Beeswax candles

Beeswax is healthy stuff. It's an all natural substance with some amazing properties, and it smells divine. By contrast, paraffin candles are petroleum products burning a paraffin candle to set the mood for a romantic dinner is like running a small diesel engine on your dining room table. The fumes are noxious, and the chemical perfumes that manufacturers use to mask the smell of the exhaust can be downright toxic.
Honeybees make and use beeswax to construct their hive's honeycombs in each cell they raise their young and store nectar, honey and pollen. Secreted from a number of abdominal glands on the underside of a worker bee, beeswax has a natural sweet smell and is both smokeless and dripless two qualities not found together in any other animal or mineral wax.
Beeswax also has a much higher melting point (approx. 145 degrees Fahrenheit) than any other wax, which means that 100% pure beeswax candles burn slower and last a lot longer than ordinary candles. An eight inch tall, four inch wide single wick pillar, which weighs just over two pounds, will burn for almost three days straight. No other commercially available wax even comes close to that burn time.
And here's why it's so healthy - Beeswax actually cleans the air as it burns. Candles made of pure beeswax have well documented anti-allergic properties. Are you bothered by tree pollen or weed pollen, or mold spores, or dust? These nefarious particles are positively charged and conduct static electricity. Allergy sufferers are encouraged to close the windows of their house and light a pure beeswax candle. The all-natural wax emits negatively charged vapors that will IONIZE the air. Burning beeswax candles liberates the air of positively charged allergens as it emits negatively charged vapors into the atmosphere. Try it it works!
Beeswax candles are preferred in most Eastern Orthodox churches because they burn cleanly, with little or no wax dripping down the sides and little visible smoke. Beeswax is also prescribed as the primary material for the Paschal candle (the Easter Candle) and is recommended for other candles used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.
Beeswax may cost a little more, but these candles are healthy and worth the extra money.

About Candles

A candle is a light source usually consisting of an internal wick which rises through the center of a column of solid fuel. Typically the fuel is some form of wax with paraffin wax being the most common. Prior to the candle being ignited, the wick is saturated with the fuel in its solid form. The heat of the match or other flame being used to light the candle first melts and then vaporizes a small amount of the fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a flame. This flame then provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquefied fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action, and the liquefied fuel is then vaporized to burn within the candle's flame. The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer, hotter regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor. The brighter, yellower part of the flame is the remaining carbon soot being oxidized to form carbon dioxide.
As the mass of the solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are themselves consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick.
Usage Prior to the domestication of electricity, candles were a common source of lighting, before, and later in addition to, the oil lamp. Due to local availability and the cost of resources, for several centuries up to the 19th century candles were more common in northern Europe, and olive oil lamps more common in southern Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea. Makers of candles were known as chandlers.
Today, candles are usually used for their aesthetic value, particularly to set a soft, warm, or romantic ambience, and for emergency lighting during electrical power failures. Scented candles are common in aromatherapy. Small candles are often placed on birthday cakes.
Religion Candles are used in religious ceremonies.
Christianity In Christianity, they typically represent the light of Jesus, and are often placed on the altar. Votive candles may be lit as an accompaniment to prayer. Candles are lit by worshippers in front of icons in Orthodox and other churches.
Candlemas marks the end of the season of Epiphany. Candles were traditionally used to light up Christmas trees before the advent of electric lights. They are still, even today, commonly used to decorate Christmas trees in Denmark and other European countries. They are also used in Advent wreaths.
In Sweden (and other Scandinavian countries), St. Lucia Day is celebrated on December 13 with the crowning of a young girl with a ring of candles.
Judaism In Judaism, candles are traditionally lit on Friday evening at the start of the weekly Sabbath celebration. The Jewish holiday of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by lighting a candle in a special candelabrum (menorah) each night during the eight-day holiday to commemorate the dedication of the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. Candles are also used in remembering a deceased loved one, especially on Yom HaShoah, The Day of the Holocaust.
Kwanzaa Candles are also used in celebrations of Kwanzaa, which is an African American holiday, which runs from December 26 to January 1.

