Candle Making Tips

I was checking your site for a good outdoor/citronella candle but couldn’t find one… do you make citronella candles?
While Susquehanna Candle does not promote their candles as citronella, their formula makeup is coincidently constructed in such a way that repels most summer time bugs and pests including mosquitoes and black flies.
So next time you have a summer party – set out a few of our lit triple-wick candles and be pleasantly surprised by the results. Another tid bit about our candles is that, unlike many of our competitors, including the nation’s leading candle company, Susquehanna Candles have an extremely high melting point. This means that they will not deform or melt all over the back seat of your car on a hot summer day, nor will they arrive at your doorstep, after shipment, in any other way than perfect condition – wicks remaining straight and wax blemish-free.
I’m afraid of lighting candles in my house because I have young kids – what would you recommend as an alternative?
There is no need for an alternative. Many of our candles can scent a small room without even being lit. Also, our candles are made up of 100% Cotton Wicks and the wax is of the highest quality and food grade; that means we use the same wax in our candles as do chocolate and candy bakers. Therefore, you needn’t worry about children who seem to put any thing and everything into their mouths – our candles are completely safe and non-toxic for both kids and curious pets.
I keep hearing about Soy Candles and how they are supposed to be the most environmentally friendly… do you sell soy candles?
Yes, Soy Candles do seem to be the latest trend. While Susquehanna Candle has honored requests to manufacture soy candles for a few high-end cosmetic companies, we do not make any under our own brand and recommend steering clear of them for a variety of reasons. Our research has found that soy candles have a limited shelf life, poor fragrance quality, low melting points, heavy material expense and inaccurate impression of being “the highest quality candle.”
Soy candles seem to have a minimal shelf life, many becoming rancid within only six months after production. To counteract this, many companies that boast “Soy Candles” only use 1-10% soy in their wax in an attempt to lengthen the candle life. They often substitute other less expensive and “dirtier” waxes for the remainder of the candle – therefore creating a candle that carries the name “soy” but not much else. At Susquehanna Candle, we use only the best quality, food-grade, paraffin wax. This ensures a cleaner burn that is completely environmentally (and kid) safe. The formula and composition of Susquehanna Candles is unique to our company.
In general, soy candles do provide a cleaner burn and smoother surface than most other wax types. Susquehanna Candle has created their wax formula in such a fashion that we will put our candles up against soy candles any day. We guarantee they will burn just as well (if not better), and their surface will be as smooth, as cosmetically perfect (if not better), than soy candles.
Finally most soy candles that are on the market are unscented, or in only a limited number of fragrances. This is because the wax, itself, is not made to hold fragrance oils. When the oils are added – the natural “fatty” scent of soy combines with that of the fragrance oil to distort and curdle the intended scent.
Soy candles also are created with a very low melting point. This means, if you purchase them, we recommend not leaving them in your car on a hot summer day – when you return there will be nothing but wax in your backseat. Nor do we recommend ordering them during the summer – you will face a very similar problem. Susquehanna Candles are formulated to withstand high temperatures – up to 160 degrees – without disfigurement or melting.
After the candle is done burning, some of the wax has melted down, but much of the wax is missing. Where does the missing wax go? Does it turn into airborne particles only to be inhaled by my lungs? This has puzzled me, so I was hoping you could help me out.
This is what happens when you burn a candle, the wax oxidizes in the flame to yield water and carbon dioxide, which dissipate in the air around the candle, in a reaction which also yields light and heat. Paraffin wax is composed of chains of connected carbon atoms surrounded by hydrogen atoms. These hydrocarbon molecules can burn completely. First the heat of the flame vaporizes the wax molecules and then they react with the oxygen in the air. As long as the wax doesn’t melt away from the flame, the flame will consume it completely and leave no ash or wax residue.
This is not harmful. However, do check to make sure the candles you purchase contain wicks that are 100% Cotton. Many imports contain lead wicks – which can cause severe health problems.
When purchasing a candle how does one know if a candle is scented throughout or simply scented on the surface?
Unfortunately there is no clear way to tell whether the candle is scented throughout or not, unless it says directly on the package. However, through my experience, I have found the cheaper candles (primarily those coming from china) seem to only have fragranced coatings on them – with chunks of unscented wax in the middle. Fragrance oil is one of the most expensive ingredients in candle manufacturing. I recommend simply using your common sense: if you see a 22 oz candle for $5 – more than likely you will not receive the same fragrance at the beginning as at the end.
Someone once asked me about an expression they’d read but didn’t quite understand. The expression referred to a game being worth its candle. Can you provide any help?
The more usual form of this expression is not worth the candle. It dates from medieval times, when any night-time activity had to be lit by candles, which were expensive. So some activity that wasn’t worth the candle wasn’t worth the cost of supplying the light to see it by. It’s only now, when the obvious link between the situation and the expression has been lost as a result of changing technology, that people can use forms like not worth its candle, subtly shifting the sense and making it harder to understand.
Incidentally, candles played such a large part in life in the centuries before whale oil lamps, gas and electricity successively appeared that several expressions are connected with them, such as can’t hold a candle to him, meaning that a person isn’t fit even to hold the candle for somebody else to work. Another is burn the candle at both ends, to be spendthrift, to expend one’s effort too lavishly, or try to do too much at once.
In my dog’s excitement at welcoming a dinner guest into my home, his tail knocked over one of my candles and ended up spilling the wax onto my carpeted floor. How do I get the wax out?
You can remove melted candle wax from a carpet or even a piece of furniture with a brown paper bag and an iron. Just place a piece of brown paper (folded) over the melted wax area and place a hot iron, on a low setting, on top of the newspaper for 5 to 10 seconds, lift up iron and paper. The wax should have soaked up into the paper and removed it from the carpet. This might need to be repeated a few times.
I have melted votive candle wax all over the bottom of my favorite holder. How do I get it out?
To get any of our melted votive wax out of holders, simply place the holder in the refrigerator for an hour and wax will “pop” out. How does this happen, you ask? Well, wax, like many other solids, shrinks when the temperature is lowered, thereby releasing itself naturally from its container. Buyer beware: while this technique is guaranteed to work on any Susquehanna Candle, it may not work on other candle brands’ votives.

