making gel candles

[LynnS]

I make soy candles, tarts votives.I have a friend who wants me to make gel candles for her son's wedding.I did her nephew's wedding(soy) a couple years ago and now her son's.The problem is I am clueless about gel.How do you make them?Just like a regular soy candle.I am afaid the heating of the gel should not be as hot as soy wax???Someone please help me and also might want to do a embed with these candles.I think she has something in mind along that line too.

Thank You,

LynnS

[Luci]

I do lots of gel candles. Depending on the gel supplier, most come with instructions as to temperature, etc. I started out by getting the 7 lb bucket at Michaels. It runs @ $30 there, but I would use a coupon for 40% off or when it was on sale. I had lots of orders for Christmas with various themes. Postitioning embeds that "float" can be a pain waiting, etc. I got a lot of other info on different websites about bubbles, etc. I'll post a pic of one that I did for a raffle if I can find it.

[LynnS]

Thank You as this is altogether different to me.Who knows I might just add to my other items or NEVER EVER do them again.That is "IF" I can get it this time with trial and error.

Just kinda to me something that is hard to work with and really I think she wants embeds.I found hearts but seems she found something else.

Hope you find your pic.I guess I will be trying Michaels for gel wax.I do know about time for sales there with craft shows starting for fall.I want to get some warmers.

LynnS

[Luci]

Can't find the raffle candle right now. Think it's on another computer. However, I have a few gel pics at http://photos.yahoo.com/lucidownsouth if you're interested in seeing some other things besides the traditional gel in a container.

[jazzbo848]

gel candles ae not like soy or paraffin.

here is some basic info:

http://www.biomax1.com/html/candle_tips.htm

scroll down to bottom of page

and

www.silkytyme.com

under gel candle instructioins.

you do have to be prepared to test wick sizes for the containers. if they are going to be near food while lit, i would strongly reccommend no fragrance. but if you are going to scent them, you must use non-polar scents.

i have a wedding section on my photo album at

www.picturetrail.com/candleheart48

hth,

cheryl

[Vicky_CO]

Pretty much what those ablove me said but I will add you are going to be heating your gel hotter than soy.

Check out these links

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2957

http://www.gelcandlemaking.com/

http://www.rusticescentuals.com/aboutgels.html

[Luci]

gel candles ae not like soy or paraffin.

here is some basic info:

http://www.biomax1.com/html/candle_tips.htm

scroll down to bottom of page

and

www.silkytyme.com

under gel candle instructioins.

you do have to be prepared to test wick sizes for the containers. if they are going to be near food while lit, i would strongly reccommend no fragrance. but if you are going to scent them, you must use non-polar scents.

i have a wedding section on my photo album at

www.picturetrail.com/candleheart48

hth,

cheryl

Cheryl, I looked at your pics before & enjoyed looking again! Your scenes are beautiful! A couple of questions, if you don't mind. Those oblong containers with the golfer and shark scenes--where did you find them and approx how long are they? I love what you did with that golfer set. I had that set and used it when a friend asked me to do a candle for a golfer. Mine wasn't anything as wonderful as yours! What do you have on the right side that looks like a cliff from the pic? Is that craft sand on the bottom that you have looking just like a putting green and the water? I love it!

[LynnS]

WOW this is interesting.Alot of wicks to test.I did great the first times with soy and no problems.Just did more FO than needed and now see this is going to be a much bigger challenge.Also the different scents to use (non polar) or no scenting around food.Going to do alot of reading with all that I have been given.I did talk to my supplier and they do not sell gel wax because of a problem they had with a gel candle.Tipped over,caught the tablecloth on fire and went traveling down the table.This was at a family gathering.Now I don't want this at a wedding.I already had a talk with my friend and she said"So it can happen with a soy candle"(Fire).

At least I have some time for this and maybe she will change her mind.It is the son I guess saw a gel candle.I am going to see how they came about wanting gel and not soy.

All of you know what you are talking about but not sure I want to do gel candles for one thing and never do it again. And then again I might like doing them.Might sell good and like doing them.

The thing is I waited 6 years to make candles because I lost my home to a fire.negligent work by 3 companies and when I would read flash point etc I was intimidated.So 6 years after that soy was more popular and read on that.After that started making soy candles.

Off to read, read and read more.

Thank You,

LynnS

[Luci]

LynnS, One reason I buy fo from Aroma Haven is that I know I don't know a lot & I'm lazy! Their fragrance list tells whether each is gel, body, and soy tested. Helps me so much with that. I've gotten to where I don't buy unless it's safe for all so that I can keep them straight. I think some of the other fo suppliers have that same kind of chart, just can't recall names right now. Also, I read an article a while back about why gel got a bad rap. Can't recall where but you could probably do a couple of searches and read some stuff to put your mind at ease about it. I personally don't think that it's dangerous. Just like bathroom cleansers and a lot of other stuff--got to take certain precautions. After all, the frozen pizza boxes have to warn you not to eat the packaging!

[jazzbo848]

Cheryl, I looked at your pics before & enjoyed looking again! Your scenes are beautiful! A couple of questions, if you don't mind. Those oblong containers with the golfer and shark scenes--where did you find them and approx how long are they? I love what you did with that golfer set. I had that set and used it when a friend asked me to do a candle for a golfer. Mine wasn't anything as wonderful as yours! What do you have on the right side that looks like a cliff from the pic? Is that craft sand on the bottom that you have looking just like a putting green and the water? I love it!

luci,

thanks for the compliments.

i only had a few of the oblong containers and it was a few years ago. i am afraid that i don't remember where i got them, but i think i found them through a florist's glass supply. they were aprox. 5" x 2".

the bottom of the candle is all sand that i got from rustic esscentials or biomax. the thing that looks like a cliff is a ceramic pine tree.

cheryl