In this Lesson, we will make a botanical candle.
1) Paraffin wax. We need it in order to create the effect of 3d flowers in a glass. Instead, you can use vegetable wax such as soy and coconut, but it will not create the same translucency effect that we can create with paraffin.
As for where to buy it: I advise ordering paraffin from Asia, because its composition and appearance differs from Russian. In Russia, it is bleached and not as transparent as in Asians. I'll attach a photo of what Asian looks like, and in this tutorial I'll do it with Russian, you'll see the difference. Where to order - on Aliexpress. This is the most affordable option for female students from all over the world. Choose from the reviews, there you will see the results of other people and appreciate the transparency.
2) Dried flowers. You can either dry them yourself or purchase ready-made ones. They are sold in sets on Avito, where you can find several types of flowers in the same color scheme.
3) Vegetable wax
4) Wick, wick holder and centering device. We need to choose a wick so that it melts only the vegetable wax inside the paraffin.
5) Optional fragrance
6) And a shape for a botanical candle. How can it be replaced? You can replace it with two plastic pipes that differ in diameter. One is bigger, the other is smaller. The difference in diameter should be at least 1 cm, and at most one and a half. Why this particular limit: if it is thin, the glass will break, if it is thick, you will have to spend a lot of dried flowers. Plus, it will need to have a very tight-fitting lid, otherwise the paraffin will leak out. It's actually a very complicated Story, so it's easier to just get a uniform that's made for it. It can be easily found on various marketplaces — ozone, WB, Amazon, Aliexpress. You can also try to make a paraffin glass using molds for gypsum and concrete, the main thing is that the walls are thick and the mold is soft and elastic, otherwise the glass will crack when you take it out. I tried, even the freezer didn't help, the walls poked about half a centimeter. But as a trial option, whether you understand it or not, it's fine.
When we have installed the dried flowers, we can fill in the paraffin. If we want to achieve the effect of frost, then fill it cooled to 60-65, and if you want to be as transparent as possible, then fill it at high temperatures, that is, ~ 90 degrees. We leave the mold slightly unopened and check for bubbles. If there are any, then tap the glass in this way and check again. If everything is in order, leave it to freeze, and if the bubbles remain and you don't like them, tap until they go away. We leave it to freeze.
When the paraffin has frozen, we carefully remove it from the mold. The freezer will help us with this, just like in the lesson with the dining candle. Then pour the cooled wax and the candle is ready!
We put the paraffin on the stove, preferably not in a water bath, but on a very low direct fire, since the paraffin has a high melting point and we are tormented by waiting for it to melt. While it is warming up, do not stir it, otherwise bubbles will appear in it, which we do not need.
At this time, we install dried flowers. The good thing about the special shape is that it's transparent, and we can see what's lying there. Do not put too many dried flowers, otherwise the paraffin will not be able to spill into all the holes.