Tables will glow with reflective light that streams through the water and is enhanced by the glass floating candle bowls. This is a truly magnificent vision that everyone in attendance will admire. The glow of the candlelight does wonders for any event.

Formal affairs simply call for this element, especially occasions that are romantic in nature. Wedding receptions and bridal showers make for wonderful opportunities to display the sparkling light that flickers from the reflective floating candle bowls. This is a lovely element that guests will always remember.

Outdoor events that go well into the evening are also ideal opportunities to display the floating candle bowls. Even the most casual affair will be set ablaze with the romantic glow of candlelight. The delicate motion of the water in contrast to the warm flames is reminiscent of the shimmering stars in the night sky.

What should you look for when shopping for floating candle bowls? My first suggestion is that you keep you eye out for something that offers a nice, wide mouth. Soft curved edges are also ideal for this kind of product because they are reminiscent of a curving waterfall.

Of course, you can always look into investing in crystal floating candle bowls. These come in an array of styles including ones that have textures in the design that really play with the glow of candlelight. This version is wonderful for any special occasion including parties and holiday celebrations.

What about the outdoor events? I would hate to see my fine crystal floating candle bowls put in harm’s way. I prefer to use plastic or ceramic floating candle bowls for the backyard barbeque. These sturdy pieces will be safe and sound while setting the outdoor scene aglow.

It’s also a good idea to keep a good stock of floating candles on hand. You never know when you will need to put together a last minute centerpiece for a special guests. The candles come in many different styles including lotus flowers and soft roses. They are an essential part of your floating candle bowls.

Before you give a highly scented candle as a gift, you should first inquire about how this person feels about candles that are heavily scented. Depending on the scent you use, it may not matter whether or not the candle is highly scented. This is because some scents, such as vanilla and lavender, are mild and it doesn’t matter how much of the oil is used to make a highly scented candle. Other stronger scents may be harder to take in high doses, which is why you do need to be careful about giving a highly scented candle to someone that is sensitive to scents.

Some of the scents used in making a highly scented candle do not smell like flowers or earthy aromas. Try a heavily scented candle with the aroma of angel food cake. This particular scent has undertones of cherry to produce a great aroma in your kitchen. Since the scent of home baked goodies rarely bothers anyone, this is one type of heavily scented candle that you can use freely. Get a hint of Grandma’s kitchen with candles scented with hot baked apple pie. This is one of the scents that will surely take you back to the days of your childhood.

Heavily scented candles in aromatherapy candles are perfect for the healing properties that they bring to the mind, body and spirit. Whether you are seeking relief from stress, a headache or you want to create the perfect romantic atmosphere, a highly scented candle with one of the essential oils is the way to achieve your objective. Whether the heavily scented candle is made from paraffin or soy wax, you know that you will get the scent you want.

Just walking through the aisle of the store with a variety of highly scented candles will give you an idea of the various scents that these candles give off. If you have to pick up the candle to tell whether or not it is scented, then you should realize that it is not really heavily scented. The proper heavily scented candle will allow you to get the scent from even standing a distance away from it.

When choosing the scents to make a highly scented candle, you cannot go by the fill level on the bottle. This is because the different scents have different weights. For example, mulberry is very light, whereas a caramel essential oil is really heavy. When working with essential oils to make highly scented candles, you have to make sure the area is well ventilated. Some of the oils will irritate your skin if you happen to come in contact with the full strength oil. Wash your skin immediately with soap and water and that should so the trick.

Making candles can be great fun. Some people choose to take their love of this art and make money doing what they enjoy spending their time on. There are many areas of the candle making business you need to consider before embarking on such an adventure. Knowing how to make quality candles isn’t enough. You need to educate yourself on ways to promote your candles, ordering supplies, offering customer service, and determining a price for your candles.

