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While I was away from writing about my crafty adventures, I learned to make candles with my cousin. And this cute little thing is my first ever candle.
Make easy gel wax candle
I also have a name for this cute DIY candle.
Under The Sea
Not only do they look amazing but you will have real fun making gel candles.
Make Easy Gel Wax Candle Material:
You will need:
- A glass jar (bowl, bottle, mason jar, old candle container or any other container) or wax melting pot
- Gel wax
- Sea shells, fishes, stamens (ornaments or embellishments)
- Candlewick
- Food colors
- Fragrance or essential oil (optional)
Instructions to make easy gel wax candle:
Start by placing the candle wick at the base of the glass. Zinc wick is a common choice for gel candles.
Tip for perfect candlewick
What I missed:
1) It’s always better to roll the wick around a pencil
2) Put the pencil on the top of the glass jar, so when you pour gel; it stays in the center
What can I use to fill in gel wax candles?
- Fill the glass jar with sea shells.
- You can also use glass beads or marbles
- Stones or pebbles
- Pearls or seashells
- Dried flowers covered with resins
- Wood cutouts
- Metal leaves and florals
- Glass petals and faux items
- Basically anything your heart desires that is inflammable
3) Here I have tucked-in a few colorful stamens into a sea shell.
4) They resemble the look of corals in the sea to me!
Here’s how it looks so far:
5) Now take a small amount of gel wax in a pan or pot
6) Take an approximate amount of gel wax to fill your glass jar (depending on the size of your glass container)
7) Warm it on a VERY low flame in a pan, otherwise it can burn.
What to do with leftover gel wax?
You don’t have to worry about the left over liquid warm gel candle wax getting wasted. You can easily restore it for later use once it solidifies in the pan. Also keep in mind that it solidifies quickly. Use a wax melting pot for best results.
1) Slowly pour wax i.e. the melted gel wax into the glass jar, making sure you don’t move the glass jar.
2) Stability helps reduce the formation of bubbles.
3) You can move it once the hot gel sets completely.
How to avoid bubble formation in gel wax candle?
Tip: If bubbles are formed for any reason. Place the candle near a window with sunlight to reduce the bubbles formation.
– Here I stopped pouring gel wax to try another fun technique
– I stopped pouring gel wax at half and added drops of blue food color
– The blue ring gives a beautiful ocean feel to the candle
– I added only two drops and you can see how it looks
How to form colors in gel wax candles?
3 things I learned:
1) You can mix the dye color in the pan, when warming the gel and use stirrer for stirring to make colored wax.
2) You can quickly add food color drops in the glass jar.
3) While the gel wax is still in the liquid form it will form beautiful swirls.
– And you can also wait for a few seconds (let’s say 15-20 seconds) and then put drops of color.
– The semi-solid gel wax will not allow the color to penetrate much and make a ring of color.
Think about all the wonderful possibilities using this technique!
Here’s a close look of the ring I made.
– Once again I wanted my fish to be floating above the sea shells.
– So I waited for the halfway gel wax to cool down and settle.
– It cools down fast so a few minutes is good enough.
– Place your heavy objects like fish and pour the gel wax again following the same warm and pour method.
– Let it cool and set at room temperature.
How to position decoration items in candles?
Will you make easy gel wax candle now? See how cute it looks!
More Great Gel Candles Ideas
Beautiful wedding gift made with sea shells upside down. Make this candle with a floor made by pouring layers of colorful sand.
How about a floor of crushed glass and algae?
You can also use salt to make this candle’s base. And also glue salt on tiny twigs to make algae.
More ways to make Gel candles:
Use spices and gold leaf to make clear gel candles.
Add dyes or food coloring to make gel tealights by recycling old tealight cups.
You will also like:
25 DIY Decorative Candle Tutorials.
Looking for fun craft ideas?
Oh my gosh!!!! Very lovely loved it will try for this valentine n where do u get this gel wax
Beautiful! I love gel candles and had no idea how to make them. They're on my project list now! THanks for sharing. Saw you over at While He Was Napping!
