Freshly hand-dipped taper candles are warm and malleable. They can be flattened, twisted, braided, or turned into beautiful spirals.
Once making hand dipped candles has been mastered, candle artisans may mold and model warm taper candles by hand into various shapes and figures. Hand modeling wax is a fun skill for candle makers to develop because it frees them from the limits of plastic and metal candle molds, and allows them to create unique shapes using only their hands and imaginations.
Preparation
- Dip paraffin wax taper candles. If adding beeswax to the paraffin, do not add more than 10%. Warm beeswax tapers will crack much more easily than paraffin tapers.
- Dip tall taper candles for twisting and braiding. Tall tapers are eaiser to work with, especially for beginners.
- Have the work area for twisting and braiding ready while dipping the candles.
- After the final over-dip at 180 degrees F, wait two minutes then begin to hand model the candles.
Work carefully but quickly; the paraffin wax will continue to cool during hand modeling. The window of opportunity is about fifteen minutes before the wax becomes to cool to work with.
How to Make Spiral Candles
- Lay warm, freshly dipped tapers on a clean plastic cutting board.
- Gently flatten candle by running a rolling pin up and down the candle. Do not be discouraged if this is hard to well at first.
- Try not to flatten the candle paper-thin, but keep the flattened candle thicker than its wick.
- Gently pick up flat candle and twist a little toward the top. Stop.
- Twist some in the middle. Stop.
- Twist some toward the bottom. Stop.
- Remember that the goal is a gentle spiral down the candle.
- When finished, hang the candle to finish cooling for at least an hour.
Remember than practice makes perfect.
How to Make Twist Candles
- Take two freshly dipped taper candles and lay them next to each other on a clean, plastic cutting board.
- Gently hold the two tops of the candles next to each other.
- Still working at the tops of the candles, take the candle on the right just below the top, and place it over the candle on the left.
- Straiten the candles a little while in this position.
- Under the twist, take the candle that is now on the right and place it over the candle on the left. Straiten.
- Continue this down the candle. The two candles will be twisted around each other.
- Squeeze the bottoms of the candles together gently. Use a craft knife to trim extra wax away from the bottom so the candle will fit in a candle holder.
- Hang or set aside to finish cooling for at least an hour.
How to Braid Taper Candles
- Place three warm, pliable and freshly dipped tapers next to each other on a clean, dry plastic cutting board.
- Press the tops of the three candles gently together in a row, one in the middle and one on either side.
- Pick up the left candle just underneath where you pushed the tops together and gently fold it over the middle candle. Move the middle candle to the left under the first candle to make room.
- Pick up the right candle and gently fold it over what is now the middle candle. As always, shift the candles to make room for the new middle candle.
- Pick up the candle on the left and fold it gently over the candle that is now in middle.
- Pick up the candle on the right and fold it gently over the candle that is now in the middle.
- Continue this process until most of the length of the tapers are braided.
- Wrap a hand around the very bottom of the candles. Gently press the bottoms together. Mold a shape that will fit into candle holders and trim with a craft knife. Aternatively, flatten the bottom so the candle will stand up on its own.
- Allow to cool completely for an hour.
Be Creative With Color
- Overdip with three different colors for a multi-color candle braid.
- Overdip with two different colors for a multi-color twisted taper candle set.
The copyright of the article How to Twist and Braid Candles in Crafts is owned by Beth Taylor. Permission to republish How to Twist and Braid Candles in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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