Thursday, August 27, 2015

Jamaican Me Crazy!

Summer is fast coming to an end. College students and K-12 Students all over have either already started classes or start in the next few weeks. Somehow when it's still warm out, it's hard to pour something that is in a fall or winter scent. I decided instead to let summer go out with a bang!

A while back we added a scent called Jamaican  Bay Rum. My first thought after smelling this was, it's making me crazy...FOR SUMMER! I decided at that point for my own candle line to call it instead Jamaican Me Crazy!


This months project will look a little interesting because I am in the process of moving into a new home and realized AFTER that I'd placed all my wick rods into storage. Oops! I really do normally use proper equipment and don't improvise but a girl has to do what a girl has to do sometimes. *grin*



Supplies List:
IGI 1274 Mottle Pillar Wax - 16 Weight ounces per candle
1/0 Square Braid Cotton Wick
Orange Powder Candle Dye
Mold Plugs
Mold Sealer Putty
Wick Rods- I use a metal dowel most often
Jamaican Bay Rum Fragrance - .9 weight oz per candle
3" x 4" Seamless Aluminum Molds

Instructions: 
Heat wax to 190°-200°. While wax is heating, add a little bit of the orange dye to your fragrance oil in the pour pot, swishing it around a bit so it incorporates and set aside. Once wax reaches desired temp, add your fragrance and blend well. This wax should be poured between 185°-195° into heated molds to minimize skip lines (you can pour cooler to create a rustic finish as well!). It is advisable to poke relief holes around the wick of the candle once the wax has become solid but is still pliable.


After the first pour has cooled some, reheat your reserved wax from your first pour and refill the void (sink hole) in the candle until you reach the level of the first pour. You will want your second pour to be 10° hotter than your first pour to minimize lines from the second pour. Repeat the re-pour process as necessary. To make a rustic finished candle, do not heat the molds and pour the wax at 165°.


After the candle completely cools, you can remove it from the mold. Sometimes the candle will be a bit "weepy" from a tad of excess fragrance, just set them aside for a day or two or wipe with a paper towel and this should stop this from continuing. 


Since the top of the candle is really the bottom, you will also want to level it after it's complete. I just remove from the mold and use the inside of my presto pot to melt the excess wax level. I spin it to prevent it from becoming uneven. This is a simple enough project for a beginner with results that will make you look like a pro!

Happy Candle Making!
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