Candle making accessories add a level of creativity and function to your candles. Making your own candles is already a way to unleash your creativity. Not only does it make your candles look visually appealing, but it also heightens the overall candle-making experience. Not everyone can create gorgeous-looking candles with visually appealing colors and designs. It is also an overall challenging experience, especially for those who have no experience making candles back then. Candle-making accessories can make your candle-making life much easier without any hassles, and they can count towards the overall candle-making experience.
Candle Jars and Bottles: Containers with Class and Substance
One of the most important candle-making accessories is jars and bottles. These containers are meant to hold and protect your candles from getting dirty, chipped, damaged, or any other type of damage that may ruin their appearance. You can never go wrong with a good jar or bottle. Choosing a good container for your candle is important because it counts towards the overall visual appeal of your candle.
You have to consider many things when choosing the proper container for your candle-making project. You must choose a jar or bottle that fits your candle’s overall design for it to look more appealing. You need to avoid choosing a container that sticks out too much and does not fit with the overall theme.
These containers may be made out of glass or plastic, and your choice of the container should depend on what type of candle you are trying to create. Candle jars and bottles come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from wide-mouthed jugs to tall, slender bottles and even narrow flasks. It all depends on the design of your candle.
Pillar Candle Containers: Perfect for Pillar Candles
If you are planning to make a pillar candle, you will need to pick up some good pillar candle containers. Many molds can also work as candle jars if they are large enough to hold the size of your intended pillar candle. Still, molds are not always sufficient when they do not provide the proper type of container for your pillar candles.
You must use a container that can properly hold and support your pillar candle in one place. Pillar candles, by nature, are bigger and heavier than regular candles, and they need to be kept in their own special containers since your traditional glass jars may collapse under the weight of the candle.
Depending on what you like best, you may choose from different pillar candle containers such as plastic or metal colanders, cans, or flower pots.
Color Dyes: Give Your Candles That Pop of Color
Color dyes are also very important as candle-making accessories because they can give to your candles. Of course, you will have colorful candles to heighten your creativity and aesthetics. Candles are still decorative items, so they should look decorative enough, and color dyes can give you that.
The dyes you use for coloring your candles should mainly depend on your preference. You can pick colors that match or contrast with the overall design of your candle. It is also good to use color dyes that match the season because this would make your candles look more festive and appealing. Color dyes are classified into two: liquid dyes and color chip dyes.
Liquid dyes are preferred because of their ease of application and your ability to easily control the thickness of the color. While these dyes do not produce any type of chips or chunks, you can still achieve that with color chip dyes if you mix it with a gel candle dye that produces chips that attach to your candles.
I have written a couple of articles about my recommendations for the best color dyes for paraffin and soy wax candles, which you can read here and here, respectively.
Color Chip Dyes: Attract Attention and Bring Your Candles To Life
Using color chip dyes is also an excellent idea since it can bring some detail and texture to your candles, especially if you use larger pieces on the surface area. There are many different colors available for you to choose from and many techniques such as dipping and brushing.
You can also dip your wick in wax before you put it in your candle container to make the wick stay in place. You can also use a small amount of wax melted with a double boiler or by using a heat gun on low heat and drizzling it on top of your candles for a more polished and shiny look.
Whatever type of candle-making accessories you choose, always remember to first consider what type of candle you want to create and then choose your containers accordingly so as not to ruin their overall appeal. When choosing colors or dyes for coloring, be sure that they will match the design and theme of your candles.
If possible, try creating different types of candles with different types of containers just so you can know which ones give more “pop” than the other.
Liquid Candle Dyes: Adding Variety to Your Candles
Whether you are doing votive candles, pillar candles, tea lights, or even container candles, it would be helpful to add some liquid candle dyes on top of your melted wax to provide more color variations and fun designs. Remember that white is not the only color that you can use for your candles.
There are many different types of colors that you can get for your candle-making activities, so it would be best if you try experimenting on the more common varieties like red, blue, green, and yellow first before trying any other crazy color combinations.
However, do bear in mind that mixing different colors together might not always end up well, but this is what makes using liquid candle dyes fun after all since there are some instances when they create unexpected results.
Heat-Proof Containers: Temperature Should Matter
If you are planning to melt the wax to create your candle, you will also need heat-proof containers. Many molds are not heat-proof, so picking up some heat-resistant storage containers may be necessary if you want to avoid unwanted accidents during the process of melting down waxes.
