The New Year is approaching, and with it the pleasant worries associated with choosing gifts for loved ones. I want to give something useful, something that will please, and perhaps surprise. One of the most desired gifts this year will be candles.
Craftswoman Natalya Kirilenko from Makarov in the Kyiv region creates candles with a frosty pattern and crackle when burned. She told FACTS about her work and how to make interesting gifts with her own hands.
“The wax itself draws a pattern”
— Candles have never been such a relevant accessory for the home as they are now, - says Natalia Kirilenko. - Candles with a frosty pattern and a crackle when burning are a real fairy tale. To create them, you need crystallized palm wax. It cannot be mixed with other types of wax, and a wooden wick is used to make the candle crackle like a fireplace. Anyone can make such a candle. It’s easy enough, but you have to be careful because the temperature of the wax is very high.
— How can you create such a candle?
- First, prepare a container for pouring wax. I use glass jars with lids. You can also take metal ones. I attach a wooden wick to the bottom of the jar on special holders. Then wax should be poured into the vessel, to which a fat-soluble dye should be added. We put all this in a water bath. The wax will start to melt. Constantly stirring, the wax must be brought to a temperature of 90 degrees, and then poured into prepared jars. That’s all. The candle should solidify at room temperature.
- Does the pattern change after each burning?
- It’s different every time. Wax paints it himself. Looking at such a candle, one gets the impression that this pattern appeared from frost, but the beauty is that it does not disappear from heat, and one can admire this fairy tale for all eternity.
- How to use such a candle?
- When you light it for the first time, the wax should melt to the edges of the container. With each subsequent burning, the top layer of wax must completely melt so that a tunnel does not form around the oppression and the candle burns evenly. Before each use, the wick must be cut or broken off. The candle should not burn continuously for more than 2-3 hours. It is advisable not to blow it out, but to block the supply of oxygen with a lid or use an extinguisher. Then let the smoke out. Place the candle on a heat-resistant surface, away from flammable objects. But never leave a burning candle unattended. By the way, in addition to such candles, I make wax candles. I also make soap. I especially like food design. So in the collection of my works there is soap in the form of marshmallows, meringues, tangerines, pastries …
“I go to the dessert shop and I already want to create soap in the form of a cake”
- In appearance - like real goodies. What inspires you to be creative?
- Rain outside the window, music, nature … I go to the dessert shop - and I want to create soap in the form of a cake. Also inspiring people who create something new, special.
Can you give readers a recipe for making soapy tangerines?
— I make my soap from glycerin soap base. To create, you need a soap base, silicone molds, cosmetic flavor and dye. It is necessary to melt the soap base, add all the components and pour into the mold. When the soap hardens, get it, sprinkle with starch - and that’s it!
And how to choose a high-quality candle and apply it correctly so that it lasts longer, FACTS was told Bukovinian craftswoman Nadezhda Bodnaryuk, which creates incredibly good candles.
Source: Fakty
