This weeks inspiration I think is videography/vlogs. I have been watching a lot of channels on youtube lately and after watching them + a few other videos on peoples blogs I really want to try experimenting with video in the future. I really want to upgrade to a Canon 5d MK2 (which has HD video) but until then I only have my Canon point and shoot for videos. I am hoping to take lots of photos over Christmas and to also take some videos. I don't have any video editing software on my Mac though so if someone can hook me up with a free software please comment below!
The second half to this weeks inspiration is candle making. I decided to get crafty this year and make candles for family and friends. It really isn't that hard to do but the start up costs are not cheap and it can be time consuming. Here are some photos of my candle making. I didn't think to take the photos until I was almost done my last bit of touching up. I'll still explain the process though.
To start you will need some wax. I chose solid wax for molds but there are lots of different kinds (gel wax, wax crystals, soy wax, etc). I bought an 11 pound bar which was HUGE and I only had maybe a 1.5lbs left. You'll either need to shave down the wax into small pieces or sort of chisel at it and make smaller chunks to melt.
You will also need candle scent and dye. You can get them both in either liquid or bar form. These are vanilla scent and red dye. Make sure you read the instructions on how much to use depending on how much wax you are using.
If using jars as the containers you will have to glue the wicks and wick base to the bottom. I used a hot glue gun but you could probably use crazy glue or buy glue specifically for that purpose.
Then you double boil it until everything is melted and it hits a certain temperature (depends on the type of wax and how you are making it, be sure to read the instructions).
This is what it looks like in the pouring pot. I didn't actually start this batch from scratch. The reason being is that if you are making the candles in jars or containers like I did, when it cools you get like a sink hole in the middle (you can see small ones below). Once they cool you need to pour in more wax to fill in the hole. This is what I was doing today tonight to finish them up.
Again, they are only sunk in a little bit but how much sinks in is different for each.
Topped off (different candles).
To keep the wicks straight I do this. It looks strange but it works for me.
Til next time Merry Christmas!! I hope to post some vlog style posts next week about Christmas. :)
Oh COOOL. I've never made candles before, but it seems pretty fun!
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