Making a Gel Candle

Gel Candles are not easy... haha but they're a neat project! And I was feeling crafty...

So I saw the stuff to make one at Hobby Lobby and thought I'd tackle this thing.

I started with a bucket of candle gel, a wick, candle fragrance, and a cool jar I got as a gift.

The first thing I did was glue the wick into the jar so it would stay when I poured the gel in. I also measured how much gel I needed by measuring how much water could fit in the jar, leaving about 1/2 - 1 inch of space from the top. I actually ended up using the whole tub!

Then I made my own double boiler so I could melt the gel slowly without it burning.

Supposedly the hotter the gel, less bubbles will appear in the candle so they say not to exceed 225 degrees but being in Colorado, it's not going to get much past 200 anyways due to the altitude.

I broke up the gel into little pieces so it would melt faster and evenly.

I kinda chopped at it the warmer it got so I could break it up into smaller pieces.





So then you wait...

And keep waiting...

It was not too long after this when it got smoother and I added about a 1/2 teaspoon of the fragrance to the gel and kinda stirred it.

Then you pour it (carefully! man it goes everywhere BUT!) into the jar. I had to hold the wick off to the side while Nathan poured it in. After we poured it, I tied the wick to a pencil to keep it straight while it cooled.

So that was it! It was scary at first but once it got going, it was pretty easygoing! I think next time I might add some candle dye and maybe some beads or something?



But for now, I'm just going to enjoy my cute little candle.

:-)