Hi Friends,
Kala asked me where did I buy gel wax? I want to answer the question here, just in case someone else is curious too.. You can easily find gel wax in any craft store, it's very common craft material.
You can look for good deals on it at amazon and eBay. Or go look for it at michaels, hobby lobby, joann and other craft stores. It's available everywhere.
Thanks!
Hi.this is very pretty candle and would love to make. I want to ask can we make this gel candle at home?
Yes you can! I made them at home too. Just be careful during the heating and pouring of gel as it involves heat and make sure your surface is porous.
Very pretty!
Hi Hani! This is such a great candle! Very cool!! Thanks for sharing at my party 🙂
beautiful
These are great,thanks again for linking up to Creative Mondays 🙂
How fun!! 🙂 Thanks for linking up at Giggles, Glitz & Glam.
This is so cool! I pinned this so I can remember to make these. Can't wait to see what I can create 🙂
Wow – this is a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing how to do this!!
Thanks for linking up to Take it on Tuesday blog hop!
very cool!
I was wondering if you can put something in these wax candles to make them have a nice scent.
Absolutely beautiful! I've never even thought of making gel candles.
Shiloh
everydaygameplan.net
I love your finished product AND I get to play with fire. Win. Win.
:0)
Thanks so much for taking part in our Pin'Inspiration Party. Hope that you are having as much fun exploring as I am and that you'll take part in helping the “Beat the Winter Blues” on Saturday.
that is an awesome idea for a party favor! Thanks for sharing and linking up at Create & Inspire!
Angie from A Little Inspiration
Too fun! I heart the beach! Would you consider sharing here?
http://oneartmama.blogspot.com/2012/02/shine-on-fridays-14-and-some-fabulous.html
This is so neat…I can't wait to try making these! I'd love for you to share this idea at Mix it up Monday:
http://flourmewithlove.blogspot.com/2012/02/mix-it-up-monday_12.html#more
I hope to see you soon 🙂
Too Cute!! I love it! I'm your newest follower….Thanks so much for linking up!!
XO, Aimee
What a COOL idea! You are a creative genius 🙂 Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
great post
So impressive! I would LOVE for you to share this awesome mommy solution in my Mommy Club link up! Or any other ideas. Stop over! http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2012/02/the-mommy-club-share-your-resources-and-solutions-31/
Crystal
I've never thought about making these myself, but what a fun idea! Yours turned out super cute.
These are awesome!!! I love all things candles…I hope you will link up with me here:
http://www.thegingerbreadblog.com/2012/02/sweet-saturday-link-party-v26.html
This is such a awesome idea!
PS: I am your newest Linky Follower.
Mrs. Delightful
ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
How much fun is this?? We love this! We have a link party going on as well. Would you link up with us too? You could be featured next week!
-your Newest Followers
http://natural-nester.blogspot.com/2012/02/naturally-nifty-linky-party-2-features.html
How cool is that? I love candles! I am hosting my first link party today and would love for you to link this up, along with anything else you like!
http://www.mom4realky.blogspot.com/2012/02/4-real…
Jessica @ Mom 4 Real
How fun!! And you could do all kinds of different themes. I'd love for you to share this at my link party that runs through Sat.
Rachel
http://adventuresofadiymom.blogspot.com/2012/02/terrific-tuesday-2-and-features.html
Fabulous post,
Thank you for linking your post up! , hope you will stop by today and link up another great post!!
http://polkadot-pretties.blogspot.com/
See you there
Claire x
What a fun idea – I love that you can put fun items in the gel – so cute! I am visiting from TT&J and would love it if you'd visit back!
Amanda
everycreativeendeavor.com
those look so cute and fun to do! i have a cousin's wedding soon….these may be making an appearance =)
So fun!! Love this! We would love you to come share this at our weekly link party every Saturday! -The Sisters
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com
Wow! I've never tried to make one of these, but I might have to now with your fabulous tutorial! They'd be a great summer decor item for sure.
I'd love for you to come link this up to my *Get Creative* party this week
http://www.justalittlecreativity.blogspot.com/2012/02/get-creative-linky-party-and-features.html
Hope to see you there!
-Molly
Pretty candles! These are really cool! Visiting from Serendipity and Spice Manic Monday.
