DIY candle wick. How to make a wick at home. Decoupage candles with paper napkins

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Handmade is gaining more and more popularity. Extravagant jewelry, paintings, toys, decorative elements, gifts - this is only a small part of what enthusiastic craftsmen and amateurs create with their own hands. Today we will talk about how to make a candle at home.

This process does not require special skills and equipment. After reviewing our recommendations and detailed master classes, even beginners can start this exciting process.

Candle making: where to start

DIY candles are much easier to make than you might think. And the main advantage of such an activity is necessary materials easy to get. If you look carefully, you will find them even in your home.

Materials for a homemade candle

Wax, stearin or paraffin are best suited for work. Moreover, it is better for beginners to start acquaintance with the latter, it is the least whimsical to use. You can purchase paraffin wax from the store or use the leftovers of old white candles.

Wick

As a wick, it is best to use natural threads, ideally thick cotton threads. Do not try to use synthetics: such a wick will quickly burn out and leave an unpleasant odor behind. To test the thread for naturalness, simply set fire to its tip. If it melts, forming a solid ball at the end, you have synthetics in front of you.

If you have conceived an unusual candle and are thinking how to make an original wick for it, then use colored floss threads. This is a great and natural material.

Remember important rule: The thicker the candle, the thicker the wick should be.

It's easy to make your own. To do this, prepare a solution: in a glass of water, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons boric acid. Soak cotton thread or floss in it for 12 hours. Then dry them and twist a tourniquet out of them or braid a pigtail.

If this process seems tedious to you, carefully remove the wick from the finished household candle and use it.

candle mold

First of all decide on the configuration of the desired candle, and then try to find a hollow object of the same shape. You may find it useful:

cardboard packages from milk and juices;
plastic cups from yogurts and desserts;
egg shell;
silicone molds for baking;
glass goblets, wine glasses, glasses and glasses;
children's pastries;
figured forms for ice cream;
tin and glass coffee jars;
empty cans.

The only requirement is that the mold material must withstand heating up to 100°C.

Another interesting option- pour candles into beautiful transparent glasses. They will not be available, but they will look very stylish and unusual.

Sometimes scented candles are made in tangerine or orange peel. The fruit is pre-cut in half and the pulp is carefully removed. You can also use large shells or coconut shells.

Dyes

A white candle is elegant but boring. Naturally, the question arises of how to color the paraffin in order to obtain bright decorations interior.

For lovers of candle making, it is best and cheapest to take wax crayons for children's creativity. Would you like to receive a special candle? Look for mother-of-pearl crayons - your creation will be unique.

Do not try to use water-soluble gouache or watercolor - you are in for a fiasco. The dye will inevitably settle to the bottom or fall out in flakes. The finished product will look very unpresentable.

Dishes for melting paraffin

In order to melt the paraffin, you will need a small saucepan for a steam bath and an iron bowl. Experienced craftsmen recommend heating paraffin in a steam bath, considering other methods, including a microwave oven, to be fire hazardous.

We recommend that you first also use this method, proven over the years: place a bowl of paraffin in a container of boiling water. If the candle is planned to be colored, add the chalk immediately and mix the melted mass several times to obtain a uniform color.

Flavors and decor

Any materials at hand are suitable for decorating candles. First, decide on the topic of your work. Pebbles and shells will effectively complement the candles in nautical style. For the New Year theme, use beads, small cones, small decorative balls, ribbons and bows. Decorate candles for Valentine's Day with hearts, sequins, bows, dried flowers, coffee beans, etc.

It is best to scent homemade candles with essential oils, which can be purchased at the nearest pharmacy. Another option is to find vanilla cinnamon in your kitchen. It is worth adding flavors to melted paraffin at the very end, after staining.

Step by step master classes

We bring to your attention a selection of available master classes that will help beginners learn the basic techniques and techniques of work. If you already know how to create candles with your own hands, you can draw interesting ideas from them for implementation in your work.

coffee candle

Do you want to create a romantic mood? Light a coffee candle - its divine aroma will take away all worries, leaving only good mood and serenity. It is especially pleasant in rainy autumn or cold winter. And it is also a great gift for any occasion and even without.

For work you will need:

paraffin;
whole coffee beans;
two plastic cups or boxes of different sizes;
wick holder - teaspoon, wooden stick or plastic coffee stirrer.

If you did not find paraffin, take household candles, you can also get a wick from them.

Crush the paraffin into small pieces with a knife to speed up the melting process. If you took store-bought candles, gently crush them the blunt side of the knife so as not to damage the wick.

Place the paraffin in a glass jar and lower it into a pot of warm water. Heat the water over low heat until the paraffin is completely melted in the jar - it should become transparent.

At this time, prepare the form for pouring. In a larger plastic cup (or whatever shape you have), place the smaller one filled with water first. There should be a fairly wide space between the walls of the cups. Pour coffee beans up to half the height between the walls.

Pour the melted paraffin into the mold to the level of the grains, wait 10 minutes. Then pour the paraffin up to the edge of the mold and let it harden completely. This will take about an hour.

Carefully pour the water out of the inner beaker and remove it from the paraffin ring. Lower the wick into the workpiece so that it reaches the bottom of the glass. Tie its upper end to the holder and place it on top of the glass, centering the wick.

Pour melted paraffin into the middle of the candle. Place a few grains on top for decoration. Now, until the candle completely solidifies, you will have to wait 4-6 hours.

Carefully remove the frozen candle from the glass. However, it can be cut with scissors to facilitate manipulation.

If you want the grains to be more visible, blow the sides of the product with hot air from a hair dryer. The paraffin will melt and the surface will become embossed.

It turned out to be an excellent aroma candle, isn't it? Do you want to make it even more romantic? We invite you to create heart-shaped candles using the same technology, which will become an unforgettable gift for your soulmate for Valentine's Day or a birthday.