Again, these materials serve different purposes, so what kind of container you choose will depend on what you will use them for. For example, suppose you are using the container to store some stuff. In that case, something more durable may be necessary. At the same time, molds can also serve as storage containers depending on their size and how they are made.
However, when choosing containers to melt waxes in, always remember that safety is more important than durability, so try getting heat-proof containers instead of glass jars or cans which you know would break because of exposure to high-temperature levels.
Hair Dryer: Get That Professional Look for Your Candles
This is an unlikely accessory for candle-making, but hear me out. With a hairdryer, you can easily get rid of bubbles and smooth out rough spots so you can get your candles to look more symmetrical or polished.
If there are areas where your candles are not well-formed or look messy, then do not hesitate to grab your hairdryer. Just remember not to use the high setting on your hair dryer because this might melt your candles too quickly and cause them to deform.
Candle Molds: Give Your Candles That Shape for Substance
There are many different types of candle molds that you can use depending on the type of design you want your candles to have, but if possible, choose molds that have a flat bottom. This way, you will not have to drill holes in your container, so as much wax as possible can be displaced and captured by your wick.
You should also remember that the larger the mold is, the more wax it needs. This would affect how much fragrance and dye you can put in it without making it too expensive for mass production purposes.
Candle-making accessories such as molds contribute greatly to how well or poorly your candle will turn out, so always take extra precautions when using them for safety purposes.
Heat Gun: The “Un-Meltable” Candle-Making Accessory
If the temperature of your hair dryer is not high enough to melt down waxes, then you can always use a heat gun. This tool is specifically designed to emit very high heat that will allow you to easily melt down waxes and make them pliable without causing damage to your candles.
Just remember to keep your heat gun moving instead of concentrating on one area because it would be less likely for the areas you are working with to deform or become misshapen.
For better results, try using a heat gun together with a mold so as much wax as possible will drip off naturally from the shape of your mold and well-ulated wick. This way, you will get more refined and well-rounded candles.
Candle Scissors: Your Wick Deserves a Good Snip
When people talk about candles, they usually forget the wick and focus more on the wax. But your wick is just as important as the wax because only together will they provide the light for your candles. So it would be helpful if you also get yourself some candle scissors to snip away loose ends or potentially dangerous areas of your wicks.
When choosing candle-making accessories such as a set of scissors, make sure that these are not going to melt from the heat of the flame. Try getting ones with a little bit of thickness to them so they won’t break easily during cutting.
Candle scissors come in handy because it would be hard to cut the wick of your candle when they are inside the containers already using your regular pair of scissors.
Dried Flowers and Fruits: A Touch of Nature for Your Candles
Adding dried flowers or fruits to your candle-making activities would give your candles a more natural touch. This is why if you are trying to create your own signature style for your candles, you will want to surround yourself with dried flowers and fruits that you can use both as ingredients or just as embellishments.
This way, you will be able to easily experiment with different types of scents since whatever scent the flower or fruit has might affect the fragrance of your candle in some way. There are many great ideas on how you can make unique-looking candles using dried objects, so it would be advantageous if you also try doing this at least once.
As for safety purposes, make sure that whatever materials are added to your wax are non-flammable. You can use old house plants or fruits that are no longer crunchy for your experiment but be sure to keep them away from the wick because the wax will drip down onto it and might cause a fire hazard.
Candle Mold Release: Keeps Your Candle Molds in Top Condition
When you are pouring melted wax into your molds, make sure that you have some candle mold release at hand to prevent your molds from being damaged by the heat of the wax. Different types of forms come with their own specific type of mold release so check out what they offer before making any purchase decisions.
The important thing about using mold releases is protecting the material used for your forms and making sure that your molds do not warp while you are pouring the wax in.
Also, keep in mind that whatever type of candle mold release you get should be appropriate for the material used for your molds. It won’t cause any chemical reactions to your mixture, which might affect either its appearance or performance.
Candle-Making Kits: Everything You Need to Get Started on Candle Making
If you want to make candle-making as easy as possible, getting yourself some good-quality candle-making kits would come in handy, especially when you haven’t had any previous experience with this craft.
These kits usually come complete with all the materials and tools you need to get started with candle makings, such as molds of different shapes and sizes, wicks of various thicknesses, scents, colors, and even colors pre-measured ingredients for your melted wax.
The only downside about getting a kit is that it might limit your options when choosing the types of items included in it, so you will have less leeway in trying out things if you opt for kits instead of buying separate supplies on your own.
