Mottled Pillar Candles

Candle Making Tutorial Mottled Effect Candles
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Copyright 2003-2004 CandleHelp.com

The primary agent
used for mottling
is parol
oil. Mineral oil and vegetable oil are also used
on occasion. Additionally, some fragrance
oils have a tendency to cause mottling
in candles.

Parol
oil is added to the liquid wax at any temperature, and should be thoroughly
stirred into the mix to ensure even distribution of parol
oil throughout the candle.

Parol
oil can be used with other additives,
such as kemamide
release powder, and small proportions of Stearic
Powder. Vybar,
which is an anti-mottling
agent, should not be used with parol
oil, as the candle will not mottle
and the parol
oil will be wasted.

Add 1 oz of parol
oil for each pound of paraffin
wax for a standard mottling
effect. Use more parol
oil for more mottling,
less parol
oil for less mottling.

Here is an easy formula sure to mottle
your molded
pillar candles!

You Will
Need - Supplies

?
Molding
Candle Wax, 1 lb

?
Parol
Oil, 1 ounce

?
4.5”
x 3” Round Metal Mold

?
Jiffy
Wicker

?
1/0
square waxed wick or 34-37
flat cotton core waxed wick

?
Silicone
Spray Mold Release (optional)

?
Steamer
Pot or old Sauce Pan to create a double boiler

?
Standard
Size or Small
Size Melting Pot with pour spout

?
Wood
Stir Sticks, chopsticks, or something else to stir the wax

?
Thermometer

?
Scissors

?
Color
Dye Chips

?
Craft
Knife

?
Candle
Fragrance, 1 ounce (optional)

NOTE: These
instructions are written using a 4.5”
x 3” round metal mold, which takes about 1 lb of wax
and 20” of wick
per candle.

Also a good idea to
have around:

?
Paper towels

?
Wax
Remover

?
Aluminum Foil

?
Newspaper, butcher
paper, or scrap paper to cover work surfaces

?
Fire Extinguisher (just
in case)

How to Set Up
Your Work Area

1. Put down
   newspaper or butcher paper on tables and countertops to catch spills and
   for easy cleanup.
2. Have paper towels
   and Windex on hand for cleaning stovetops.
3. Wrap stove burner
   bowls in tin foil to catch drips of wax,
   and for easy cleanup afterwards.

Prep Your Mold

Inspect your mold
to ensure that there is no residual wax
on the inside surfaces or seams of your mold.
If there is, remove it.

Spray the inside of
your mold
with Silicone
Spray Mold Release. To do this, either follow the directions on the can, or
hold the nozzle 8 to 10 inches from your mold
and release the spray in short bursts. I little goes a long way with Silicone
Spray Mold Release.

Wicking your
Mold

Wick
your mold
using wick
and your Jiffy
Wicker, or mold
sealer and a wick
holder bar. (For instructions on how to use a Jiffy
Wicker visit our tutorial on How to Use a Jiffy Wicker.)

Melting
your Pillar Candle Wax

You will need
either a steamer
pot or deep sauce pan, and you will also need a melting
pot with a pouring spout. These two items create a double boiler to melt
your wax.

A simple double
boiler using an old sauce pan and a meting pot with a spout.

Fill the bottom
part of your double boiler (the steamer
pot or the deep sauce pan) with about two inches of cool water, and place
on the burner set to high temperature.

Place pieces of 139
degree Molding Candle Wax to be melted into the melting
pot with a pouring spout, set the melting
pot in the water, and attend to it as the wax
liquefies. (When the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium low or
low.)

If you have a large
block of wax
and need instructions on how to safely break it into smaller pieces, please
visit our section on How To Break Up Wax
Blocks

When the wax
is entirely liquid (i.e., when there are no solid chunks any longer in the pot)
you have successfully melted the wax.
Our 139
degree Molding Candle Wax melts at about 139
degrees F. The wax
will continue to grow hotter as it remains in the double boiler. The temperature
of the wax
should get to 190
degrees F.

Adding Dye

After the wax
is entirely melted, add your candle
dye. Each of our diamond
shaped dye chips colors 1 lb of wax.
Use more or less candle
dye for lighter or darker colored candles. Drop a dye chip
(or part of a dye chip)
into the melted wax,
and stir
until the dye chip
is entirely dissolved into the liquid wax.