Canning Jar Candles

Canning jar candles are very easy to make, make great gifts, and are only limited by your imagination!
To start all you need are some narrow-mouth canning jars, wire ribbon, potpourri, votive candles, small glass votive candle holders, and craft glue or a hot glue gun.
If you don't have any old canning jars, you can find some very inexpensively at thrift stores and yard sales. Wire ribbon can be a little expensive. Look for it at yard sales and at craft store clearance sales. The after-Christmas sales a great time to stock up. One roll of ribbon will make several canning jar candles. Potpourri you can make yourself or buy on sale. Votive candles are inexpensive at stores like Target or Walmart, and you can also find glass votive candle holders very inexpensively at Walmart. You want one that will set in the rim of the canning jar.


You can fill the canning jar with whatever you wish. Potpourri is one of the easiest fillers. I bought a nice autumn-scented potpourri and added some orange slices I'd dried in my food dehydrator. You can also add dried cranberries, apple slices, or cinnamon sticks.
After you fill the jar, you set the candle holder inside the mouth of the jar. The top of the candle holder should be even with the top of the jar. You might have a little trial and error before you find just the right candle holder. Place the candle in the holder and then use the ribbon to tie a big bow around the neck of the jar. That's it! (You might want to use a little craft glue or your glue gun to tack the ribbon in place).
You can glue some dried fruit, flowers, or other decorations on the bow for a more decorative look. You can also put other things in the jar besides potpourri. I've seen one half filled with white sugar with a short white taper candle set down in the sugar. Very pretty! And that one doesn't require the candle holder.
At Christmas you can purchase small ornaments and place them in the jar instead of the potpourri. Any small figurine would doin the spring you could use little bunnies.
Maybe fill a jar with marbles or layers of colored sand. Even pennies! Use your imagination. These candles make great gifts and are also fun to make for yourself. If you get tired of one just empty it out and start again!

Soy Candles

With the much unpolluted and natural eco era well underway it’s important to become conscious of the many eco friendly alternatives that we can benefit from. In fact there are various applications ranging from solar panels to soy candles.

We as a people hold possession of the influence to revolutionize the future by being a positive influence and setting examples for individuals not aware of Eco Friendly benefits. It simply takes one decision at this time to alter generations. With exceptional utilization of Eco Friendly benefits which are here and available at this time if we desire to acknowledge them we are very much capable of achieving our green planet one step at a time.One in particular trend becoming more accepted and well-liked by candle enthusiasts all over the globe is soy wax Candles.
Soy Wax is prepared right here in the U.S.A. In the beginning soy beans are harvested, after that they are pressed and the oil is separated from the soy bean. Finally the oil is heated to 140-220 degrees C. This will cause hydrogenation to take place resulting in soy wax.
Only a handful of people know the benefits of soy candles considering that they were only invented in 1992. They make up a small percentage of sales compared to paraffin wax. Only a few people know what is in the candles they burn. For instance Paraffin candles are proven to emit toxins into the air and are made from oil byproducts. Soy candles are made from an all natural renewable energy source created. Thus it is fair to say the majority of us don’t glance at the ingredients in the foods we eat on a daily basis. Simply put if we are educated about how our everyday choices affect our health and our planet we can as a result make superior educated choices.
Soy wax candles have other enormous benefits too including easy clean up with soap and water due to the creamy consistency of the soy wax, plus it can be rubbed into your skin as lotion. Soy candles also burn cooler and can last 50 percent longer than paraffin. Soy also supports U.S. farmers seeing that practically all soy is produced right here on our farmland, in addition aiding our economy.
In summary of this article I hope you have a new perspective on soy candles and the better-quality eco friendly qualities and health benefits soy wax candles offer us. I hope this article has inspired some of you to strive for better alternatives to perk up our planet and living situations. From burning natural soy candles to using solar panels to run your appliances, it all equals progress. It’s imperative to realize we all need to look to the future and start setting examples just like our American farmers who produce our world’s soy beans and changed the way we look at soy candles and the hundreds of other products that come from all natural soy. So as a goal make an effort to seek out a new eco friendly substitute for one of your old traditional ways of life. As a result you will have helped yourself, helped the eco system, feel great, maybe even impress yourself or your neighbors, but most importantly, you made the right choice.

