Post by starr on Jan 20, 2008 17:28:43 GMT -5
Herb Candles
Making herb candles is really very easy. Purchase a white or off-white pillar candle and some paraffin. Melt the paraffin in a big tin can placed in an electric frying pan half full of water. Remember to keep water in the frying pan and watch the paraffin doesn't get too hot (If it smokes, it's too hot). It can catch on fire. Keep the paraffin warm by lowering the temperature on the frying pan.
You will also need an artist's paintbrush and pressed, dried herb leaves and flowers. Dip your paintbrush into the paraffin and paint the back of an herb leaf. Watch you don't burn your fingers. Stick this onto the pillar candle and paint more paraffin on top until the leaf is totally covered. (I use pressed flowers and/or leaves since it doesn't take as much paraffin to cover them). Position your leaves and flowers all around the candle and continue to cover them with paraffin. Your candle will not be smooth and it will have a frosted look to it. As the candle burns, the herbs will also burn lending a delightful fragrance to the room. (You can add scented oil to the paraffin to add extra scent.) These candles make a beautiful addition to any household and make great gifts.
If you don't know how to press your herb leaves and flowers; here is an easy method. Pick your leaves and flowers off the stems and arrange them on a sturdy paper towel. Make sure the plant material does not touch. Place another paper towel on top and place between the pages of a large book. (example: Encyclopedia, telephone book, etc.) It should only take about 2 to 3 weeks for the plant material to dry and you can begin to create your herb candles.
Lavender Herbal Candles:
Roll the bottom half (or third) of a pillar candle through crushed botanicals after "painting" that portion with craft glue. You could use lavender (especially nice with a white, ivory or pale coloured candle), crushed rose petals or anything else you like. For extra fragrance, scent the botanicals with fragrance oil first and let dry before rolling. These candles look so beautiful displayed as a centrepiece or in the bathroom and add a nice fragrance wherever you place them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Make Herb Candles
Make your plain old candles extraordinary.
Things You'll Need:
Hobby Paintbrushes
Flowers
Light-colored Pillar Candles
Votive Candles
Herbs
Small Saucepans
1. One Melt votive candles of the same color as your pillar candle in an old pan on low heat.
2. Two Decide if you want to create a pattern or apply the herbs and flowers randomly. Lay out your pattern.
3. Three Use a small paintbrush to dab a spot of melted wax onto the pillar candle.
4. Four Place an herb or flower on the spot quickly.
5. Five Go over the just-applied object with a thin layer of wax.
6. Six Continue this process until you're satisfied with the results.
7. Seven Brush another thin layer of wax over the pillar candle, covering it completely. Voilà!
Tips & Warnings
Light-colored pillars work best.
Never leave hot wax unattended.
Making herb candles is really very easy. Purchase a white or off-white pillar candle and some paraffin. Melt the paraffin in a big tin can placed in an electric frying pan half full of water. Remember to keep water in the frying pan and watch the paraffin doesn't get too hot (If it smokes, it's too hot). It can catch on fire. Keep the paraffin warm by lowering the temperature on the frying pan.
You will also need an artist's paintbrush and pressed, dried herb leaves and flowers. Dip your paintbrush into the paraffin and paint the back of an herb leaf. Watch you don't burn your fingers. Stick this onto the pillar candle and paint more paraffin on top until the leaf is totally covered. (I use pressed flowers and/or leaves since it doesn't take as much paraffin to cover them). Position your leaves and flowers all around the candle and continue to cover them with paraffin. Your candle will not be smooth and it will have a frosted look to it. As the candle burns, the herbs will also burn lending a delightful fragrance to the room. (You can add scented oil to the paraffin to add extra scent.) These candles make a beautiful addition to any household and make great gifts.
If you don't know how to press your herb leaves and flowers; here is an easy method. Pick your leaves and flowers off the stems and arrange them on a sturdy paper towel. Make sure the plant material does not touch. Place another paper towel on top and place between the pages of a large book. (example: Encyclopedia, telephone book, etc.) It should only take about 2 to 3 weeks for the plant material to dry and you can begin to create your herb candles.
Lavender Herbal Candles:
Roll the bottom half (or third) of a pillar candle through crushed botanicals after "painting" that portion with craft glue. You could use lavender (especially nice with a white, ivory or pale coloured candle), crushed rose petals or anything else you like. For extra fragrance, scent the botanicals with fragrance oil first and let dry before rolling. These candles look so beautiful displayed as a centrepiece or in the bathroom and add a nice fragrance wherever you place them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Make Herb Candles
Make your plain old candles extraordinary.
Things You'll Need:
Hobby Paintbrushes
Flowers
Light-colored Pillar Candles
Votive Candles
Herbs
Small Saucepans
1. One Melt votive candles of the same color as your pillar candle in an old pan on low heat.
2. Two Decide if you want to create a pattern or apply the herbs and flowers randomly. Lay out your pattern.
3. Three Use a small paintbrush to dab a spot of melted wax onto the pillar candle.
4. Four Place an herb or flower on the spot quickly.
5. Five Go over the just-applied object with a thin layer of wax.
6. Six Continue this process until you're satisfied with the results.
7. Seven Brush another thin layer of wax over the pillar candle, covering it completely. Voilà!
Tips & Warnings
Light-colored pillars work best.
Never leave hot wax unattended.