candles: make or buy?

[rottencandy7]

Ok, so I'm kinda broke all the time and candles get kinda pricey round here. I've considered making my own. i don't know how the wax runs price-wise but i'd always thought it'd be fun. anyone else here make their own candles for rituals, etc.?


just another question, i had 2 candles burning, the one of the right just died suddenly, and the one on the left is burning very high. (its a small candle.) i watched it and the flame looks like its being pulled up. anyone have any ideas? its kinda freakin me out...

[-Ember]

To properly make candles it costs more.

Where do you look for candles? Got any Big Lots or dollar type stores? I get tapers between 2 and 6 for a dollar.

[Enozgirl]

I pick up my candles at the dollar store, usually. I can get a 7-day candle for $1.00 there. I do a lot of magick with tealights, too. I can get 100 for $5.00 at the local craft store.

As for making your own, if you've got an empty coffee can and a pot that's bigger than the coffee can, you're pretty much set. It's just working with a double-boiler. Melt the wax and then either fill molds (which are pretty inexpensive) or dip wicks. Wick's aren't too expensive, either. Most craft stores carry all the equpiment you need to get going. You don't need to get their fancy double-boilers. And, as long as you take care of your molds, you can reuse them over and over.

I've attempted it several times, and didn't have disasterous results! :) It was really good for making black candles, which I use for protection work. I mixed the wax with essential oils and even got my herbs to stay in suspension in the wax. Made for some pretty powerful candles!

A friend of mine got me a candle making kit for Yule from Wal-Mart that I haven't had the chance to break out of the box yet... but you load the left over wax from your candles in the top, and it warms it up. Then there's a funnel and you fill molds with the leftovers. They might have it on their site, or in the toy section of your local Wal-Mart.

[argento_occhi]

I don't have the skill nor the time to make my own candles, so all of mine are bought. I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to make my own candles, but at the moment, it's too hard. No time. Oh well. And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find decent gold and silver pillar candles! Ikea is the only store I've regularly found them at! Gah! And i don't get there very often.

[cheddarsox]

candle wax is WAY expensive. I buy old and used candles at the local thrift shops for next to nothing. I use them as is, or melt them down and make new. Wicks are cheap at the craft store.

I'm not picky about color so this works for me.

cheddar

[Tabbykitty]

making candles from scratch is messy business... tealights work just as well.... whynot try those..... an idea for colour could be. When the tealight is all hot and watery... add some food dye of the appropriate colour. You will be surprised. The colour DOES stay on the candle :)

[BrigidMoon]

Well, making is a lot of fun. I do agree with what is being said. It's cheap to get wax etc if you're planning on making a lot. For example, I paid about 2.00 for every 16oz homeade candle I made. I made about 40. So for me it was inexpensive opposed to buying Yankee candles at 16.00 a piece. But for just personal use, the dollar store is an excellent place!

[Dragonladyofwater]

Well personally buying a candle that I know has been created in some overseas plant with the cheapest most toxic materials known to the industry does not shout out 'Use me for a sacred ritual'.

I make my own candles, also I make them to sell. I use only all natural soy waxes, all natural wicks that do not smoke (which lets off toxic fumes into the air). When performing candle magic or using a candle for ritual I want it to be as free from negativity and toxins as possible. I also want one that is created from herbs so I can utilize those herbal properties into my ritual or spell work.

I know there are thousands of pagan based web sites out there selling candles, some of them very cheaply. I would rather support other pagan businesses than anyone else.

So my recommendation, do a web search on pagan candles or begin making them yourself if you want them to hold some more meaning in your work.

[Mistress_Ravenshadow]

Ok, so I'm kinda broke all the time and candles get kinda pricey round here. I've considered making my own. i don't know how the wax runs price-wise but i'd always thought it'd be fun. anyone else here make their own candles for rituals, etc.?


just another question, i had 2 candles burning, the one of the right just died suddenly, and the one on the left is burning very high. (its a small candle.) i watched it and the flame looks like its being pulled up. anyone have any ideas? its kinda freakin me out...


i buy all my candles I find that you can pick them up fairly cheaply.. the only time i would make my own would be if i needed a special candle and couldnt find what i wanted....
as for the flames on your candles in my experience when unusual things happen with the flames its usually an indication of spirits present.. either that or there is a draft somewhere..

[BlackMagicalCat]

I buy candles out the wazzo at familly dollar ,cant really find candles any where else,I love burning candles and I noticed catholics burned a gazzillion of them for the pope,,so it is not only a pagan think,but we christians do it to.,,,And hey,they make me dream when I lay down and I feel warm inside when I do.

[zilith]

I have made my own candles (not for spellwork though) and it is fun. I wouldn't recomend trying to do taper candles though. get a large mold.

And as to your flame, when a candle gets burning good it will start to make its own convection current from the heat, that will cause the flame to burn even better and further increase the current and so on in a nice little cycle. You end up with one giant ass flame on a tiny candle.

[rottencandy7]

as for the flames on your candles in my experience when unusual things happen with the flames its usually an indication of spirits present.. either that or there is a draft somewhere..
thats prolly wat it was. the whole evening in my room, i didn't feel alone. i felt like there was someone else there. i got the feeling it was my gramma. could just sense her being there. :woah:

And as to your flame, when a candle gets burning good it will start to make its own convection current from the heat, that will cause the flame to burn even better and further increase the current and so on in a nice little cycle. You end up with one giant ass flame on a tiny candle.
wow thats awesome! thanks!

[Valerie]

I've always wanted to make my own candles, but never got around to doing it (YET). I love buying candles though and scouting out the unique ones. :D

[~SeaWitch~]

Rolled beeswax candles are probably the easiest (and most inexpensive) way to go. Beeswax comes in lots of colors, and can be rolled in such a way as to make multi-colored candles as well. I buy wax and wick from General Wax & Candle Co. (http://www.genwax.com). They do ship out, and package very well, but I'd advise ordering before the heat of summer sets in. :broomride