Introduction
Braided taper candles are a unique and beautiful to look at and can make great décor pieces when used in the right setting. Making these unique candles is not as difficult as it may seem. With just a few simple tools and some wax, you can whip up an array of your own one of kind creations. This guide will help you learn the basics of creating braided taper candles – and with practice, you may develop your own unique design style.
The first step to creating braided taper candles involves gathering supplies. You will need beeswax, wicks, molds, TAP wax (aka yellow or paraffin wax), dye chips or a block of dye (for colorant), protective gloves, a face mask (this is crucial as wax fumes can irritate eyes), clamps and glue gun. When selecting the mold for your candle creation, keep in mind that tapers come in various widths – opt for something that you think would best suit your needs.
Once all your supplies are ready to go, it’s time to start crafting! Begin by melting the beeswax down using the double boiler method; this allows the wax to melt without burning off any of its properties over direct heat from open flame or stovetop. Once melted, add in desired amounts of dye chips/block regular TAP wax to achieve desired coloring – then take a wick and secure it into the center of each mold with glue gun/clamps – being sure there’s enough space left around so that later when all three strands (you should always create at least 3 strands) come together, there’s still ample room for them too merge properly without hindrance. Allow newly created batches cool and harden before repeating steps above until desired numbers are achieved.
Finally comes the most gratifying part – braiding! Gently braid 3 strands together while keeping even pressure on throughout; this ensures tight packing all around which gives off clean looking edges upon completion After successful braiding comes fitting each end through pre-cut holes inside either cardboard or wooden piece before finally trimming off excess ends that stick out both top and bottom sides by cutting off lightly with scissors or blade -depending on preference- then hot gluing already trimmed ends into place against cardboard/wood pieces respectively both top and bottom sides – Too much force could break finished piece hence be sure not pushing down on harder than necessary!
Wax Varieties for Crafting the Perfect Candle
Making your own braided taper candles is a fun and creative activity. There are many wax varieties to choose from when crafting the perfect candle, such as paraffin wax, beeswax, soy wax, blended waxes and even vegetable-based waxes. Depending on what type of look you are going for and what kind of burn performance you require, certain types of wax can be more suitable than others.
Paraffin wax is a popular choice for making taper candles because it can easily absorb scent or color dyes, does well in colder weather conditions, and has a lower melting point than most other candle-making wax varieties. It also produces the classic drip effect when melted down – which makes it ideal for creating decorative candles that evoke classic designs from days gone by.
Beeswax is an all-around excellent choice for making taper candles – not only does it have an incredibly long burning time and produces little to no soot when burned properly due to its higher melting point, but it has a natural golden hue which adds extra visual appeal to any creation. Plus beeswax emits negative ions when burned which help purify the air in your home!
Soy wax is derived from beans so it carries with it the benefit of being environmentally friendly and renewable – not to mention sustainable. Soy candles typically burn cleaner than those made of paraffin as they produce much less soot, plus they offer a longer burning period due to their lower melting point temperature. Unfortunately soy remains solid at room temperature making it difficult to properly braid together like other wax varieties – but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some beautiful creations with this unique material!
Blended waxes are mix between different oil-based materials like paraffin and plant-derived oils like soy or palm. Often referred to as pastel colors or ecopure candles depending on which type of material predominates the blend.. Blended Waxes tend to provide good “point of origin” properties since each oil based ingredient acts separately during combustion thus significantly increasing the fire safety standard of any item produced using this method. The main advantage when using blended wax compared to pure paraffin is longevity – blended items will typically last longer than single compound materials such as Paraffin or even Beeswax based items due to their more efficient distribution of heat throughout the entire candle structure while burning – reducing areas where large amounts heat become concentrated leading to potential wastage via leakage.
Equipping Your Workspace for Candle Making Success
Before you can begin making your taper candles, it’s essential to have the right equipment to make the creative process a success. First and foremost, you will need a work surface that is stable, clean, and non-flammable; second, you’ll need cooking utensils to melt wax and prepare molds or forms; third, you’ll want some stirring sticks and thermometers; fourth, a heat source like a stovetop or double boiler; and fifthly and lastly, safety gear like safety glasses or an oven mitt. Once your workspace is set up with these items in place, you’re ready for the fun part of creating all sorts of magnificent Braided Taper Candle designs.
To take your candle-making to the next level of craftsmanship and design, consider investing in an interchangeable electric hot glue gun. This type of tool is ideal for creating elaborate shapes with multiple colors fused together. Additionally, it’s best to get specifically designed candle wicks that are made from cotton: they are precision cut so they will stay straight while melting. Finally, purchase both color dyes that are safe for use with wax as well as scentings if you wish to add aromas once cooled. With these extra supplies, along with the basics listed above about equipping your workspace for candle making success —you’re ready to start crafting at home!
How to Make Braided Taper Candles Step-by-Step
Braided taper candles are an easy and fun way to make personalized candles. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
1. Prepare Your Work Area: Set aside some time in a comfortable, clean area with good lighting. Gather the necessary supplies including beeswax sheets, wicks, melting pot, mold or frame, ruler, scissors and other decorative objects like thread or fabric scraps (optional).
2. Cut the Beeswax Sheets: Lay out the beeswax sheets on a cutting board and using your ruler and scissors, cut them into 2” wide strips that measure 8” long for each candle you plan to make. This should yield four 2” x 8” strips for each candle.
