Multi-colour / stripey container candles advice

[Octo]

Hi there, 

I've been making container candles with my daughter for around a year now, have been keeping it pretty simple and have previously had some great advice from here - so am coming back for some more!

 

We are going to make some candle gifts for Christmas and have ordered some supplies. One of our scents in Candy Cane, I asked my daughter what colour she wanted to do these ones - "red and white stripes" - a curve-ball I wasn't expecting!! So my questions are - 

 

1/ To achieve this, do I need to let each layer cool before doing the next? Ie red wax pour as normal, but just say 1/5th of the container not the full thing. Let that cool then add a layer of white wax. Let that cool then reheat red wax so its pourable. And repeat.. (sounds like a faff!!)

 

2/ What would happen if I got the red and white wax ready to pour at the same time - would I in effect end up with a pink candle? - or would it be a cool random red and white marble effect? 

 

I only have a pretty small amount of Candy Cane scent so didn't want to have to do too much trial and error with this, so anyone with experience of doing multicolour candles they can pass on, it would be much appreciated - thanks!

 

[birdcharm]

I think that red dye is one of those colors that seems hard to control, and you may end up with pink and red if you attempt to layer it in a traditional way.  You might try making some "crumbs" in a tray that are red, maybe add a little something to make the red wax a little harder wax than the white, then pour it like a chunk candle by pouring the white over the red pieces.  You might be able to do this in segments to get stripes, but I'd use a heat gun each time to get the glass warmed, as wet spots and lines between the layers could present themselves otherwise.

[birdcharm]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:26 AM, Octo said:

"red and white stripes"

 

How about making those stripes go vertically with a bit of smudge to them?  That might work better.  Try a small one without scent so you don't waste your limited amount of fragrance oil.  Pour in white (don't fill entirely) and let it set up, poke vertical holes down against the glass and take a little stick with some dye on it, tunnel the stick into each hole (applying more dye each time), then over pour in white ... see what happens.  I think this might form some vertical lines in red against the glass.