How to Make Pressed Botanical Flower Candles
Friday, November 21st, 2008
Making your won candles is a great way to save money and ensure you have quality ingredients in your candles as well. But if you want to add flare to those home made candles the best way is to add the flare to the outside of the candles. If you use items such as botanicals or leaves or even some metal objects.
If you use botanicals or leaves it is pretty simple to achieve a pressed candle effect. Here’s how it’s done.
First you want to start with a plain pillar. You want to choose a tall pillar, something large than a tea light. Taking that pillar, you can either make it yourself, or purchase one at a local craft store. It’s best to use a light colored pillar or a pastel colored candle, so that your botanicals can be seen through the candle. Or you can choose a darker shade of pillar for lighter colored botanicals and cover them with a lighter colored wax on the outside. Either way, the best chance of getting the effect you want is to experiment with different shades and colors.
Once you have you pillar chosen, you can either take botanical cuts from your own garden or purchase some from a local flower vender or florist. If you choose not to use real flowers, you local craft store will have fake ones that look as thought they are real.
You want to heat a small, light colored candle wax block over medium high heat and once the wax is melted, turn the heat down to low. You don’t want the wax to boil at all. With a small toothpick, dip it into the wax and place it on the pillar where you want the botanical to rest. Then place your botanical on top of the wax droplet. Once you have placed all the botanicals where you want them, hold the pillar by the wick and dip into the wax several times. Allow the pillar to dry completely on wax paper and that’s all there is to it.
This is the prefect time to make these pillars, so you can give them as gifts for the holidays.
