Clumpy Finish Candles are fun and easy to make! Each one is unique in it’s own way.
Supplies:
– Votive or any size/shape pillar candles
– Colored and Scented Wax (can be leftover from making the candles to be clumpy).
– An egg beater or fork
– A melting pot or coffee can for wax
– A pot for water (to double boil the wax) & stove or hot plate, alternatively a wax melter
– Wax Paper
Step 1
Prepare your work area – gather your materials – fill the bottom part of your double boiler with water and place on the stove or turn on melter. Heat your wax until completely melted, then set aside to cool in a melting pot or coffee can. Lay wax paper out on your work area.
Step 2
As the wax cools it will form a skin on the top and around the sides of the melting pot or coffee can. When there is a skin that covers the entire top of the wax you can then get your egg whisker or fork and begin to whip the wax. Use the same technique as if you were making scrambled eggs! Make sure that you break up all the wax that sticks to the side and bottom of the pot too. It takes a little practice to achieve the perfect clumpy mixture. The cooler the wax the thicker your clumps will be and smaller clumps can be achieved by whipping the wax while it is still relatively hot.
Step 3
You can now hold your candle by the wick and dip it into your clumpy mixture. Place it on the wax paper after it has been dipped to cool. The whipped wax can also be applied with a fork if it gets too thick for dipping or for really large candles like the 3-wick pictured above. If your wax gets too thick, just place the melting pot back into your hot water until it melts a little and whip it up again. It helps if you have your wicks a little longer than usual when making clumpies so that your hands won’t get burned while you are dipping them. I use the 3 inch pre-tabbed votive wicks for my clumpies or I leave about 2 inches of wick outside of my pillar molds. If you use wax paper, you can easily clean up your mess and reuse the wax that crumbles off if you have any.
Clumpy Variations
You can make so many different types of candles with whipped wax. Use your imagination, be creative and have fun! Here are just a few ideas.
Snowballs can be easily made by first making a white ball candle and then dipping it in the clumpy mixture.
Coffee or hot chocolate scented candles in fancy glasses with whipped wax on the top for that frothy look are always great sellers at craft shows.
Grunge candles are very popular in antique and primitive stores. You can use a different color wax for your clumpy mixture and then after your candle is dipped use a cookie cutter to cut a portion of the clumpy away from the original pillar so that both of the colors show. This makes a very impressive candle!
You can make them by gathering spices such as cinnamon, cloves, mustard, seeds (just about anything) and putting a layer in a shallow pan. After you dip your candle in the clumpy mixture, roll it around in the grunge mixture so that the spices stick to it while it’s still warm. The result will be a bumpy clumpy grunge candle!
Enjoy your candles! Watch them burn and enjoy the fragrance that you picked. Handmade candles also make great gifts. Your friends will enjoy receiving something that’s handmade and if the directions are followed properly you will have made candles that are a better quality than what you can buy in most stores!