Make gel candles yourself is so simple

You want to make gel candles yourself and are still looking for inspiration? Then you are right here! Here you can learn how you can make a beautiful gift for yourself or a dear friend from candle gel.

Outside it's foggy, cold and really uncomfortable. Time for a little fragrance and candlelight. So it can stay nice in the apartment and watch the weather out the window.

So that your friends also have something of it and you conjure up a joy in their faces, I'll show you how you can make gel candles yourself.

It's really not difficult. And by the way, you don't have to give the candles away, of course, you can keep them all yourself. Winter is still long :). And good scented candles you can never have enough.

Whatever you choose, here you will learn how to make transparent candles from gel yourself.

By the way, did you know that gel candles burn longer than ordinary candles? If you want, also completely odorless.

What you need to make gel candles yourself

Let's quickly clarify a few things you should know before crafting. Especially if you've never made gel candles yourself, you should take the time.

First of all, get lots of newspaper. It's best to line the whole table with it, in case you want to use candle gels, essential oils or Food coloring*, it's not so bad.

How to succeed scented candles from old wax scraps!

A wick for transparent candles

There are round, square, waxed and unwaxed wicks. And then they also come in different lengths and thicknesses.

A wick for making candles yourself you can order in large quantities on Amazon or if you do not need so many, buy in the craft store around the corner.

You should use very thin wicks if your glass has a diameter of about 5 cm. All glass sizes beyond that need a stronger wick. This is the only way that the gel can burn cleanly later.

If in doubt, use a wick that is too thick rather than too thin. In very large jars come three wicks, which also looks pretty nice.

You need to match the wick to the glass. So it's best to think about which glass you want to pour the candle into first and only then look around for a candle wick.

A jar for the gel candle

To make gel candles yourself, you will of course also need a vessel into which you will later pour the candle.

For this you can buy one or simply take a used jam jar. But do not forget to measure beforehand whether the wick is long enough for the jar. Also, the opening of the jar should be the same size as the jar. If the glass is bulbous and has only a small opening, it may be that the candle gets too little oxygen and does not burn.

Or how about a candle in a wine glass?

Transparent candle gel

Transparent candle gel is the basis for this tutorial. I ordered a bucket of candle gel from Amazon. It does not go bad and does not dry out. The only important thing is: put a lid on the bucket - the gel magically attracts dust.

Those who wish can work with Soap color* bring a little color into play. But be careful not to use too much, otherwise you won't be able to see much of the decoration. However, a very slight shimmer of color can look beautiful if the decoration in the candle matches.

But of course you can also Food coloring* or wax crayons. Whichever you choose: The color must be in the gel when you melt it in the water bath.

Scent and decoration

Essential oils provide fragrance in the candle. You can use the same oil that you normally use for natural cosmetics or the fragrance lamp. It is worthwhile if you study a little which oil has which effect on the body.

You can also combine different essential oils with each other. But most of the time: less is more.

You can use a lot as decorations - from coffee beans to dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks to shells, stones - just about anything you feel like.

But Beware of flammable decorative materials!

You can use pretty much anything you like as decoration. But be sure to place flammable materials on the side of the glass, and never near the wick. If in doubt, do not use combustible materials - the same applies to plastic. Burning plastic can release dangerous vapor.

This is how essential oils work and how you use them properly!

Which is wiser: put the wick in the candle before or after?

It depends a little on your wick and the decoration. There are wicks that have a foot plate at the end. It stands firmly in the candle and prevents the wick from falling over. I always take such wicks, but there are also some without a foot.

Wicks with a base plate must be placed in the glass before you pour in the liquid wax. Wicks without feet can also be added to the transparent candle wax later. To do this, wait until the wax is solid and cool the wick in the refrigerator. Make a hole in the candle with a wooden skewer and insert the wick into the candle.

If you have a wick with a base plate, you can reuse it next time. Once the candle has burned down, you take the plate out of the glass and can attach the new wick in it. I have been doing this for a long time with my personal candles. So I could make five gel candles myself from one little foot and it will probably hold five more candles.

What else you need to know

You'll also need a saucepan, a bowl or smaller pot for the water bath, a clothespin or wooden skewer.

And that's it. It is almost more effort to think about which decoration and which fragrance to use than the actual gel candle making itself.

Very important: Always heat the candle gel in a water bath and not directly! It must not get more than 120° Celsius, otherwise it may start to burn!

Why you should make gel candles yourself

Well, would you have guessed that it is so easy to make a candle out of gel? You don't even need much material. If you like it very minimalistic, just take a wick, a glass and the gel.

Nothing stands in the way of your personal designs. You can design the candles according to your preferences and let your imagination run wild.

Make gel candles yourself is suitable for any occasion. Whether birthday, baptism, Christmas or simply as a small gift.

Decoration ideas for transparent candles

You would like to make your own gel candles, but you are not very creative or just really have no idea?

In such moments I always look around on Pinterest. Here you can find thousands of ideas and inspirations :)

But I have already collected a few here for you

Sand, stones and shells

For all those who can never get enough of summer, this variant is perfect. Colorful decorative stones or brightly colored craft sand make just as good as souvenirs from the last stand visit.

Next time take a tupperware box to the beach and collect what you like. When you light the candle, you will be able to reminisce.

If you decide to use sand, you must be especially careful when pouring the hot wax, otherwise the sand will not stay at the bottom of the glass. It is easier to place the sand first and then put shells over it, they prevent the sand from spreading everywhere. It is even easier if you take small stones instead of sand.

Several colorful layers for transparent candles

With a lot of effort, but also beautiful to look at are homemade gel candles, which consist of different layers of paint.

Here it is important that you let each layer cool completely before you pour on the next. Make sure that you do not choose colors that are too dark, otherwise transparent candles can appear almost black with the many colors.

You can also create the first layer with sand, the next with muscles and the last with stones and that without soap colors. Again, the layers must first solidify before the next one follows. The larger the glass, the more options you have.

Most of the time, however, less is more. Do not overdo it.

Flowers and greens

Make gel candles yourself can also be beautiful colorful, if you look around the garden. If you have dried a lot of lavender. Lavender flowers* into the gel. This also has a very fragrant smell.

It is important that the flowers are dried. You can also Lavender flowers* and lavender leaves, Rose petals* or opt for violets. Choose what you like.

Coffee beans, cinnamon stick and co.

If you want to do a coffee fan a big favor, incorporate coffee beans into the candle. However, I've noticed myself that coffee beans are very unpredictable when it comes to homemade gel candles.

While some remained dutifully at the bottom of the glass, others floated to the surface. But it still looks beautiful. And in the end, it's all about the scent :)

For coffee candles, be sure to refrain from using other essential oils. The small beans are very intense in smell. The same applies to Cinnamon*.

Those who have a large glass can Cinnamon*, coffee and dried orange slices. Pine cones also work well.

My conclusion

Making gel candles yourself is anything but difficult. It is only important that you work cleanly and quickly. Do not stir the gel if you want to avoid air bubbles. Think well in advance which smells and decoration fit together, then nothing can go wrong :)

Good luck and enjoy your homemade candles!

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