Do you have any questions? Watch a detailed video of creating a fragrant coffee candle and you will see that everything is even simpler than it seems at first glance.

rainbow candles

Want to add to your home bright colors? Interior rainbow candles will help you with this. self made.

To make them you will need the following ingredients:

paraffin;
stearin;
cylindrical shape;
dyes corresponding to the colors of the rainbow.

You will get more detailed information from the detailed video tutorial. For beginners, it shows all the stages of preparing a candle mass and creating a gradient transition of colors.

Multicolored candles in layers

Spectacular multi-colored candles in a transparent glass will be the highlight of your interior. How to make them, see our master class, illustrated with step-by-step photos.

Another one interesting idea- square multicolor candle. Wax pencils are also used for its coloring. If you are a beginner, be sure to check out the clear video tutorial, with its help you can easily make such a cool craft for a gift to friends and family.

Openwork candles

Decorative candles can be of the most diverse design, because talented craftsmen never tire of impressing with their imagination and creative experiments. In support of these words, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the method of making an unusual openwork candle.

For work you will need:

paraffin;
optional coloring and flavoring;
wick and holder for it;
cylindrical shape;
small ice cubes.

Melt the paraffin in a water bath. If the candle is supposed to be colored, color the candle mass, if you wish, you can also scent it.

Set the wick in the mold so that it reaches the bottom of the mold. Do not forget to fix it on top of an impromptu holder. Pour in crushed ice, not reaching a couple of centimeters from the edges.

Pour the melted candle mass into the mold. Leave the workpiece until the paraffin has completely cooled. In this case, naturally, the ice will melt, and cavities will form inside the candle.

Carefully drain the water and remove the product by pulling on the wick.

Be careful, this beauty is quite fragile and requires careful handling. Such an unusual openwork candle will be a wonderful present for your family and friends. If you use paraffin from old candles for work, get this beauty for free.

You will receive visual instructions for action from detailed videos creating openwork candles. After viewing them, you can independently make such beauty at home.

Video #1:

Video #2:

Option number 3: And if you think about it, then surprise them with a handmade red openwork candle. It will be an unforgettable gift and will bring into the house a sense of celebration along with the Christmas mood. See the work of the master and be inspired by your own masterpieces.

massage candles

The main ingredient for creating a massage candle is soy wax. By adding useful components to it, you can get a product that has healing properties. It no longer acts as a decor, but as a home cosmetic product that makes the skin soft and well-groomed.

Healing properties of essential oils:

Essential oil will help rejuvenate the skin and cleanse the pores lemon.
orange oil has an anti-cellulite effect.
Rose oil stimulates the regeneration of skin cells and promotes skin elasticity.
Clear the skin of age spots and make it smooth rosemary oil.
Oil does a great job of moisturizing. patchouli.
lavender The oil will delight you with its healing effect.

Solid vegetable oils are also added to massage candles. For example, cacao butter used to moisturize and tone the skin. And with its regular use, cosmetologists promise you smooth and delicate skin.

Exotic can save dry skin from peeling Shea Butter. Coconut oil, rich in natural antioxidants, can smooth the skin.

The general algorithm for creating a massage candle:

melt the wax with solid oils in a water bath;
let the mass cool slightly and add liquid oils;
cool the mass a little more and add essential oils, extracts and vitamins;
pour the resulting candle mass into the mold, after inserting the wick into it;
wait for the candle to harden completely and remove it from the mold;
the hardened candle is ready for use.

We offer you the most common recipes for effective massage candles.

Recipe #1

soy wax - 85%;
avocado and shea butter (aka shea butter) - 5% each;
patchouli essential oil - 2.8%;
essential oil of ylang-ylang - 2%;
vitamin E - 0.2% (a few drops).

Light the finished candle and let it melt a little. Put it out. Put some warm wax on your hand and you can arrange a rejuvenating massage session. Do not be afraid to burn yourself - the melting point of such a candle is much lower than that of paraffin.

Recipe number 2 "Massage candle with a calming effect"

soy wax - 80g;
shea butter - 40g;
almond oil - 40g;
cocoa butter - 20g;
essential oils of sage and lavender - 2 g each.

A massage session of such candles is best arranged before going to bed. The calming effect of essential oils will help you relax and fall asleep soundly.

Recipe number 3 "Massage candle with anti-cellulite effect"

beeswax - 100g;
cocoa butter - 60g;
ground chili pepper - 5-10g;
essential oils of orange and grapefruit - 3 g each.

Make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients in the suppository. After the massage, you may feel a burning or tingling sensation, which is associated with the presence of chili in the composition.

Regular massage will help get rid of the hated “orange peel”, make the skin soft and supple.

We decorate candles using decoupage technique

If you do not have a dye, but want to create something bright and memorable, do not be discouraged. The simplest candle made from cinder can be turned into a work of art. To do this, you need to have a little patience and decorate the product to your liking.

Candle decorated with dried flowers

Dried leaves, stems and flowers will help you create an exclusive candle, which will be almost impossible to repeat. The use of natural materials is limited only by the local flora and your imagination. That's when the skill comes in handy in full.

For work you will need:

any dried flowers;
2 candles - for decoration and regular;
tea spoon;
tweezers;
nail scissors;
paraffin for final coverage.

From the dried flowers you have available, compose the composition that you want to bring to life.

Over an ordinary burning candle, heat a teaspoon ( internal side over the fire, because the spoon will turn black a little, and in order not to stain the candle, then we will carry out all the manipulations with the other side of the spoon).

Attach a dry flower to the candle to be decorated and gently iron its petals external side of a spoon so that they melt to the paraffin and do not stick out. Thick stems may need to be ironed several times while heating the spoon.