These are awesome! Such a fun tutorial!
I would like to invite you to link up at my first link party going on now. I hope to see you there. http://littlebeckyhomecky.blogspot.com/2012/02/fantabulous-friday-1-random-happenings.html
Katie @ Little Becky Homecky
These are awesome! Thank you for stopping by and posting them in my Kid's Crafts Linky party 🙂 I think kids would really love making these, what a great afternoon project.
Paula
This is such a fun project. I will have to try it one day. 🙂 Found you through the Linky party by the way.
This is too cute! I love the blue ring in the middle of the candle! You make it seem so easy, I might even try it myself 🙂
I love the idea of being able to choose what little doodads to include in the gel! So pretty and fun!!! Thanks for sharing this on Fancy This Fridays this last week!
~Kassi @ Truly Lovely
Very cute! Love all the different versions! So creative! Thanks for sharing at my place! Please come back again tomorrow and share another if you can!
Melody
ChattyChics.com
Great idea. We loved having you join us at “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We hope you'll be back next week! -The Sisters
I've always wondered how to make gel candles,
Thanks for sharing on Serenity Saturday
Natasha xxx
http://www.serenityyou.blogspot.com
Fabulous project!!!
Thank you for linking up, hope you will stop by my blog today and link up another great project…
Claire xox
http://polkadot-pretties.blogspot.com/
Hi, I want to make gel candles but the embeds need to be glass or metal only (non-flammable only). I saw someone who was selling online and she had put a tea light at the top of the gel candle to avoid the wick burning down to the embeds. do you have any idea how she suspended the tea light at the top of the candle? You can't just put it in the gel as it is hardening (like you did to put yours closer to the top) because as the tea light gets hot it will melt the gel and it will sink into the candle. No? It's hard to find embeds that arent' flammable. Also 7 lbs of gel is $49 at Michaels and online you can get it cheaper but you have to buy an enormous amount of it. Any ideas to get it cheaper? Would appreciate any help.
You can put the tea light on the top by first filling your container till where you want the tea light to float, then when it's hard place your tea light and fill gel around the tea light and let it harden. I think the tea light will sink in the gel candles but I'm not sure because I have never tried it! I am going to ask my Facebook readers just in case someone has any idea about it sinking, embeds and cheaper gel! I think you can find a good deal on bulk sale of gel at amazon and eBay but candle art has always been expensive.
Your inquiry on my facebook page, find it here: https://www.facebook.com/craftionarypage/posts/443257742385107
This is amazing. Looks so much better than normal candle wax as well! Great work!
I am glad that I found this site because I had no idea what it was that I needed to make colored gel with.
Hi , can u plz tel me do we need to paste the wick at the bottom or hold the wick and directly poure the melted gel wax .
This is a fantastic idea. I am certain;y going to have to try this. Thank you so very much.
I tried to make gel candle don’t know what I did but it went white on me not transparent….also tried foos coloring did the same thing…HELP what am I doing wrong
What colour was your gel in solid form, if it was transparent and you heat it in a clear stainless steel pan on low it should stay clear. Let me know!
im just starting to do candles I am wondering if an idea will work my idea is to pour my wax (blue) then clear (gel ) and then another level (red) in the clear I found a few wax American flags that I was going to put in there I know I need to let each level harden completely but will the gell be too soft still or what can I use to make a seethrough center layer?
Hi, gel will turn into a jelly-like form. I haven’t tried it but I think it should work. Good luck! Do share your results with us!
Sister and I made an oil candle with several items in it including oranges. In a week it turned murky. With gel can you use fruit and it stay good?
Gel doesn’t heat up as high as oil does, so I believe it should not change the appearance. But I haven’t personally tried with the real fruits.
Can You you use plastic ornaments in gel candle?
Yet you can but good quality plastic, the softer ones may melt.
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Many thanks for providing this information.
Fantastic Post. This article is really beneficial.
I just finished reading your blog post, and I’m truly inspired by this creative DIY project! Gel wax candles are such a unique and beautiful addition to home decor, and your tutorial makes the process seem straightforward and enjoyable.
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