Things seem to go in cycles, and what was once old becomes new again. I think we’re seeing that with home candle making. I recently visited a page (Home Candle Making) that made it pretty clear.
It used to be that people had to make candles at home if they wanted to be able to have light in their home after the sunset. Home candle making in the past was a rather unpleasant task. It involved first rendering animal fat into tallow(rendering involve heating animal fat an perhaps adding some lye). No one would want to burn a tallow candle today. They were smoky and smelled bad.
Candle making moved out of the home with the development of paraffin and the Industrial Revolution. Once people could get cheap commercially made candles, home candle making fell by the wayside.
Eventually, incandescent electric lights have become the preferred way to light our homes, but that doesn’t mean we no longer use candles. However, most people no longer make their own.
Candles are used is today in rituals, such as religious services, weddings, and of course birthday parties. People also use them in their homes because they enjoy the ambience created by the flickering candlelight. And of course candle light is always associated with the romantic dinner, whether at home or out at a fancy restaurant.
So candles have always remained popular, even if no longer purely utilitarian. For a long time, almost everyone bought candles rather than make them. That’s starting to change. This wonderful great is increasing in popularity and home candle makers are producing delightful candles that are every bit as good or better than commercially made candles.
In fact, in many ways a homemade candle is superior to a purchased one because the chandler (candle maker) can personalize their creations.
If you want to try making a candle at home, the simplest way to get started is to make a rolled candle using a purchased sheet of wax. This is a good way to start because it is so simple and you don’t even need to melt the wax. you form a candle from the wax by rolling it tightly around a wick.
Once you try that method, you can expand your repertoire to other techniques. A good place to find out how is: How to Make Your Own Candles. That site also offers a free candle making mini-course that’s well work signing up for.
If you think you’re interested in trying candle making, probably the best resource I can point you to is Home Candle Making Made Easy. That ebook is filled with insider tips and secrets that will make you an expert in no time.