Excess stems that extend beyond the candle, carefully cut with scissors.

Glue the rest of the elements in the same way, choosing the desired location for them. Make sure that the edges of the leaves and petals do not stick out.

It remains to fix the result. Melt the paraffin in a water bath, pour it into a container into which you can completely dip the decorated candle.

Holding the candle by the wick, dip it into the melted paraffin, set it on a flat surface and let it cool. If the petals were not smoothed well and protruding tips remained visible, repeat this procedure again.

Such an elegant candle will conquer any heart and will not be left without attention. Complete it with a beautiful candlestick and it will become a unique decoration of your home.

Decoupage candles with paper napkins

The desire to decorate a candle could come instantly, but there are no dried flowers at hand. In this case, you can do with paper napkins. With their help, you can easily decorate a candle for any holiday.

Choose a napkin with the pattern you want. Cut out the desired elements from the napkin. Carefully remove the two bottom layers of paper from the resulting blanks. Further, the principle of operation is similar to decorating with dried flowers.

Attach the prepared element to the candle and iron it with a hot spoon. Sand the cooled surface with the rough side of a regular kitchen sponge. It is not necessary to immerse the candle in melted paraffin with this method.

Your masterpiece is ready. Make a beautiful arrangement of candles in the New Year's style, fir branches and colored balls. It will bring good mood and holiday atmosphere to your home.

Photo design ideas

Want even more ideas for inspiration. Browse our selection of decorative candles. You are sure to find one that you want to repeat immediately.

We were able to convince you that it is possible to create unique masterpieces even from improvised materials? That is why candle making has become a favorite pastime for many beginners and not only masters.

Original form templates:

Now you know what candles are made of and how, you can get to work. Do not try to use the photo you like as a template and an unconditional ideal. Get inspired finished works to create your own unique candles. A little diligence and perseverance - and your masterpieces will already be a role model.

Candles are over 2,000 years old. The first mention of the device dates back to the 1st millennium BC. In ancient China and Japan, wax was extracted from sumac seeds. It is a shrub that bears fruit in the 5th year of life. Plants of younger age were not suitable for creating wax, because they had not yet given seeds.

By the beginning of our era, candles based on animal fat were invented. A wick was dipped into it, sticking around it layer by layer. The wick itself was made from tow, cotton, timothy or milkweed stems. You can make a candle yourself now. How? More on this later.

Making a candle wick

To make a candle at home, you should start with the wick. For him, buy a natural cotton thread. Her vivid example is “mulina”. This material for embroidery is in any sewing shop. For a candle with a diameter of 2-7 centimeters, about 15 single threads are required. For a product with a diameter of 10 centimeters, 24 threads are taken, and for a souvenir with a width of more than 10 centimeters, 30 threads are woven.

But, the diameter of the candle is not always an indicator of the thickness of the wick. There are models that burn out only partially. Such products only partially consist of combustible materials. The core burns out, leaving an intact contour. The calculation of the power of the wick is made taking into account exactly the paraffin, helium, or wax part. Wax does not require a tight twist of the wick threads, but for paraffin and helium samples, a tight twist is required.

The wicks are crocheted, braided, simply twisted. All options are valid. In order not to waste extra time, even ready-made parts from household candles are used. To make your own candle, you can soak the threads in advance, or you can simultaneously fill them.

Determining the shape of the candle and setting the wick

In the question of form, the author's imagination plays a decisive role. Any containers made of plastic, metal, ceramics are suitable for him. Paraffin is poured into table cups, teapots, metal tubes, boxes, yogurt cups. If there is a paper label, it is removed. The cellulose may catch fire during the process.

It is most convenient to work with plastic containers. They are recommended for beginners. In the day plastic container easy to make a hole. A wick is inserted into it. On the outside of the glass, the threads are tied in a knot. It will nullify the flow of stearin, or paraffin, through the hole. The hole is made with a thick needle.

A toothpick, wire, any crossbar is placed on top of the glass. The second end of the wick is tied to it. Thus, its position is fixed. The threads should stand straight, in the middle of the container. Otherwise, the candle will burn and melt unevenly.

Candle coloring

How to make a candle color? A simple and affordable way is wax crayons for children. They are easily mixed with the material of the lamp, unlike gouache and watercolor. These dyes are created on a water-soluble basis.

It is impossible to evenly distribute them in paraffin. Highlighting elements are required exclusively on a fat-soluble basis. Interestingly, lipsticks are one of them. Therefore, some crafters use old, unwanted lip patterns when making candles.

Among children's crayons for candles, soft samples are ideal. In specialized stores, salons for creativity, tableted dyes are also sold. The granules are specially designed for those who meditate, how to make candles with your own hands. Tablets have a much wider range of colors and shades than wax crayons. True, store-bought supplements are more expensive.

Pouring a candle

Usually, tin cans are used to melt the wax. They are well washed and slightly flattened. A trough is formed from which the paraffin flows in a thin stream into the mold for pouring. The container for canned food is convenient, but, in principle, any dishes, except glass, will do.

In addition to a container for melting paraffin shavings, you will need a saucepan. Water is poured into it, brought to a boil. A jar of paraffin is placed in the bubbling solution. Fragments of unnecessary candles should be approximately the same in quality.

The molten material is poured into a pre-selected mold with a wick in place. First, the bottom is filled. If you pour everything at once, a lot of wax flows out through the hole in the bottom. When pouring in layers, the “escaped” material is collected and sent back for remelting. This is the answer to the question how to make a candle at home with minimal cost.

After pouring, the candle cools down, hardens at room temperature. Placement in the refrigerator is fraught with uneven solidification of the material.

If the candle came out a little rough, it is placed under hot water for a few seconds. So the contour is leveled, melted. But, sometimes roughness is the author's idea. Deciding how to make your own candle, many craftsmen deliberately choose forms with a ribbed surface.

