candles. You'll have to buy gel wax in your candle store or craft shop. There are three kinds, the low density, medium density and high density waxes. The denser the gel wax, the longer it takes to melt and the larger amount of fragrances it can hold.
Get your glue gun and place a wick in the center of a selected candle container. Melt the gel using a saucepan or pot over medium heat. The melted gel should appear like smooth syrup. You then add the desired color dyes. Keep adding until you reached the target color consistency. The less dye you mix with the gel wax, the more transparent it is when it cools down. It's important to consider this especially when you plan to embed objects inside the candle. Afterwards, the fragrance goes next. Mixing a third of a teaspoon for each gel container is often enough to get a decent scent from the candle. Pour the hot gel mixture into the candle containers slowly and carefully to avoid creating bubbles. Allow the candle to cool and that’s it.
There are, however, a couple of things that you'll need to consider when making gel candles. For example, when selecting wicks for gel candle, the best choice is zinc-cored wicks. Cotton and paper-cored wicks tend to sag or lean over when you’re making the candles and when you’re using the candle.
The containers should never be made from plastic or wood for the obvious reasons that it will melt and burn when you use the candles. This is why glass is the best container for gel candles. Any glass that can withstand heat and has a diameter of 2 and 3 inches will do. The same principle goes with embedded materials. Materials that will burn should never be embedded into the gel but glass marbles, shells, rocks and other non-combustible materials would work fine.
Selling Your Candles
You can sell your candle creations at flea markets, mall kiosks or craft fairs. You can also design and put up flyers around your home town. As well, you can offer to host candle parties (like Tupperware parties). This method has become very popular in the last few years. Hosting a candle party will work very well for you if you have unique candles to showcase.
Pricing your candles will be a little tricky. Not only do you have to take into consideration the cost of the materials, but also your time and the portion of the utilities you used in order to make the candles (power, water, gas, etc.).
After figuring out your costs per candle, you'll then need to decide how much profit you want or need to make on each sale. I would suggest you stick to a pre-defined formula for pricing your candles. Something like: cost + % for your time + % for profit. You'll have to determine the percentages for yourself. But don't be too generous with yourself. Remember that your prospective customers can buy candles anywhere, so you'll want to be at least somewhat competitive (unless you have a really unique candle design that is unavailable anywhere else).
Last Word
If you like candles, have experience making them, or would like to learn how to -and perfect the method/s- then a home based candle making business might be the perfect choice for you. If you don't have much time, or limited space, you can still start this kind of business, but your options will be reduced so maybe you might want to try something different. Making candles can be very enjoyable and creative. Making candles as your home business only adds to the appeal.
That's today's home business idea. Hope you found it interesting and thought-provoking. Don't forget, whatever business you choose to embark upon, have fun with it.
Until tomorrow,
Terry