But overall candle-making kits are great starting points, especially if this is something new for you because they already come with some good instruction manuals.
Candle Wax: A Variety of Colors, Scented or Unscented
Melted wax is one of the key components of candle making, and choosing different types of wax would come in handy as this would allow you to experiment with different kinds of fragrances and colors.
You can choose from either paraffin or soybean since they are both known for their clean-burning properties and the fact that they do not emit any strange smell during their burning process.
However, if you want a more natural-looking candle, then made out of vegetable wax is something that you should consider instead because it burns slower than traditional waxes and gives off a subtle aroma at the same time. There are many other varieties available, too, so if these two do not work for you, then perhaps checking them all out would be worthwhile on your part.
I have written several articles about different kinds of waxes that you can use for the candle-making projects that you can read here, here, and here.
Wick Tabs for Candle-making: For the Perfect Wick Every Time
Wick tabs are one of the simplest tools to use for your candle-making projects because all you have to do is clip them onto the wicking material. The tabs are made out of durable metal that does not rust or corrode easily, perfect for candles used often.
The best part about using wick tabs is that they come in different shapes and sizes, which allows you to adjust them depending on what type of container or mold you will be using. You can simply attach the tab once you have inserted your wicking material into its designated form without any hassle at all.
Other than adjusting the size of your wick when necessary, there is nothing else that you need to worry about since these things work perfectly well in keeping your wicks nice and secured in place so they will not fall over while your candle is being used.
Candle Wick Holder Bar: Make Your Candle Wick Stand Upright
Wick holders are some of the simplest accessories that you can use for your candle-making projects because they do not require any special skills at all to attach them to your molds.
They come in different lengths depending on what type of container or form you will be using but regardless of their dimension, they all work pretty much the same way by ensuring that your wicks stay upright. At the same time, you pour your melted wax into its mold.
Wick holders are made of durable metal that does not rust easily and is very easy to handle since it will flex to accommodate whatever shape or size you need.
Simply clip this onto the end part of your wicking material before putting it into place, then turn it until it locks into place. It is as simple as that.
Candle Mold Sealer Putty: Protect Your Candle Molds
Sealing molds are another important accessory you need to have for your candle-making projects because they will help protect the inside of your molds from damage. These things work by using a soft, pliable putty that seals up all of the cracks and crevices on the insides of your mold, which prevents melted wax from leaking out past its designated areas.
This is important to remember, especially if you are not planning to pour in more wax afterward. This way, no matter how much pressure or heat gets applied onto your mold, there will be no chance that any of this would seep through the poorly sealed areas, which could cause permanent damage to the form itself.
Not everyone appreciates this accessory, but trust me, you will need it. The only downside with this kind of sealer is that it is not reusable, so if you are using the same mold for multiple candle-making projects, you would need to purchase another one separately. Thank me later.
Candle Making Wax Holder: A Safe Place to Store Your Supplies
The last thing on our list of best candle-making accessories is perhaps one of the most useful tools that you can have because it provides a secure place to store your supplies while they are not in use.
There are several different kinds of wax holders available, so regardless of what type or kind of container or utensil you will be using for your candle-making project, there is sure to be something that would work perfectly well with all of them.
There are ones that feature individual compartments and others that come with a large base that you can store a lot of supplies on. Suppose you are the type who likes to do multiple candle-making projects simultaneously. In that case, you need to have this thing in your work area because it will save you a lot of trouble when you are looking for supplies every time you sit down at your table.
Suppose you are planning on using different types or colors of wax for your project. In that case, this would also come in handy since it will keep each type of wax separate from one another, so there’s no risk that they might get mixed up into one container. That is definitely not something anyone would want to deal with after all.
Other Candle Making Accessories You Might Find Useful
Other accessories that you might find functional for your next projects include ribbons, gold flakes, artificial pearls, and so much more. You can use these to decorate your candles or give that aesthetically pleasing edge that your friends and family will surely love.
Remember that when you use these accessories, do research on how to use them properly to avoid any accidents that might injure you or your candle recipients.
Get Ready to Make Your Own Candles
These candle-making accessories are very important because they make your life much easier and more comfortable. Candle-making should be seen as a therapeutic and healing hobby, so you should not be stressed out in any part of candle-making. Let these candle-making accessories help you out with your projects and be the star of everyone’s gift-giving sessions.
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