It is most convenient to fill “upside down”. That is, the head of the candle, as a result, becomes a wick tied at the bottom of the container. The top of the fill becomes the base of the product. In this case, it is not necessary to separately fill the recess next to the wick at the top of the bowl. It is almost always formed in the process of settling, solidification of wax.

In addition to standard, scented candles are also poured. In this case, odorous mixtures, ethers are added to the melted material. They are thoroughly mixed with paraffin before forming the product. As a flavor, ordinary coffee beans, cloves, or cinnamon from home cooking are suitable. Dried slices of lemons, oranges, limes are also placed in paraffin.

If we need to blow something up and not get injured, then we need to ensure the harmless detonation of the pyrotechnic charge. The most primitive way to do this is to make a fuse, one that we can light at a harmless distance. Here are a few methods for preparing the wick.

Instruction

1. Bickford cord. We take ordinary insulation from the wire or several straws for drinks fastened together. We fill them with crushed heads from household matches, gunpowder or other combustible mixture. This method is comfortable because our wick will not be able to blow out the wind. Even if it rains, he will not be able to soak such a wick. So that the "stuffing" of the Fickford cord does not burn out too quickly, it is allowed to tamp it. If we didn’t have gunpowder and nothing else besides matches, we can spare ourselves the need to scrape the heads off the matches. We break them off primitively, lay them out in a row and wrap them with tape.

2. Jute wick. We take a jute rope, soak it in a solution of sodium or potassium nitrate and dry it thoroughly. The wick is ready for use.

3. Stopin. In order to make such a wick, we also need a jute rope, but shabby cotton is also allowed to be used. We soak a not too thick rope in a solution of saltpeter, dry it. But that is not all. Now we will mix the organic glue with the powder pulp. You should get a homogeneous thick mass. Through this mass we need to stretch the rope. When everything hardens, the wick is allowed to be used.

4. Hunting matches themselves serve as a wonderful wick. They do not go out and burn for approximately 20 seconds. But so that our charge does not detonate ahead of time, it is necessary to monitor the sparks flying off the matches.

5. Poplar fluff. extraordinary summer version wick, from the fact that poplar fluff is allowed in June. But making a wick out of fluff is easier than everyone else and nothing needs to be impregnated. Primitively we will collect fluff, take it and wrap it inside with a folded tube of newspaper or paper.

You will need

– Zippo lighter;
- the latest wick;
- sharp scissors;
- screwdriver;
- tweezers or tweezers.

Instruction

1. It turns out that even the well-known lighter, which will burn invariably and everywhere, also needs to be taken care of. In particular, she needs to change the wick. Yes, Zippo advertises that the wick will last forever, but if gasoline is not the purest, the impurities it contains can cause the wick to burn. When ignited, the wick may spark, or it may not ignite immediately at all - this means that it is time to change it.

2. Try to pull the wick up a little with tweezers (finally, at a non-burning lighter). When the wick stretches up a little, cut off the upper part with scissors - the one that protrudes above the edges of the windshield.

3. If this procedure does not help, or if you decide to replace the entire zippo wick, first of all, pull out the lighter-insert. To do this, with one hand, grab the windshield - the upper protruding part of the lighter, and with the 2nd - the lower part of the body. Now look at the bottom of the insert. Did you see the screw head? It is he who holds the wick. Loosen the screw carefully.

4. Now it is allowed to remove the felt pad from the insert. After that, using tweezers, remove the cotton filler and the old wick from the body. Take the newest wick and thread it through the insert, carefully insert it from below into the hole, pick it up with tweezers from above and pull it up.

5. When inserting the cotton filler back into the body of the lighter, place the long part of the wick between its layers. Carefully cut the top of the wick flush with the edge of the windscreen.

6. Replace the felt valve and secure the structure with a screw. The screw must be tightened sufficiently so that the lighter is coolly inserted into the body. Before inserting the lighter into the body, check that the flint is free in place. If there is a need for this, insert the newest flint. Assemble the lighter and see if it opens and closes nicely.

Advice 3: How to make a panel of poplar fluff depicting a kitten

Poplar fluff is an annual misfortune of cities where poplars are planted in large numbers. During his “departure” there is no escape from him anywhere! If you show imagination, it is allowed to use poplar fluff with benefit and pleasure - for example, for the manufacture of genuine panels. Soft and fluffy white fluff is beautiful natural material for creativity!

You will need

- thick dark paper - the basis of the panel; ideally - black velvet paper or cardboard, but it is also allowed to use a dark blue, dark chestnut or dark green base;
- a photograph or a picture depicting a kitten;
- a blank sheet of paper and a sheet of carbon paper;
- chalk or white pencil;
- scissors;
- glue stick;
- small cosmetic tweezers;
- clean and dry poplar fluff, de-seeded;
- frame with glass (optional).

Instruction

1. Put a carbon paper and a photo or picture on a blank sheet of paper. Transfer the silhouettes of the image of the kitten onto a blank sheet of paper, not forgetting the eyes, nose, mouth. Cut out the resulting silhouette; carefully cut out the eyes with small scissors. It turned out a sample for the panel.

2. Apply the sample on a dark base, with the support of chalk or a white pencil, circle the silhouettes of the sample, strictly draw the silhouettes of the eyes.

3. First make the eyes of the kitten. Poplar fluff flagella are used to make silhouettes. In order to make them, you need to take a small ball of fluff, stretch it and roll it between your fingers to the state of a rope. Apply a small amount of glue to the eye area and carefully apply a poplar flagellum along the silhouette. To make pupils, roll up small balls and fix them with glue inside the silhouettes of the eyes.

