Colonial Candle Making - Why You Should Try it in Modern Times

By Brian Marley

Back even before our country was officially established, colonial candle making was necessary due to the fact that there was no electricity yet. Unfortunately, due to the cost of oil, candle making could only be afforded by the wealthiest citizens. Typically, colonial candles were made from animal fat or tallow but beeswax candles were preferred because candles made from animal fat gave off a hideous odor. Eventually, the migration occurred to bayberry shrubs and the people learned they could make decent smelling candles that burned relatively clean. However, one of the downsides of bayberry was that it took many days to extract a pure form of wax as well as the fact that it took almost nine pounds of berries to yield only one pound of wax.

These days, a lot of candle making hobbyists have taken up colonial candle making and are enjoying learning the techniques. The bayberry wax is now readily available from the local craft stores relieving you of having to actually manufacture the wax on your own.

Another big difference between today's candle makers and the candle makers of the colonial times are the sheer number of molds available. Back then there were only basic molds to use, but today there are almost endless molds to use allowing you to make candles of all different shapes and sizes.

Additionally in the colonial era the wicks were made from cotton cut into strands and it was hard to keep them burning. The technique that helped was to make a simple taper candle and introduce the wick to the melted wax again and again until the perfect sized candle was formed.

To the untrained eye, colonial candle making may seem to be very basic but the reality is it does take a lot of skill as well as trial and error in order to perform correctly. The basic technique is to dip a non waxed taper wick into the wax. Make sure that both parts of the wick are coated evenly. Another point to consider is to make sure you don't wait too long between dipping the wick. You don't want the candle to cool completely. Also, keep the wax at the same temperature by stirring it during this step. It's not abnormal to have to melt it again.

It's fun to go back in time and relive the process that our forefathers used to light their homes. Have fun experimenting with this totally unique form of colonial candle making!

Brian Marley THE candle making expert and has been making his own candles for over 25 years. For more great information on Colonial Candle Making AND to receive a FREE mini course on how you too can create your own custom candles both inexpensively and easily. head on over to Brians website at http://candlemakingexpert.com Have fun! ---------------------------------------------------- See more information and articles on Candle Making Crafts at www.myguidetocrafts.com. To purchase Arts and Crafts items, see www.kamsgifts.com.