Candle making trends are always changing, with old methods being revived and new ones being introduced. The latest candle fad is moulded candles, which have been around for decades. Makers are adding new twists to these classic candles. Today’s market has everything from bubble candles to body moulds.
Mould candles are formed by pouring wax into a mould, letting it solidify, and then igniting. When manufacturing a free-standing candle, there are three essentials. The wax, mould, and wick are the three components.
There are several benefits to collecting moulded candles. They let you grow your line into various forms and sizes that jar candles can’t. Jars are becoming more expensive and less reliable. Therefore you can make moulded candles.
Free-standing candles require a mould, which can be pricey. If you buy decent moulds and take care of them, you may use them hundreds of times before replacing them.
How to start making stunning free-standing candles is covered here. We’ll discuss wax types and two common moulds. Manufacturing a moulded candle and caring for moulds will also be covered.
What Wax For Moulded Candles?
You’ll need solid wax to keep a free-standing candle’s shape as it burns. Moulded candles can be made from paraffin, beeswax, palm wax, and soy wax. It would help if you had a wax melting point of at least 140°F.
Harder waxes can tolerate heating better than container waxes. When producing a free-standing candle, don’t use container wax. First, soft waxes like soy and coconut wax will be hard to remove from your mould. If you remove a container wax candle from your mould, the unmolding procedure may leave tiny features in the mould. Finally, assuming you get your candle out of the mould intact, the person who burns it will have to mop up a massive oily pool after it melts.
With the right mould, wick, and wax, your mould candle will look great and survive till the final burn.
How To Choose A Mould?
Select a mould after choosing a wax. We’ll examine metal and silicone candle moulds.
Metal Moulds
If you want to make basic candles with smooth sides, use metal moulds. They last well with high melting point waxes. Compared to silicone moulds, metal moulds are cheaper. Metal moulds last a long time with appropriate care. Some old metal candle moulds are now collectable.
Metal moulds can only make simple candles with no intriguing embellishments, which is a drawback. Due to the wax’s stickiness, they could be better moulds for beeswax candles.
Moulded Silicone
Candles with complicated forms may be made with silicone moulds. Many experts utilize silicone moulds to produce candles because of their many benefits.
Advantages Of Silicone Moulds
- High-quality silicone moulds may last years of professional candle production.
- It can handle wax exceeding 200°F.
- Most waxes won’t attach to silicone. Therefore mould release isn’t needed.
- Candles created using silicone moulds may be made in any form and with many embellishments.
They’re expensive, but they’re worth it after a few years. It would help if you also got a silicone mould with strong tensile strength. Low-tensile silicone moulds shatter rapidly and need to be changed after a short time. Cheap silicone moulds absorb color and aroma, which can transfer across candles.
Mould Candle Instructions
Let’s construct a free-standing candle utilizing a metal and silicone mould now that you know what materials to use. Remember that there are many ways to manufacture a moulded candle, and we’re only covering our favorites for each mould. You must select the ideal candle making approach.
Moulded In Silicone
Candles made in silicone moulds differ slightly from those made in metal. We like to use a wick pin when using silicone moulding, but you may thread a wick up through the bottom and secure it to a wick bar as we did with the metal mould.
Start by inserting the wick pin into the silicone moulds center bottom and setting it on a tray to catch any leaks. Heat your wax to the correct temperature before removing it from the heat source, and carefully stir aroma and color if needed.
Slowly pour the wax into the mould when it cools to the desired pour temperature. As indicated, pouring at greater temperatures produces a smooth, shining surface, whereas running at colder temperatures produces a matte, rough appearance. Remove the wick pin when the wax has hardened but is still warm and flexible (around 2-3 hours after pouring, depending on the size of the candle). The hole collapses if you pull the pin too soon. Removing the pin from the wax is hard if you pull it late.
After the candle has cooled, carefully remove it from the silicone mould. If the candle has many exquisite elements, take care when unmolding it, so they don’t shatter. Insert a waxed, tabbed wick into the candle’s bottom.
Conclusion
It’s fun to construct free-standing moulded candles. It will let you create unique forms for container candles. They’re harder to produce, and moulds are more expensive, but the rewards will exceed the difficulties once you start. To get the most usage out of your moulds, choose high-quality ones and take careful care of them. Enjoy making candles!