4. The torso and head of the kitten are made as follows: the silhouettes are circled in the necessary places with glue, and after that flagella from fluff are superimposed. Inside the silhouettes, the surface of the base is also smeared with glue, and after that, with the help of tweezers, fluff is laid out. The more fluff, the whiter and furrier the kitten will turn out. The muzzle is two loose balls rolled from fluff. It is allowed to “draw” the nose by pushing the fluff to the sides reverse side tweezers or the tips of scissors. Whiskers and claws on paws are made of flagella.

5. Lastly, it is allowed to make a landscape: grass, clouds, etc. In order to fix the image, and also so that the panel does not gather dust, it is recommended to insert it into a decorative frame with glass.

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Note!
In a similar way, it is allowed to make an image not only of a kitten, but also of another animal: a dog, a bunny, a polar bear and other white-colored animals, and not only animals - what fantasy tells!

At the current time, the production of candles at home has become famous. The necessary thing for this is a wick. It is allowed to extract it from ready-made, store-bought candles, but it is not always of great quality. Consequently, it is allowed to make a wick with your own hands.

You will need

Thick cotton thread (twine, tourniquet or floss is also suitable) about 30 cm long
Salt - 2 tablespoons
Bura - 4 tbsp. l.
1.5 cups of water
Utensils for soaking
Dishes for melting wax
paper clip

Instruction

1. Pour one and a half glasses of warm water into a cup or other dish, dissolve 2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt and 4 tbsp. l. Boers. Soak the thread or tourniquet in this solution for 15 minutes.

2. After soaking, hang the thread on a clothesline to dry clothes in a dry room. In order for the thread to dry completely, let it hang for five days.

3. Melt the wax in a specially prepared dish. Secure the thread with a paper clip. Dip it in melted wax 3-4 times. It is necessary that the future wick be completely covered with wax. Later, hang it up again on a clothesline to dry. In a few minutes, the handmade wick will be ready.

4. To make a candle, cut the required length, not forgetting the reserve. It is allowed to keep the finished wick rolled into a skein.

5. To create a colored fire, one teaspoon of chemicals can be added to the mixture for soaking the wick. Let's say strontium chloride will give a red flame, table salt - clear yellow, borax - yellow-green, potassium nitrate - violet.

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Note!
When creating a wick with a colored flame, it is impossible to apply several chemicals at the same time, because. it can cause a chemical reaction.

If you have oranges or lemons and obscene candles at home, then make genuine candles from them to decorate your home and ceremonial table. Their production will take a little time at all, and the result will certainly please you.

You will need

- oranges or lemons;
- candles or paraffin;
- kapron thread.

Instruction

1. Cut the orange into two identical halves and carefully scoop out all the pulp with a spoon. You won’t need it much more, so you can squeeze juice out of it or eat it easily. It is allowed to use not only this fruit, but also lemon, tangerine or grapefruit. The result is a half, similar to a saucer. Now take paraffin or candles, put them in a saucepan and melt over a hefty low heat or in a water bath.

2. Make a wick from a slice of kapron thread, its length should be slightly larger than the height of your candle. It is allowed to take already prepared wicks from candles that have been melted if they are suitable in height. Then with one hand hold the wick in the middle of the “saucer”, and with the other hand carefully pour melted paraffin into it. It is necessary that a small slice of the wick remains on the surface. Wait for the paraffin to harden, this usually takes a few minutes.

3. This candle looks amazing on the table and has a great smell. If desired, it is allowed to lay out a few stars of cloves or slices of cinnamon along the edges of the peel. It remains only to light a candle and arrange a romantic dinner. Do not forget about safety precautions when using a candle, be careful with fire.

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As you know, candles can be made at home. Basically, they are all made from paraffin. Now I bring to your attention a water candle. Make it much faster and much easier. Go!

You will need

– water;
– sunflower oil;
- stack;
- a candle;
- plastic bottle;
- stationery knife.

Instruction

1. First you need to cut out plastic bottle a circle equal to the diameter of the stack. After that, take a clerical knife and make a small hole in the middle of this circle.

2. The next step is to pull the wick out of the candle. This can also be done with the support of a clerical knife. After that, take a perforated plastic circle and stick a wick into it. For this, it is allowed to use a primitive rod from the handle.

3. Now we pour water into the stack. After that, we pour vegetable oil there. Its layer should not exceed 5 millimeters.

4. After that, we take a circle with a wick inserted into it and wipe it thoroughly so that there are no traces. Then we put it in a pile of water and vegetable oil. Your candle is ready! It is allowed to try to set it on fire. Is it on? I think how! Luck!

Helpful advice
The candle will stop burning when the oil runs out. If this happens, diligently pour it into the water candle, pulling out the plastic circle with the wick in advance.

Do you want to create romance in nature? But there is nothing at hand. From a dilapidated bowl and a candle, you can create a unique designer accessory, one that will delight you and your companions on a chilly evening.

You will need

- A dilapidated hiking mug;
– Candlestick;
– Blue acrylic paint;
- Matches (toothpick);
– White acrylic paint;
- Clear varnish for fixing.

Instruction

1. Take a mug, rinse, clean. Dry thoroughly. Cover with blue paint. Leave to dry for 2-3 days.

2. Using a match or a toothpick, apply small white or yellow dots - these will be stars. Dry thoroughly.

3. Cover your product with clear varnish. Insert a candle inside. Ready! Enjoy the charming romantic mood while the candle wick is smoldering.

Gel candles add originality and mystery to any interior. They will create a romantic atmosphere and serve as a good present. Making gel candles with your own hands is very easy. In the presence of imagination, they will turn out to be not almost trashier than those sold in stores. In addition, the production of candles is an interesting process, to which children can also be involved.

