We preppers are always on the lookout for things we can do for ourselves. We milk cows, grow gardens, make cheese, split wood, go off-grid, grind grain and make anything we can think of.
Many years ago, I tried my hand at candlemaking. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the anti-crafter. I don't have the patience to make Readers Digest Christmas Angles or Styrofoam wreaths, but I love making useful things. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I can or make cheese or make soap.
My first candle experience was wonderful, but I had less than desirable results. I made hand-dipped beeswax and tallow candles, but they were too soft and dripped terribly. I have been able to make 100% beeswax candles that are wonderful, but beeswax is very expensive and I really wanted to be able to give candles away for Christmas.
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| My beautiful 12 place, antique taper mold! |
I am on a mission! I am going to try various beeswax, tallow and alum combinations until I come up with the perfect candle.
My first attempt was 1oz. beeswax to 2ozs. tallow to .5oz. alum (bought in the spice aisle of your grocery store - it is a hardening agent). I first combined the alum with enough hot water to dissolve the crystals. Then I combined the beeswax, tallow and alum in a microwave safe bowl, melted the ingredients and poured them into my taper mold.
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| Weighing the tallow |
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| Pouring wax into the mold |
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| Holding the wick in place |
Where do you get our tallow? I have about 20 pounds of beeswax, but never thought of combining it with anything else to make it stretch. I need to make some candles for our Christmas "journey". I need 25 candles. I have less than half of what I need. My first attempt was hand dipping, they turned out really well. I would love to get some molds like you have though. Those look great. I look forward to hearing how it does after completely hardening.
ReplyDeleteLove that candle mold. That's a nice candle-making aid.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, my mother would melt down the nubs of crayons and make candles with them. I don't remember if they dripped or smelled funny or had a long burn-time, but I know my mother was always trying to make the most of whatever she had. She was not a crafter, either, but like you, she was a very savvy re-purposer. My father was, too, in his own ways. They were young adults during the Great Depression, so they knew that a penny saved was a penny earned.
Yes, please do let us know how your candle recipe works. It could be another entry for your cookbook. I'm serious!
NoCal Gal
I found a candle making mold that "looks" just like yours, but I am wondering if the light weight of it (it feels like aluminum) is right for an antique, or should I expect that it's a modern reproduction? The price is rather dear, and I don't want to be taken in.
ReplyDeleteIs yours a lightweight metal? Or, is it something more substantial? Please let me know.
Thanks,
Melody