Senior Living News

Candles have come a long way since being used as a main source of light for centuries. Nowadays, candles are used to create a warm ambiance with their soft lighting and beautiful designs. Others are used to provide soothing scents to spaces. For seniors, candle making can be a calming hobby or a fun way to supplement a pension income. If you're in a small space, here's what you need to know.

Basic Candle-Making Supplies

If you stick to a small side hustle or hobby operation, your basic candle-making supplies should all fit on a small desk or kitchen counter. This is what you'll need:

• Candle molds: Unless you're going to decant your candles directly into containers such as glassware, you'll need molds to shape your candles. Common mold shapes include pillars, balls, bubbles, geometric and figurines. Molds are made from different materials such as silicone, plastic and rubber. If you're short on storage space, opt for only a few designs that can be used in multiple ways.
• Wax: The wax types will depend on what you'd like to use them for and whether you want them to last really long. Paraffin wax is a popular and inexpensive option that carries fragrance and coloring really well. Soy wax is an eco-friendly alternative to paraffin and carries subtle fragrances. It's also a slow burner. Beeswax is a slow burner known for its air-purifying qualities. Beeswax is often added to paraffin candles to make them burn longer. Coconut wax is a slow burner that carries color and fragrance well. However, it's the most expensive of the lot.
• Wick: The wick is the fire carrier that allows the flame to burn. It's usually made of wood, hemp or cotton and offered in different lengths. Many suppliers also provide a weight that's added to the wick to keep it centered while you're pouring the wax into the mold. You can also use the wick to create candles through the dipping process, which simply involves dipping the wick in hot wax and letting the wax cool between each dipping session.
• Wax melter: Electric wax melters are small pots that warm up just hot enough to melt the wax. These are fairly small (the size of a small pot) and don't take up much space. However, the most widely used method of melting wax is the double boiler method. For this, you simply need a pot of boiling water and a stainless steel bowl that fits on top. The aim is to melt the wax gently without allowing any of the steam or moisture from the pot to get into the bowl. This means you can use items you most likely already own.
• Thermometer: While the point of a candle is to use heat to create light and diffuse fragrance, too much heat isn't good. Wax should only be warmed up to around 245 degrees Fahrenheit, as any hotter might change the chemical composition. This could cause discoloration or cause the wax to lose its ability to carry fragrance.
• Dyes and fragrances: Adding fragrance or color to candles isn't essential. However, the addition can elevate the experience. These come in small jars and are easy to store.
• Oven mitts: Heat is an important component of the wax melting process. Safety measures should be in place to prevent spills. It's also important to protect your hands from heat as the wax and heating vessel will both be hot.

How to Choose Your Work Surface

There are several things to consider when creating your candles, and the work surface is probably the most important component. It should possess the following qualities:

• Sturdy: It's important to consider that a heating source and hot wax will be present. If the table is unstable, these elements might fall and cause damage or hurt you.
• Large enough: Depending on the size of your candle-making operation, the workspace should be large enough to accommodate your molds or vessels, the components of your candles and the heating source.
• Easy to clean: Some surfaces are better suited to hot wax than others. If you don't have a surface suited to working with hot components, get a heat-resistant covering to protect the surface. The cover also comes in handy when you need to clean the wax off.

Important Things to Consider

Melting wax can cause toxins such as soot and organic compounds to be released into the air. This can cause irritation of the airways and increase the possibility of health risks. When setting up your candle-making station, it's important that it's in a well-ventilated area.

It's also important to note that your candles need to cure before use. The curing allows them to harden sufficiently to carry the fragrance and melt as evenly as possible. Paraffin candles should be ready in 48 hours, while soy candles can take up to a week to cure.

If you're in a senior living community, find out whether there are any rules that might keep you from making traditional candles in your apartment. Many communities prohibit the use of flame candles and processes that require extreme heat to reduce fire hazards. In such cases, you might want to consider making no-melt candles.