You will need

Glass cup, small vase or flask
Decor: shells, pebbles, beads, etc.
1 st. gelatin spoon
1 st. l. glycerine
1 glass of water
Mug or bowl
Saucepan with water for a steam bath
Pencil, pen or stick
Essential oil
Food coloring
Wick (it is allowed to make independently, buy ready-made or extract from an ordinary candle)

Instruction

1. Mix glycerin and gelatin in a mug or other bowl, pour into a glass cold water and leave for 1 hour. During this time, the gelatin will swell.

2. In a glass, the one that will later be a candle, put decorative elements, say shells. When you wake up to fill with liquid, they can float up, therefore it is allowed to stick them on superglue or pour a gel mixture into them and force out the air. Lower the wick into the glass and fix it on a pencil or stick so that it stays even.

3. Heat the mixture on a steam bath so that the grains of gelatin are completely dissolved. Care must be taken that the solution does not boil.

4. After that, add a few drops to the gel mixture. essential oil and dye. These ingredients are not indispensable, they are allowed not to be used.

5. Carefully pour the mixture into the glass with decor, making sure that the wick remains in vertical arrangement. After this, you need to leave the candle for a while, let it harden.

6. Check and make sure the mixture has set. DIY gel candle is ready!

Related videos

Note!
The amount of essential oil should match the size of the candle. It is allowed to add about 5 drops to a small glass.

Helpful advice
To speed up the process of solidification of the candle, it is allowed to put it in the refrigerator.

Despite the abundance of electrical appliances, candles are still popular, and if you want to make a candle with your own hands, then you need to know how to make a candle wick. Candles give a special mood during the holidays, they can create a special atmosphere during a romantic dinner, and candles can also come in handy during a power outage, from which no one is immune. You can buy a candle in a store, or you can try to make it yourself - any shape and size, with different decorative elements or flavored. But before you start making a candle, you need to make a wick.

The wick is a kind of capillary through which the molten candle mass enters the combustion zone. Each type of candle has its own wick. The texture and thickness of the wick may depend on the thickness of the candle, on its material, on the color, its filling with decorative particles, and much more. For example, there are candles in which only the middle burns out, while the walls remain intact, and their own types of wicks are used for them.

For each candle, the wick is selected by trial and error, and sometimes you need to try several options. It should be remembered that a too thin wick will constantly go out, and a thick wick will smoke and the candle will melt strongly.

Usually the wick is woven from cotton threads. They can be twisted, braided and even crocheted, optimal view weaving is selected based on the characteristics of the candle. If the candle is made of wax, then thick loose threads are used as a wick and they are not tightly intertwined, while for other candles, on the contrary, thin threads and tight weaving are used to avoid soot. This is due to the viscosity of the molten candle mass: for a more viscous wax, wide capillaries are needed, and lighter paraffin, stearin and various fats need thinner capillaries, otherwise, due to an excess of combustible material, the candle will smoke very much.

Typically, the wicks are impregnated with sodium nitrate solutions, namely:

30 gr. slaked lime, 8.5 gr. sodium nitrate and 550 ml. water;
5 gr. ammonium chloride, 5 gr. sodium nitrate, 10 gr. borax and 5 gr. calcium chloride is dissolved in 500 ml of water.
1 gr. ammonium chloride, 1 gr. sodium nitrate and 700 ml of water;

Make homemade wicks and as follows: dissolve 2 tablespoons of table salt and 4 tablespoons of borax in one and a half liters of warm water and lower cotton thread or twine of the desired thickness into the solution for 15 minutes. The soaked wick is suspended and allowed to dry for 5 days. Then a paper clip is attached to the wick and dipped in melted wax 3-4 times until it is completely covered. After that, the wick is also suspended until completely dry. Store finished wicks wrapped in newspaper.

threads. You can make a wick according to the factory recipe. In industrial conditions, it is woven from cotton threads. At home, you can braid them with a pigtail, just twist or crochet the rope. It all depends on the candle in which the product will be used. If it is made of wax, then it is recommended to use thick, loose threads for the wick. There is no need to bind them tightly. Tight weaving can be safely used for all other types of candles. This will avoid soot during their use.

Impregnation. If you managed to make a wick out of a thread, you should soak it with a solution. The following compounds are most often used:

slaked lime (30 g), sodium nitrate (8.5 g) and water (550 ml);
ammonium chloride (1 g), sodium nitrate (1 g) and water (700 ml).

If it is difficult to find such components, then you can use a simpler recipe. To do this, 20 salts and 40 g of borax are dissolved in 1.5 liters of warm water. Then the threads are lowered into the solution, and aged for a quarter of an hour. Next, they need to be hung up and kept for 5 days, then dipped in melted wax and dried well. Store the wicks in newspaper.

Saltpeter and gasoline. If you need to make a firecracker wick, you will need to purchase a thin rope and soak it for several hours in kerosene or gasoline. Then it is pulled out, wrung out, dried and it can be used for its intended purpose. It is worth knowing that making a wick according to this recipe is not difficult, but it burns out almost instantly (1 m in 6 seconds). It is better to buy saltpeter in the store, prepare a saturated solution and soak the rope in it. The burning speed of such a wick is 10 cm in 3 seconds. Poplar fluff. Few people know that a wick can be made from materials that are underfoot. To do this, you should collect poplar fluff in the season. When you need to make a wick, you should put it in a newspaper and roll it up. Such a product can be safely used for firecrackers. The wick made using this technology quickly burns out, so you need to have time to run back to a safe distance.

Making a candle wick

To make a candle at home, you should start with the wick. For him, buy a natural cotton thread. Her vivid example is “mulina”. This material for embroidery is in any sewing store. For a candle with a diameter of 2-7 centimeters, about 15 single threads are required. For a product with a diameter of 10 centimeters, 24 threads are taken, and for a souvenir with a width of more than 10 centimeters, 30 threads are woven.

