Molds & Melting Pots

Molds

Molds come in endless shapes and sizes.  Commercially made candle molds can be purchased at any candlemaking supplier and many craft stores.  They are made of several different materials such as metal, acrylic, latex rubber and glass.  But you are not limited to these.  Many containers can be used as a mold.  Almost anything that will stand up to the extreme heat of moten wax will work, as long as the opening is large enough to remove the hardened candle or the container is disposable and can be peeled off.  I like to get old cups, glasses, candy dishes, etc. at a Goodwill, Salvation Army store, garage sales or flea markets.  That way you don't have to worry about ruining them because you rarely pay more than a dollar for them!  Also you can buy old glass candle containers, and just remove the old wax by placing the container in the freezer for a little while.  The old candle should pop right out.  If you are making a free standing candle, make sure you coat the inside of the mold with a non-stick cooking spray or silicon spray first!  This will help your candle come out much easier.  Or you can use a disposable mold such as a plastic jar, milk carton, frozen juice can, etc. that can be torn and peeled off when the candle is hard.  For small floating candles, try using different shaped ice cube trays, cupcake pans, or candy making and soap molds!
 

Melting Pots

Wax melting vats are available at several candlemaking suppliers and are specially made for this purpose.  They have thermostatic controls for temperature and many types come with several seperate vats for dipping.  These are usually fairly expensive and used only by candlemakers who sell their candles.  For the home candlemaker, I suggest buying old pots and pans at a local Goodwill, Salvation Army, garage sale, flea market, etc.  You won't want to use any of your good cookware because of the mess!  You must place the pot you are melting the wax in, inside a pot of water to make a double boiler.  NEVER melt wax directly on the burner or in the microwave!  If you want to melt several colors at once, try saving a few tall family size Ravioli, spaghetti sauce or coffee cans!  This way you can fit several of them in a large pot of water at the same time to make multi colored candles!  Just don't forget to use a pot holder to remove the can when you're ready to pour the wax!  You may even wish to use pliers to make a spout for easier pouring.  Also old metal pitchers or even large pyrex glass measuring cups work well for small quantities.  The measuring cup is handy since it already has markings to help measure your wax.  Or you can make your own measurement markings on your cans or pitchers.