Scented Candles

When buying scented candles you are more then likely searching for a candle that has a noticeable aroma. Richly scented candles provide that aroma and in most cases can be used indoors as well as out. This is why richly scented candles have become so popular. Consumers are looking for a candle that can be used no matter what environment they are in. Whatever your scent preference is, you will want to purchase a richly scented candle to permeate an area.
Richly scented candles can be found in a variety of different scents. The different scents are plentiful and can range from home baked fragrances to the outdoor fragrances. These wonderful fragrances can change the mood or tone of any room or environment. Another great benefit about richly scented candles is that they do not have to be lit to give off an aroma. They have a strong scent the minute you open them, therefore leaving them out even when not lit can bring a great scent to any environment.
Not only can richly scented candles enhance a room with a great aroma, but they also serve as an odor eliminator. Richly scented candles are top picks for anyone who smokes, has pets, or just has a general need to remove odors in any environment. With richly scented candles many times they will remove the odor instead of masking it. Also, the aroma will stay within a room long after the candle is put out.
Richly scented candles are made from paraffin wax while others can be made from soy or other candle making products. There are many arguments about the quality of burning of richly scented candles verses others. The arguments range from safety to quality.
As far as safety goes there may be some candles out there that may provide an element of safety. However arguments regarding candle safety at times go too far because with any candle you are dealing with scents and fire. In regards to quality, candles that burn evenly, and leave little residue are good quality and can be found when seeking out richly scented candles.
A final great benefit of some richly scented candles is that you can find some great ones and they are reasonably priced. In todays world finding quality for the money you spend is always a priority. When candle shopping, you can run into cheap candles that, although light up a room, may not be pleasing to the senses or burn long enough to justify their price. Being able to purchase a candle that burns cleaner and last longer at an equal to or similar price as others on the market is one huge reason to go with richly scented candles over any other.

A romantic evening by candle light

These are essential in setting the mood, go through your pantry and pull out all the candles you can find. If you're all out, a cheap and effective solution can found at your local dollar store. The quality is nearly the same as you'd find anywhere else, at a tenth of the price. Tea lamps in bulk can be an amazing effect, although they tend to burn out fast. I suggest a mix, a few tall candles at the dining table and tea lamps spread out throughout the room. Avoid scented candles as they interfere with the aroma of your meal.

Floating candles

Floating candles are candles which are designed to float in water. They are molded with oversized tops and small bottoms so that they will remain stable as they burn, rather than tipping, listing, or inverting themselves. Many candle stores sell floating candles, and they can also be ordered directly from candle manufacturers or made at home, by purchasing block wax, melting it, and pouring it into molds which are suitable for floating candles.
There are a number of uses for these decorative candles. At outdoor parties with pools, floating candles can be scattered across the pool to create an interesting visual effect, and to alert guests to the presence of the water. A floating candle centerpiece can be used at the dinner table, with the candles suspended in a large dish of water, and floating candles can also be added to water features in the garden, large bowls outdoors and around the house, and any other environment where there is water.
One major advantage to floating candles is that they carry few safety risks, as long as flammable materials are kept away from the sides of the water so that the candles do not accidentally set something alight if they drift against the edges. When floating candles burn down, they eventually sink and extinguish themselves. When materials like flowers are floated along with the candles, these materials are usually too waterlogged to catch fire, making a floating candle arrangement reasonably safe when compared to ordinary displays of candles.
Many floating candles are very small, like tealight candles or small votive candles. It is also possible to purchase floating candle holders which can be used to display tealights or small tapers, along with other types of candles. One issue with floating candles is that they can burn out within a few hours, so it is important to keep an eye on the display and refresh it as candles go out.
A variety of wax colors can be used for floating candles. White is classic, and very common, but for themed centerpieces or visual variation, dyed wax candles can be used, and it is also possible to find dipped candles which display a rainbow of colors as they burn down. Scented candles can also be utilized, although they are not recommended for pools or garden water features, since the oils used to create the scent will leach out and make a mess in the water.