Books on Candle Making

Candle making is a great pastime. You can educate yourself on the areas of candle making by exploring various books. There are books designed for all candle making levels of expertise as well as on particular themes of candles and types of candles. The market is flooded with resources in the area of candle making, so the process of tracking down a few good books on the subject should be easy as well as fairly inexpensive. Remember to check the library, local book sales, and yard sales for these books as well. Compare prices online to make sure you get the best price for the ones you are interested in.

The History of Candle Making

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.

Yankee Candle Company

The Yankee Candle Company is known for providing quality candles in an array of colors and wonderful fragrances. They have been in business since 1969 when a young boy named Mike Kittredge made a candle from melted crayons as a gift for his mother. His friends and family members loved it, and he began selling them.

Soon the demand for them was more than he could keep up with. Mike soon learned that the area in his parent’s home he was using to make the candles wasn’t large enough. He also learned he needed help to meet the supply demands. At the tender age of 19, he invested in retail space to make and sell his candles.

In 1974, the business was moved into an old paper mill in Mike’s hometown of Hadley, Massachusetts. In 1983 the business relocated to a factory built in South Deerfield Massachusetts where it remains today. The company is a proud employer of more than 5,000 employees. These hard workers manufacture approximately 80 million candles each year. Customer satisfaction with their products has earned them the position as the Nations top candle designer manufacturer, and retailer in the industry.

Customers are impressed with the selection of candles the Yankee Candle Company has to offer. The collection includes votives, pillars, and tea lights. Their most popular selling line is the jar candle. These are sold with a wick as well as with a burner that the jar sits on instead of using a wick. Once you know the style of candles you want, making a decision on the color and fragrance can be quite difficult. The company offers a free catalog featuring all of the selections available. You can request one online or by calling the toll free number.

For those interested in purchasing Yankee candles, you don’t have to look far. They are sold in over 17,000 different retail stores around the United States. In addition, there are 385 Yankee Candle Stores located throughout 42 states. Sales on the internet at retail shops and at www.yankeecandle.com are unbelievable. You can have them shipped directly to your door. Now if the internet only gave us the option to smell them as well! The Yankee Candle Company has fared well in Europe as well with over 2,000 stores carrying the candles.

Yankee Candle Company contributes its success in the candle industry by always using quality supplies in all their products. They use the highest quality of paraffin and natural wax to create their candles. The wicks are designed to light quickly and burn evenly. Customers have learned that the Yankee Candle Company offers excellent candle products that burn for long periods of time.

The jar candles burn up to 50 hours each. Customers are happy with the look, quality, and selection of Yankee Candles, often returning to purchase more for or to give as gifts. Customers are also very satisfied with the price of Yankee Candles as they are lower than most of their competitors.

Almost all schools participant in fundraisers. Yankee Candle Company works with schools to offer candle sales as a fundraising project. Education is important to Yankee Candle Company, and schools earn a large profit for their sales. If you are interested in more information on fundraising opportunities, call or email the Yankee Candle Company. They will happily send you brochures on the program as well as answer any questions you may have.

Providing quality customer service is very important to the Yankee Candle Company. They want customers to be completely satisfied with the candle products. You can contact their customer service department if you have questions, comments, or concerns about your candle products.

Safety is very important as well, so please report any potential candle safety hazards to them as well. The Yankee Candle Company reminds customers to only use the candles for their intended purpose. Never leave candles burning unattended and keep them out of reach of children.

The Process of Candle Making

Making candles is fun and relaxing. While it does give you the opportunity to be creative, there are some basic candle making steps you need to follow to make the process flow well. Nothing is more disappointing than discovering your candles didn’t form correctly. Safety is very important in candle making. Most people make candles in their own kitchen. You will want to have a fire extinguisher handy as well as a non slip mat placed in from of your stove. Always wear old clothing and long sleeves. However, make sure your sleeves don’t dangle where they can fall into the hot wax.

Since you will have to get the candle wax very hot to melt completely, there is the risk of severe burns. You also have the risk of starting a fire. It is important to clean up all spilled wax immediately. It won’t take long for it to harden, thus becoming very slippery. The dyes and scents used in candle making can leave stains.

The best way to set up your work area for candle making is to divide it into three specific work stations for preparation, the melting process, and the cooling process. The preparation area doesn’t need to be large, just a flat surface that is well organized. To make the process flow best, use a counter in close proximity to the stove. You will want to keep your utensils, thermometer, additives, and other candle making supplies in this area. It is a good idea to know what types of candles you will be making ahead of time so that you have all the necessary items ready to go.

Your melting work station will likely be the stove. You will need to use a double boiler to melt the wax to a temperature that is hot enough without scorching it. The molecular structure of the wax can be damaged if the direct heat to it is too much. This means your candles won’t form well or hold up well when they are used. Wax comes in sheets or blocks. You will need to chip off chunks to melt. A hammer and flat head screwdriver work well for this.

Chipping wax should be done in the preparation stage so that you can simply add more pieces throughout the melting process. You will want to weigh each piece of wax before you add it to the pot for melting. This will help you determine how much scent and dye to add, which is based on weight.

The cooling station needs to be a flat area such as a countertop or table. The wax needs to cool for several hours so this area needs to be able to withstand high temperatures as well as remain undisturbed for long periods of time. The area should not be directly in the path of sunlight or heating/cooling systems. If it is, the candles will not set properly. If you plan to use molds for your candles, have them set up in the cooling area while the wax is melting. Once it is done melting, you will need to pour it immediately into the molds. To prevent a mess from spills, use an old cookie sheet for the molds to rest on.

The candle making process will run smooth and efficient if you follow these tips for establishing three work stations. While the process should be fun, it is important that you understand the dangers of candle making including burns and fires. Taking the proper safety precautions will help ensure the creation of candles in your home is a great way to spend your time.