We all know candles are a very popular item, so the market for such products is out there. However, that market can’t purchase your candles if they don’t know about it. You will need to establish a plan including where you plan to sell your candles, and then come up with a handle of ways to get attention to them. There are many places to sell candles. You can do so from your own home or rent space at craft shows. Often word of mouth will result in orders. You can also choose to advertise on the internet.

Advertising online can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Write about your business on a blog or purchase services from a web hosting company. They often offer excellent tools for setting up a web page and directing traffic to your site. In addition, they provide the shopping cart and even credit card processing for you. Most web hosting companies charge $20 per month, which isn’t a bad investment.

Placing your candles on Ebay or other online auction sites is a great way to generate sales. As you accumulate feedback for selling a quality product you will get more buyers. Before you can do any advertising, you will need to decide what types of candles to sell. You will generate more sells if you show pictures of your work with each type of candle you sell. People buying candles want to visualize the product they are purchasing. Once your business starts turning a profit, consider buying supplies in large quantities to get a discount.

The secret to being a successful candle making business is selling the product at a fair enough price that the consumer will buy it. Yet you also need to cover the cost of your time and supplies, while making a reasonable profit. Don’t be tempted to cut corners on the quality of your supplies as this can greatly alter the quality of your product. Once the word is out that your quality is poor, you will have a hard time maintaining sales.

To generate business, offer promotions. You can offer free shipping for your candle products at the online auction sites to have an advantage over the competition. Many auction surfers will buy a product with free shipping over one with low shipping. You can also offer a free candle with the purchase of three or even to send a personalized card if the buyer is going to use the candle as a gift.

Many successful candle making companies offer personalized service. This means customers can ask for a particular type of candle in a color and you will make it for them. This often costs the customer more, but they are likely willing to pay it. Make sure you communicate well with your customers and know exactly what they want before committing to such a project.

Every business experiences issues that come up. This is to be expected. Customers are likely to be more forgiving of such issues if they are provided with quality customer service. Make sure customers have a way to get into contact with you. Work out a resolution to any issues that you will both be happy with. It is best to outline return policies on your website as well so that there is a place customers can review such information.

Choosing to start your own business is a wonderful and exciting time. Selling your own candles gives you a business where you can be proud of the quality product you are making. Taking the time to learn the basics of the business before jumping in will help ensure this is a fun business venture for you and hopefully one that is going to be quite profitable.

The art of making candles has been around since primitive times. Of course, as time went by they become much different in design than what they were back then. In the early days, candles were a necessity for heat and light. Today they serve as decorations, wonderfully smelling mechanisms in our homes, and offer light for romantic dinners and baths.

The first known use of candles is not completely known. The remains of clay candle holders that date back to 4 BC have given us the knowledge that they have been in use for a very long time. Those clay candle holders were found in Egypt.

Candles were also used in ancient times in both China and Japan. These candles were made of wax extracted from insects and seeds. The taper candles of India were made from the wax extracted from boiled cinnamon. Candles are not known to exist in American until 1 AD. It is believed Native American’s burned oily fish and the back of the Cerio tree. When settlers came to New England, they used similar techniques to extract wax from bayberries. Many modern candle makers still use that process to make bayberry candles. However, it is quite expensive to do so.

Tallow was the product used to make candles in the 1600’s and 1700’s. This is a byproduct from animal fat. The product worked well but had a foul odor, especially when it was burning. Bees wax and paraffin wax both were introduced in the early 1800’s, and tallow stopped being used.

The dipping process for taper candles as we know it today began in 13 AD. Traveler merchants went door to door from town to town. While there, they made taper candles for individuals in their homes. Around 15 AD the idea to use molds for various types of candles was introduced in Paris. While this greatly improved the candle making process, there were still issues with getting the candles to burn properly.

In the 1800’s, candle makers felt the wick was the weakest area of the candle as well as the cause for defective burning patterns. A braided wick was developed in 1825 that seemed to greatly improve the burning of several types of candles. By 1830, a process was in place to make candles using paraffin wax and molds. These candles were of good quality and burned well.

As gas and electricity were introduced, the candle making process continued to evolve. It became much easier and faster to melt the paraffin wax. It is believed that the reason so many of the elements of candle making stayed the same, including the hand dipping process is because the popularity of candles diminished with the introduction of electricity.

Today, candle making is a well known art form. There are many companies who manufacture wonderful candles with some very unique fragrances. There are also small businesses that still make their candles by home in their kitchen. Candle making is a great hobby and fun activity for the whole family to be involved in.

Candles are now used more for luxury and pleasure than for light or heat. The candle industry continues to grow with new types of candles being introduced all the time. The amount of colors, fragrances, and types of candles to choose from in the marketplace is absolutely amazing.

Candles are a very common home decorating item. They are used to accent any room in your house. They are a common centerpiece for dinner parties and formal occasions. The unity candles that are presided over at many weddings hold a deep sense of tradition in the American culture.

The art of making candles has definitely changed over time. If you are interested in trying your hand at it, choose a candle that is fairly easy to make such as the container candle or the votive. This will allow you the chance to get used to the process. There are several good candle making kits available for a low price as well as books to give you tips and assistance along the way.