If you happen to be an enthusiast for candles, it is obvious that you want to know in-depth about adding fragrances or colors to the candles.
Many factors play crucial factors in boosting the ambiance and appearance of your household. As a result, adding fragrance and colors to your candles is an important part of the candle-making process.
Experts suggest that it is prudent to add color before applying the fragrance to your candles. Since there are times when you need to add additional dye flakes during the candle-making process and put it back in the double boiler, applying fragrance afterward ensures that you do not have to reapply it later.
If you are someone who has queries with regards to how you can add fragrance or color to your candles, this article is for you. In this article, I am going to go into extensive details about how you can expediently add colors or apply fragrance to your candles.
How to Add Colors to the Candles?
Candle dye is the most efficient way of adding colors to scented candles as it is specifically formulated to dye candles. However, there are different types of dye in the market to choose from when it comes to adding colors to candles.
For this reason, I am going to give an overview of all the available dyeing methods for adding colors during your candle-making process.
Candle Dye Blocks
If you are someone who is looking at candle-dying blocks for the first time, there is a decent chance you might mistake it for a chocolate bar. Candle Dye Blocks come in a wide variety of colors, therefore, you have a wide pool of shades to choose from if you go with this particular dyeing method. It is also non-staining in nature which is a priority for many candle users.
To color your candles, you need to use around 0.02 to 0.06 ounces of dye for every pound of candle wax. Once you melt the required amount of candle wax, make sure to turn off the heat and apply the necessary amount of candle block dye.
Following this measure, stir the solution for a couple of minutes above the temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The process of using candle dye blocks is quite simple and cost-efficient. As a result, this method of adding color to candles is quite popular amongst candle users.
But it is important to keep in mind that at times you might need to give some time to strike the perfect tuning while you are making a small batch of candles with dye blocks.
Candle Liquid Dye
For those who are actively looking to apply a color that will be bright and bold in appearance, candle liquid dye is a worthy dyeing method to look at. Candle liquid dye renders a vivid color that is difficult to obtain through other dyeing methods.
As it happens, the liquid dye comes in small bottles, which is much similar to the size and appearance of food coloring.
The most striking upside of using liquid dye is that you can expeditiously mix it with different colors. Due to this factor, candle makers find it convenient to use liquid dye to achieve the color they want to attain. In addition to this, you can also achieve a range of bright and contrasty colors on your candles by using just a few drops of liquid dye.
The steps that are usually followed to use candle liquid dye are similar to the previously discussed method. To make a colored candle, you need to use about 4 to 8 ounces of liquid dye for every pound of candle wax.
After melting the necessary candle wax, you have to put away the heat source and add the dye at about 150 to 170 degrees until the blending is complete.
It is important to keep mindful of the fact that liquid dye can potentially stain anything if it is subjected to leakage. If you are using liquid dye, it is advisable to keep it in a separate container and use gloves while using it for application. This way you can keep the mess minimal while working with candle liquid dye.
Candle Dye Chips
If color consistency is the feature that matters to you the most, you may consider using candle dye chips to achieve your desired colors on your candles. This is an efficient method that uniquely suits the needs of those candle enthusiasts who are looking for a method that is convenient for application on small batches of candles.
Candle Dye Chips offer a variety of unique features that makes it an attractive option to many customers. Firstly, it is adept for achieving bright as well as pastel colors, depending on the varied number of chips you are using at a time. Secondly, dye chips tend to mix more smoothly than other methods. Therefore, it keeps the mess at a minimum level than usual.
Last but not the least, you may create a different mixture of candle dye chips by tearing them apart which enables you to create unique-looking candles more conveniently.
For every pound of candle wax, you need to use about 0.02 to 0.06 ounces of dye chips while using it on candles. After melting the wax, you need to add the chips at a heat of 160 to 180 Fahrenheit for a few minutes to complete the process.
What Fragrances Can You Add to the Candles?
There are many ways to add fragrance to your candles, just as there are with colors. I will give an extensive overview of all the available types of fragrances at the market to apply to the candles for your convenience.
Essential Oils
If applying a completely natural fragrance is one of your priorities, using essential oils for your candles is the best possible choice that you could go with. Essential oils are generally made from plant materials which tend to be a very attractive feature to its customers. Many experts claim that essential oils bear a therapeutic effect on your entire household.
Standard Fragrance Oils
Standard fragrance oils are one of the most ubiquitous forms of fragrance that are applied to candles. Since you can readily have a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to picking a certain scent, standard fragrance oils are always high in demand amongst most candle enthusiasts.
Standard fragrance oils enable you to obtain natural scents without the need for any plants since the chemical ingredients inside them can imitate the natural perfume quite easily. In addition to this, you have more leeway to melt your wax and mix your fragrance since standard fragrance oils tend to possess a higher level of flashpoint.
Natural Fragrance Oils
This particular fragrance entails aromas that are mostly acquired from natural sources. As a whole, natural fragrance oils are an extraction of fragrance from mother nature itself.
Natural fragrance oil is usually high up in the customers’ list of preferences because it is free of preservatives and bears an excellent throw of scent.
Conclusion
It is always wise to add color to your candles before applying fragrance to them. Since adding colors requires melting your candle wax using a heat source, you maintain the best chance of preserving the scent of your candle intact if you apply the fragrance later.
In this article, I have discussed a lot of effective dyeing and scenting methods that you can use to personalize your candles to your taste. Hopefully, this article has proved to be an insightful read to help you to decide how you want to dye and apply fragrance to your candles.