Determining the shape of the candle and setting the wick

It is most convenient to work with plastic containers. They are recommended for beginners. It is easy to make a hole in the bottom of a plastic container. A wick is inserted into it. On the outside of the glass, the threads are tied in a knot. It will nullify the flow of stearin, or paraffin, through the hole. The hole is made with a thick needle.

Candle coloring

Pouring a candle

After pouring, the candle cools down and hardens at room temperature. Placement in the refrigerator is fraught with uneven solidification of the material.

If the candle comes out a little rough, it is placed under hot water for a few seconds. So the contour is leveled, melted. But, sometimes roughness is the author's idea. Deciding how to make your own candle, many craftsmen deliberately choose forms with a ribbed surface.

Someone is trying to acquire skills that will help them survive in a global catastrophe. Someone just found a new hobby. And someone managed to turn this hobby into a profitable business, creating real works of art. What is it about? About independent From this article you will learn how to make a wick from threads.

Required Part

If you can still achieve some variations in the material for creating a candle, then you will not succeed in eliminating one of its components. It's about the wick. About that, at home, we will talk further. And now just consider what kind of important thread this is.

Origin of the wick

It may seem logical that the wick should be contemporary with the candle, but it is not. Candles appeared a little later. About fifteen centuries later. At first, wood chips were used as a wick. Later they guessed to use pieces of cloth. This was in those days when candles had not yet been invented, and for lighting they used small bowls with a liquid combustible substance (mostly fat), which were mercilessly smoked and smelled disgusting.

However, if you think that the wick is the simplest particle that can be made from anything, then you are deeply mistaken. It is not as simple as it might seem. In order to know how to make a wick with your own hands, you must definitely understand how and why it burns.

Processes in the wick

In order for a wick to be of high quality, it must consist of several interconnected fibers. This is important in order for capillary forces to come into play, which raise the liquid fuel to the source of combustion. At the molecular level, a candle wick serves as a kind of pumping substation, which allows, among other things, to better saturate the liquid with gas. As a result, the vapor pressure increases and decreases. All these processes, of course, take place at a microscopic level, but this does not make them less interesting. And their understanding will help to make a high-quality wick, the most suitable for a single product.

What can a wick be made of

Throughout history, people tried to make a wick with their own hands from everything that burns. Thin wood chips, pieces of fabric, braided threads and even compressed poplar fluff - this is an incomplete list of materials.

Today, the most reasonable option seems to be the use of cotton thread or fiberglass. The fundamental difference between these materials is that the cotton burns out completely, while the fiberglass wick remains. If suddenly you have a legitimate question about who needs it and why, then, perhaps, you are not aware of a new fashion trend - the manufacture of figured candles with a frame. You bought, for example, a candle in the shape of a cute cat, and when it burned down, you find a frame in the shape of the skeleton of this same animal. Some connoisseurs of such ideas are simply delighted.

When thinking about how to make a candle wick, pay attention to the fact that its size and diameter must be selected in accordance with the size of the candle itself. If it is too thin, it will simply go out. And if it is too thick, it will smoke mercilessly. In automated production, these parameters have long been calculated. But when you make a candle wick with your own hands, most often you have to achieve the desired proportion through trial and error.

Another trick is that a long wick smokes too. And as the fat, wax or paraffin burns, it inevitably lengthens. In the Middle Ages, this problem had to be dealt with manually. The houses always had scissors with which they cut off the ends of the wicks. They were called so - wick scissors.

In our time, this problem was solved in a very original way. The candle wick (which in the vast majority of cases is a thread woven from fine fibers) began to be made using the asymmetrical weaving technique. As a result, the tip bends to the side and burns out completely on its own.

How to make a wick at home

If your candle will be made from wax, you will need a thick wick with a loose (not tight) weave. If paraffin or various fats will serve as the starting material, the diameter of the wick should be small, and the individual threads should be twisted quite tightly.

This is done because these substances have different viscosities. In order for the wax to successfully rise through the capillaries of the wick, sufficiently wide passages will be required. If the same ones are left for less liquid paraffin, then it will simply lack the necessary traction, and the candle will burn dimly, unevenly, or even go out altogether.

Required impregnation

When you make a wick for, remember the need to impregnate it before direct use. This process is not particularly laborious. However, it will take time, since the impregnated wick must be thoroughly dried.

Impregnation is carried out so that the wick burns better and less sagging of wax or paraffin is formed.

Solutions can be used in various ways. Here are a few options.

For 500 ml of water: 5 grams of ammonium chloride, 10 grams of borax, 5 grams and 5 grams of calcium chloride.
For 550 ml of water: 30 grams of slaked lime and 8.5 grams of sodium nitrate.
For 700 ml of water: 1 gram and 1 gram of sodium nitrate.

The wick is immersed in the solution for at least 15 minutes. And then hung out to dry. It is recommended to dry the blanks for at least five days.

Among home craftsmen, a solution that requires fewer specialized chemicals is popular. And although it is somewhat inferior in quality to the mixtures described above, but since we are still talking about how to make a wick at home (trying, as far as possible, not to turn the house into a branch of a chemical office), we will consider this option.

It is done as follows: take 2 tablespoons of ordinary table salt (not iodized), add 4 tablespoons of borax there and stir it all in one and a half liters of warm water. When the solution becomes homogeneous, you can send blanks of wicks there for soaking.

For better preservation of the wicks, after complete drying, they can be additionally impregnated with melted wax. To do this, dip them in pre-melted wax three to four times. After this procedure, the wicks must be dried again. However, waxing is needed only if you want to prepare your material for the future. The wick will be able to perform its direct function in the candle you have made without this final touch.

Wide field of activity

Once you have figured out how to make a wick at home, think about where you can apply it. In truth, working with candles is a very exciting activity. And from a cute hobby, it may well transform into a decent source of income.

