Flexible Candle Molds

Beautifully ornate and intricate candles can be made using flexible moulds - candles with embossed surfaces decorated with twisted vines, animals, birds and flowers can be easily produced using the techniques shown. Unlike the rigid moulds, flexible moulds can simply be rolled off the set candle without damaging the surface. Always use unprimed wick with flexible moulds so as to limit the size of the hole made in the mould.

 Single-color candle

Here I use a mold stand to support the tulip mold, but you could use a jar or jug.

 1. New molds do not have a top opening for the wick. Pierce a small hole with a wicking needle and thread an unprimed wick up through the mold.

2. Make a cardboard template to support the mould on the stand. Use a wicking needle to support the wick in the centre of the mold.

3. Heat the wax in a double boiler to 93°C (200°F). Add the vybar, and then an eighth of a dye disc. Transfer the molten wax mixture into a warmed pouring jug, add a few drops of perfume and stir well.

4. Pour the wax into the mold until it reaches the neck. Gently squeeze the mold to release any trapped air. As the wax cools, fill any cavities with molten wax.

5. When the candle has set, smear the outside of the mold with liquid soap and carefully peel it back all the way round.

6. Trim the excess wick at the base, then flatten it with a warm iron.

Pour-in pour-out candles

Layers of wax can be built up on the inside of a flexible mould by pouring the wax in and pouring it out. Beautiful, translucent effects can be created with just two layers. The color will show through the outer layer if you color the under layer (the second pour) with strong dye. Increasing the amount of dye will give you stunning results. Rigid or flexible molds can be used, although flexible molds create more interesting effects as the over layer varies in thickness, creating variable tones. This technique is ideal for capturing the translucency of flowers.

This project uses the same materials and equipment listed above. Follow steps 1-6 , but make the following changes:

In step 3, heat the wax to 82°C (180°F). Add the vybar but do not add the dye disc.

In step 4, fill the mold with white wax, squeeze the mould to release trapped air, leave for five minutes until a hard layer forms and then pour the wax back into a pouring jug. Return all the wax to the double boiler, add a maximum of half a dye disc, reheat to 82°C (180°F) and then pour the colored wax into the mold. As the wax cools, fill the cavities with molten wax.