Wondering how to make ice candles? I can't blame you; they're beautiful, interesting, and have an amazing glow through the holes in the wax.
However, they do have a lot more safety issues than most candles, so it's important to go through everything before you start making your first one.
Let me explain what makes them a little more dangerous.
First of all, hot wax and water don't get along.
It makes the wax spatter and burst, which will obviously burn you.
If you light the candle while it is still wet, this is even more dangerous because the water will turn to steam in the wax and explode.
So: pour the wax carefully, and let the candle dry fully before lighting! Now that we've gone through all of the warnings, we can finally start going over how to make ice candles.
Ready to start gathering everything you'll need? You'll need some high temperature wax, a base candle to pack the ice around, a larger mold to hold everything, and something to heat the wax in.
And of course, you're going to need a little bit of ice to.
Start off by having everything ready before you even begin to heat up the wax.
This will make it less dangerous so that it does not get too hot, because you'll be able to keep and eye on it and make sure that it in the proper temperature range.
Simply put your base candle in the center of your mold and then pack ice in around it.
If you want some extra fun, try experimenting with different sizes and shapes of ice cubes; for example crescent's vs.
actual cubes.
Believe it or not, these will result in completely different looking candles.
Once the mold is full of ice, began hitting your wax to around 200°.
Make sure that you use a candy thermometer in a double boiler to safely heat the wax at the right temperature, the wax should not be placed directly on the stove! Now simply take a small pan with a little bit of water and bring the water up to a simmer, then put a small pot over the pan of water with your wax it.
This will heat the wax much more gently and help to prevent a fire.
When the temperature of the wax reaches 200°, very carefully pour it evenly down onto the ice, being careful not to let it splash up at you.
This can be a good time to wear gloves and a protective gear.
Now just let it cool completely for a least four hours and then pour out all the extra water.
All that's left to do is let the candle dry off completely which will take a few days, and then you're ready to show others how to make ice candles!