Candles come in different types. The most simple - economic. Their only function is very mundane - to provide light in the event of a power outage. They have the simplest cylindrical shape and a boring translucent white color.

Table candles are already more attractive. In their manufacture, various dyes are used. Their shape varies from cylindrical to twisted. Such candles may well serve as an important element in creating an atmosphere for a romantic dinner.

They are made with the addition of substances that have a pleasant smell. In some cases, they can also be used in aromatherapy. Thus, you can not only improve your mood, but also improve your health.

Gel candles are also very popular these days. Firstly, because they are unusual, secondly, because they are beautiful and, thirdly, because they burn absolutely without any smell. It's easy to make them. All you need is a transparent container (preferably in the form of a bowl), some colored sand, beads or decorative figurines (this already depends on the flight of fancy), a wick and a molten gel mass, with which the composition is poured.

So keep it up! All in your hands.

There are several ways to make a candle wick, the easiest of which is to soak a cotton or jute cord in the same wax that you use for pouring candle molds. When the wax begins to bubble or foam heavily, then it's time to pull out the wick, straighten it and lower it into the water. After dipping in water, lay the wick to dry on paper or another clean surface.

The second method implies that you have boric acid and salt, which you need to mix 2 to 1 in a glass of water. Our wick is soaked in this solution for 12 hours. After everything dries, the wick can be cut into pieces of the desired length.

More complex wick formulations

5% slaked lime, 1.4% sodium nitrate (sodium nitrate) and 93.3% water;
1 gram of ammonia and 1 gram of sodium nitrate per 700 ml of water;
1% ammonia, 1% sodium nitrate, 2% boric acid, 1% calcium chloride and 95% water.

How to make a wick of the right size

If you are using a cotton base for the wick, then you need to know how to weave it. Some compositions require denser and thinner wicks, while others, on the contrary, are thicker and looser.

Wax needs a thicker and "loose" wick, while stearin or paraffin requires a tighter and not as thick wick.

Kerosene lamp - indispensable assistant on a hike for lighting when there is no flashlight or his batteries are dead. She is not afraid of either wind or frost, she will help to light the way at night, to give illumination when the fire goes out. True, you need to keep in mind that this is a source of non-directional lighting, and it will not work to illuminate the road further than one or two meters. If the consumable is over, making a wick for a kerosene lamp is easy to do with your own hands, just like the lamp itself.

The wick for a kerosene lamp should consist only of natural fibers. It can be a lace, a cotton piece of fabric, a piece of an insole with a cellulose composition, a sock. Woolen fabric is not suitable for this role.

Lace wick

To create the simplest wick, you need a wire from 1 mm, a cord from natural material. If there is no lace, you can twist a piece of cotton fabric several times. One end of the wire must be clamped with pliers, and begin to wind it in such a way that you get something like a spring with a diameter of 1 cm with five or six turns and a distance between them of 2 mm. Last turn should be wider than the rest, it will hold the entire spiral with the cord in vertical position. The other end of the wire is crochet. A cord is inserted into the wire, its end (5-8 mm) is clamped by the upper coil. Then it is placed inside a glass jar with oil, which should be saturated with a wick, the hook is thrown over its edge. For the holder, you can pull out the ignition cord.

In the past, kerosene lamps contained asbestos wicks. Today it is little used, since asbestos releases a large amount of carcinogens during combustion. It was replaced by cotton wicks. Therefore, it is easy to find a replacement for factory wicks today. The main thing is that they do not contain artificial fibers, since the fabric will spark or melt, in addition, they must be woven from several rows of threads so that the wick is well saturated with fuel and keeps the fire for a long time. The weave of the fabric allows the flame to travel up the microcapillaries more easily. If you make a wick of twisted cotton fabric, it will burn faster, kerosene will evaporate faster and linger less in the fibers.

The simplest, “camping” version of making a wick is from a sock. To do this, it must be twisted to a sufficient thickness so that it does not burn out immediately. The top of the wick should not form a fringe. It must be completely saturated with kerosene or oil, lowered into an ordinary tin can. Using an old sock as a wick, you can make oil sludge. kerosene lamp with your own hands from an ordinary light bulb. To do this, you need to carefully open the copper disk on its base and remove the central part with pliers. It may not be possible to remove it entirely, then you will have to take it out in parts, breaking it with a screwdriver. The main thing at the same time is to preserve the integral glass surface of the lamp. If the lamp has an internal white coating, it can be removed with salt, a tablespoon of which must be poured into the bulb and shaken. The fastener for the wick will be a disc cut from an aluminum can. Make a hole in the center of the disk. A narrow strip is cut from the old sock, while it should not crumble into fibers, it can be twisted. The filter is threaded through a hole in the aluminum disk, and its long end is lowered into the light bulb. You need to fill it with kerosene and wait until the wick from the sock is completely saturated with it. He should look out of the flask by about one centimeter, otherwise he will smoke. In order to be able to pull up the wick as it burns, its end is fixed with a wire twisted into a spiral. So that it does not smoke, it is recommended to moisten it with vinegar before installation.

An alternative to a fabric wick can be a carbon one. To do this, take a piece of charcoal, process it, giving it the shape of a little finger 2-3 cm long. In this case, the wood fibers should be located along the wick. After that, the workpiece must be impregnated with heated paraffin to give strength. Then the coal is wrapped with metal foil, which will not allow it to burn with a large flame. One part of the wick must be left open, protruding 5 mm above the foil. Further, a holder is formed from the same foil, paper clip or wire, which is wound around the carbon billet. The end of the holder is hooked to hang on the edge of a glass container with oil. In the walls of the foil wrapping the coal, you need to make holes for fuel to access the wick. It is desirable that the open surface of the coal is on the same level with the fuel. The homemade lamp is ready, you can set fire to the charcoal wick.