Kaiti Bee Creates

As a rookie candle maker, I made the mistake of not worrying about the specific temperatures during my processes. When I melted my wax, I pulled it off the heat the moment it was all liquid, without checking the temperature. When I added my fragrance oil, I added it immediately, without care for the temperature. Now, I am here to tell you that temperatures DO matter in candle making! You don't want your wax too cool or too hot when you add your fragrance.  Based on my research, as well as my personal experience with candle making and wax melt making, temperatures matter. First of all, the ideal temperature for adding your fragrance oil to your melted wax is when your wax has reached about 170 degrees Fahrenheit. You can add it as low as 160 degrees, and as high as 185 degrees. Some things to be aware of while deciding when to add it is if your fragrance oil has a particularly low flashpoint. When you add the fragrance oil, be sure to slowly and thoroughly stir it so as to m

Fun fact: There are many different kinds of waxes that you can use to make candles! Before starting to learn about candle making, I thought all candles were made of the same thing: whatever wax was used in store bought candles. I didn't give any thought to the possibility of toxins being released, or of the environmental impact candles might have. Here, I will provide you with a list of different types of waxes to use, and benefits and challenges with each of them.  Paraffin Wax This is the wax that the vast majority of store bought candles are made out of. There are actually reasons that it is commonly used. First of all, it is relatively easy to come by and inexpensive, which allows large companies to be able to mass produce paraffin candles with ease and little cost. It is more rigid than other types of wax, which means that it is a perfect fit for taper candles as well as pillar candles. It gives a nice even burn. The downside of paraffin wax is that it is the final byprod

Today we are going to be talking about the different types of candles you might come across. When I began researching candles, and how to make them, I already knew about most of these different types. Some of them though, are new to me and I haven't yet seen them anywhere besides pictures.  1. Votive candles Votive candles are something that you are likely to be familiar with. You can find them almost anywhere that candles are sold. They come in a variety of colors and fragrances. Typically, they are round and only a few inches tall. They do not generally come in a container, but they do need to be burned in some kind of container. This is because the type of wax that is used generally gets completely melted while the candle in burning, and ends up essentially filling out to the edges of the container. If you were to burn these simply on a plate, you would end up with a mess. 2. Tealights These are another common sight. Tealights are small, round, and generally come in

Hello once again readers, As you probably have realized, I love crafting. Though, I am not the type of crafter who generally focuses on one genre of crafting such as paper crafts or fiber crafts. No, rather I am a dabbler. I love to dabble. It is a constant thrill to learn new skills, and it is particularly exciting when I get to do a craft that combines skills from multiple different crafting categories. So I am by no means an expert in any one craft, though if I would devote more time to just one I could definitely focus on improving my skills, but I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades...or a Kate of all crafts. Ha. My adventures in crafting have included scrapbooking, crochet, knitting, making vinyl designs for shirts, sewing, quilting, cross stitch, embroidery, designing ballroom jewelry, rhinestoning, plaster art, painting, as well as many others. The newest thing though, that I am currently SO excited about is candlemaking! Most of my candle experience comes fro