St. Patrick's Day
*Green Beer Candles*
What are you likely to see on St. Patrick's Day? A whole lot of Green! Green clothes, green decor, and even the increasingly popular tradition of green beer!
Long ago, the Irish tradition of dropping a clover in one's drink then drinking it all down, was said to bring good luck. Although this hasn't been confirmed as the official starting point of the green-tinted beverage, the first recorded incident of beer being turned green occurred in New York City in 1914. This has given me the inspiration to make this month's blog "Green Beer Candles".
Materials you will need:
*IGI 4630 Harmony Blend wax (for the top foam)
*Fragrance Oil (I used Irish Cream and it smells AMAZING!)
*Wick Stickums (I used the 20mm size)
*Beer mug (I picked these up at a local thrift shop)
First, start by melting your gel wax. Heat gel on direct heat (A Presto Kitchen Kettle works excellent for gel waxes) until it reaches a temperature of 200*.
As your gel wax is melting, prepare your containers by adhering a wick securely to the center of the base with a Wick Stickum. Set them aside.
Once the gel wax has full melted and it to the desired temperature, go ahead and add your fragrance. *Note:For Low Density gel wax, you will be able to safely use up to 3% (approx. a 1/2oz per lb of wax) Non Polar fragrance with a flash point over 170*. Our Gel Aroma fragrance oils are guaranteed gel safe. Most standard fragrance oils are NOT safe in gel! We recommend using a digital scale for accuracy. Be sure to mix well!
After you have completely mixed the fragrance into the wax, go ahead and add your dye to your preference. I used 1 drop of the Kelly/Lime Liquid Dye per lb. of wax. And again, be sure to mix well!
You are now ready to pour!
Note: The low the temperature, the more bubbles there will be in your finished product when you pour. I poured at exactly 200*, however to get a candle that is more translucent, we recommend pouring at a temperature no higher than 220* to minimize bubbles. When pouring your green gel wax, make sure you leave roughly 1-2" of space at the top, so you can come in later and pour your top layer of "beer foam".
When poured at cooler temperatures, the gel wax is fairly firm compared to other waxes such as paraffin and soy. There was no need of using a wick centering tool for this project, since the wax held the wick perfectly in the same position that I set it in by hand. When pouring at warmer temperatures, this may not be the case, and I'd recommend using a wick centering tool at that time.
Once your green gel wax has completely cooled, heat 1lb of the IGI 4630 Harmony Blend Wax to 175*-185*, then add your fragrance. For coloring, the wax already has a very creamy color, so I left it plain and did not add any color. If you were to want to make the top a bit of a deeper creamier color, a very small amount of the Ivory Liquid Candle Dye would work well. Let your wax mixture
cool to 160*-180*, then top off your filled container of green gel wax.
Once fully cooled, trim the excess wick, and you're all done!
These Green Beer candles make wonderful great-smelling gifts and are perfect for decorating!
Have a very Happy & Safe St. Patrick's Day everyone!
And may you forever have the Luck of the Irish!
If there is ever a fun candle or Bath & Body product that you would like seen made, we would love to hear from you!
Please send your requests to info@candlesupply.com. :)
Please send your requests to info@candlesupply.com. :)
Happy Candle & Soap Making!
-Elya