3. Assemble the Candles: Take two of the strips and fan them out from opposite sides. Next take two more strips and repeat on opposite sides. To finish off your braid take one side of the first strip you used and connect it with one side of the fourth strip used. Do this all the way down until they’re all connected in a woven pattern along the entire length of all four strips.
4. Secure the Wick: Lay each complete braid across your mold or frame and attach each wick across it securely with glue dots or rubber bands so that they don’t move while pouring wax over them later on.
5. Melt the Wax: Place wax chips into your melting pot and set to low heat until completely melted, stirring occasionally to ensure evenness in temperature throughout for best results when pouring later on (do not let mixture boil).
6. Pour Wax Over Braids & Let Cool: After wax has become liquid enough without boiling gradely pour over braids in slow motion from different angles to evenly coat bottom part first as well as top part remembering not to move wick from its initial position that was secured earlier with rubber bands/glue dots . Allow wax to cool down before moving onto bending process of further preparation for finished look within final product of braided candles!
Professional Tips to Create a Long-Burning, Quality Candle
Making braided taper candles is an easy, enjoyable way to make your own decorative home pieces. To be sure that you create a long-burning, quality candle follow some of these professional tips.
First and foremost, when purchasing wax for your project, opt for beeswax or paraffin wax which are the two materials most often used in candlemaking. Paraffin wax provides better moldability and will burn longer than beeswax. It’s also important to sort through the wax pellets before melting as foreign objects or discolored pieces can cause difficulties during use.
Second, having three equal sized wicks should be another priority as they provide the best control during burning. Secure the wicks properly to prevent them from falling apart when pouring the melted wax and maintain flame levels by rolling a thin coat of wax around them after securing them to their wicking formers at intervals of 3 centimeters.
Finally, maintaining even temperature levels will help ensure any flaws don’t affect your design or strength of your candle. After insulation heated wax in an enamel bowl at 60 degrees C., mold it into desired shape over a preheated taper blanking former – use only wooden spoons for mixing and shaping. Anything metallic conduct heat faster and stronger causing uneven shapes in finished product. And finally add some essential oils or coloring if desired prior to pour which may help bond details together creating strong end result!
Overcoming Common Candle Making Challenges
For many, candle making is a difficult craft to master that requires practice and patience. A popular candle shape is the taper or “dipped” candle, which can be an especially demanding project for those just starting out in the world of wick-crafting. Though challenging, once you have a few basic techniques for making taper candles under your belt, you will have success making these impressive centerpieces for home decor or special occasion gifts.
Braided taper candles are thicker and stronger than traditional “dipped” tapers and make an especially striking display when arranged in clusters. To make braided taper candles, one must set up three to five lengths of wicking (depending on the desired thickness) before submerging them in melted wax. Careful monitoring of the temperature throughout this process is essential to prevent over-smoking the compound which could produce unreliable results. Before pouring, it is also essential to test and adjust your dipping technique by letting the wax cool on paper towels dispersed around each remaining wick length to ensure even application during the next phase of pouring hot wax into molds. By attempting these simple steps before diving into creating braided candles, you’ll be able to avoid common crafting challenges such as cracked molds, misshapen candles and weak connections between two pieces of braiding at their base junction. Additionally, purchasing a slow-burning wax mix specially made for long-running tapers will provide maximum flame control which often increases burn time whether single strands or braided tiers exist in your creative design!
Adding Personalization with Color, Scent, and Design
Making a beautiful, customized taper candle is an exciting project that you can indulge in for any holiday, special occasion, or simply for your own personal home decor. With a few simple steps and materials, you’ll have yourself a stunning and unique homemade candle. To start off this project correctly, you will need some high-quality candle wax, mold dye, liquid dye colorant, liquid stearic acid (for hardening the wax), essential oils for scenting (optional), a double boiler pot for melting wax, wick braiding wire or thread to hold the multiple wicks together (if making braid candles), and one or more pre-made wicks with tabs already attached.
Once you have all of the necessary materials at hand, begin by heating up your double boiler until it reaches anywhere from 170-180°F; this is the ideal temperature to begin melting down your wax. When melted completely – stirring every so often – add into it small amounts of mold dye and liquid dye colorant until you reach the desired hue and shade. Next, incorporate small readings of the stearic acid solution into the wax to thicken its consistency. To provide your candles scent, add a few drops of whatever essential oil desired when mixing in the stearic acid solution.
If you’re opting to create braided taper candles as opposed to one single strand/wick design – merely use 3 separate strands of pre-made wick with tabs already attached before dipping them into your liquid wax mixture. Securely link these strands together using either wires or craft thread twisted around each strand before submerging them in molten wax down to just under half their complete length. Wait until solidification has occurred before dipping them into molten wax once more in various alternating directions over several break times; this should give your candles movement throughout their body while providing an added texture element which almost anyone would find appealing!
Conclusion
Once you have finished making your braided taper candles, enjoy the fruits of your labor and show off your unique creations by illuminating a room with them. Place several candles into an eye-catching bowl or tray and enjoy the captivating illumination you have created. You could also display individual braided taper candles in any container to dress up a space and provide a beautiful light source for any evening gathering or special occasion. Whether in groups or as single pieces, these homemade candles will bring a special glow to any room that you can be proud to call your own.
Welcome to my candle making blog! In this blog, I will be sharing my tips and tricks for making candles. I will also be sharing some of my favorite recipes.