Parol Oil

Use parol
oil to promote mottling
in your pillar candle. Parol
oil also acts somewhat as a lubricant when the time comes to remove your candle
from the mold.
Standard usage with our wax
is 1 oz of parol
oil per pound of wax.
After your wax
has melted, and you have added your candle
dye, pour one ounce of parol
oil into the melting
pot and stir
it until it is thoroughly mixed with the wax.
(As you gain experience with parol
oil and mottled
candles, you may decide to use more or less parol
oil in subsequent mottled
candle formulas.)

Adding Fragrance

Adding fragrance
is the last thing you do before you pour the candle. This is because the
potency of the fragrance
can be reduced if subjected to high heat for too long.

The standard ratio
for our candle
fragrance oils is one ounce of fragrance
oil per 1 lb of wax.
Use more or less fragrance
for lighter or heavier scented candles. After you have added your parol
oil, pour one ounce of candle
fragrance into your melting
pot. Stir
thoroughly to get even distribution of the candle
fragrance.

Pouring the
Candles

After you add the fragrance
to the melting
pot, make the first pour of wax
into the pillar
candle mold. You need a spouted
container to pour pillar candles. You can also use a wood
stirring stick or a chopstick for added pouring control to reduce dribbles.

The wax
should still be at about 190
degrees F. If it has cooled, bring the temperature
of the wax back to between 190
and 200 degrees, and give it a good stir.

Pour the wax
into the pillar
mold, and fill the mold
up to half an inch from the top of the mold,
or lower if you desire a shorter pillar candle. Be sure to save some wax
for the 2nd pour.

Let Candle Cool

Allow the candle to
cool naturally at room temperature. Do not use a water bath or other cooling
mechanism to cool the candle more quickly. Your candles will mottle
best if let to cool at room temperature.

Relief Holes

Poke
relief holes in the wax
as it cools, just as in making a basic pillar
candle. If you are unfamiliar with relief holes, please see our instructions on relief
holes in Making Basic
Pillar Candles.

When the candle has
hardened and cooled to room temperature, it is time to make the 2nd
pour of wax,
to fill the relief holes and the indentations, caused by shrinkage of the wax,
in the center of the candle.

2nd
Pour

The “second pour”
is made after the wax
in the pillar
candle mold has cooled completely.

To make the 2nd
pour for the pillar candle, re-heat the wax
you saved from the first pour in the double boiler. Reheat this wax
to about 5 to
10 degrees F hotter than the temperature
of your first pour wax.
(If the wax
of your first pour was 190
degrees F, then heat the 2nd pour wax
to 195
or 200 degrees F before pouring.)

When it is the
proper temperature, pour the wax
into your relief holes, and continue pouring until the wax
reaches a level just below that of your first pour.

Pouring higher than
the first pour can cause surface flaws on your finished candle.

Setting the
Pillar

Now let your pillar
candle sit undisturbed until it cools completely, again at room temperature.
This may take a few hours. You will know that your candle is completely cool
when the surface of the mold
is cool to the touch, not warm. You will also, most likely, notice the candle
separating from the edge of the mold.

Remove The
Candle From the Mold

When your candle
has cooled completely, you may remove it from the mold.
If your candle has cooled completely, it will come out of the mold
easily, as the parol
oil will act as a lubricant inside the mold.

For instructions on
how to disassemble a Jiffy
Wicker and remove a pillar candle from its mold,
see our instructions on Basic Pillar Candles.

Trim the Wick

When your candle is
out of the mold,
cut the wick
at the bottom of the candle, so that it is flush with the bottom surface of the
candle.

Trim the wick
at the top of the candle to ¼”.

Finished Mottled
Pillars

As shown in this
photo, parol
oil can also be used to create mottled
container
candles. The usage is the same, 1 oz of parol
oil per pound of container
candle wax. For instructions on how to make a container
candle, visit our instructions on Basic Container Candles.

Finish Notes:

?
For instructions on
removing the mold seams from your pillar candles, see our reference section on Removing Seams from Candles

?
For instructions on
leveling your candles (in the event that they came out tilted for some reason)
please see our reference section on Candle Leveling

Caution:

?
Never pour liquid wax
down a drain. It will solidify in the pipes and cause a serious clog.

?
Pillar candles should be
burned in approved pillar
candle holders

?
Never leave a burning
candle unattended.