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Many people often ask me "How do you make scented candles?" When I tell them how easy it is, they are often shocked. I'll give you some quick tips that will have you making wonderful scented candles in no time.

Select The Right Oil
Alcohol-based perfumes are your friend. I suggest you use that type instead of water-based perfume. I'm sure you heard the old saying the oil and water don't mix. Waxes are close to oil in their chemical composition. You should be able to find quality alcohol-based perfumes at any craft store.

Select Your Wax?
You can really select any type of wax you like. The most common choices are soy, gel, palm, paraffin and beeswax. Think about how much fragrance you want to use before selecting a wax. Fragrance amounts are very important when using gel waxes. If you need a heavy amount of fragrance, then you should select a high density gel wax. If this is your first time making candles I suggest you use paraffin wax.

Melt The Wax
Now that you've selected your wax, it is time to melt it. Save yourself tons of heartache and aggravation and use the double boiler technique when melting candles. The term double boiler may sound complicated, but it is very simple to execute. You will need two pots, one small pot and one larger pot. Place your wax in the smaller pot. Next, fill the larger pot with water. Place the smaller pot inside the larger pot. See, so far, so good. Turn the heat on your stove to and heat the wax to 165-185 degrees. It is important that you use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. If the heat is too high, the wax could burn and you won't be happy.

Add Fragrance and Wick It Real Good
Once your wax is melted at the right temperature you are ready to add your fragrance. As a rule of thumb, I suggest you use one ounce of fragrance per pound of wax. You could use more, but that is the standard that most candle makers follow. After adding the fragrance, you can now pour the wax into your mold. If you actually want this candle to burn you will need a wick. Insert the wick in the mold and let the candle cool.

Scents Are Great
More and more I'm finding out that people are really attracted to candles by their scent. Who wouldn't love to have wonderful fragrances filling their house. It is easy. Give it a try.

I teach people how to make great homemade canldes.

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