Make Celestial Candles for a Floating Arrangement

Basic wax mixtures and procedures used

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The pour-in-pour-out method described here produces candles with subtle tone gradations. Moulds with raised designs give the best results. We used thin plastic moulds similar to chocolate moulds. This type of plastic warps easily at high temperatures, therefore the recommendation for a 65°C (149°F) wax pouring temperature.

You can view the completed centerpiece on the floating candle centerpieces page.

You'll need:
Sun, star and moon moulds
Paraffin wax/stearin mixture
Yellow and red candle dyes
A length of 3 cm wick for each candle, or special floating candle wicks)
A 2-sided, 5 cm (2") ball candle mould
A water-bath, (small glass bowls work well)
A wicking needle
A smooth knife, (no serrated edges)

Instructions for the moon and star candles:

1. Melt enough undyed stearin/paraffin wax to fill your chosen number of moulds. Pour the wax into a metal pouring jug, and allow to cool down to 65°C (149°F).

2. Pour the wax into the moulds, and leave for 5 minutes, or until a skin forms, (whichever happens first). Pour the wax out of the moulds, back into the jug, dye it a lemon-yellow colour, and reheat up to 65°C (149°F). Pour the lemon-yellow wax into the moulds, and place the moulds onto their water-baths.

3. Make a hole in the centre of each setting candle, as soon as the wax is firm, but still warm. Allow to set completely.

Make a backing for each wax shape, using one half of a ball candle mold:

4. Melt enough lemon-yellow wax to fill the required number of molds, and heat the wax up to 80°:c (176°F). Fill each ball candle half with wax. Make a hole in the centre of each one when the wax is firm, but still warm. Allow to set.

5. Neaten the wax shapes, by rubbing them against a hot iron. You might have to flatten the sides of the half-ball-candles, to make them fit onto the irregular moon shapes.

6. Melt a small quantity of wax, (or use left-over waxes). Prime the wicks in the melted wax, and allow the wax to cool down until a skin forms.

7. In the meantime, join a half-ball shape with a celestial shape, by threading a wick through the two. Tie a knot at the base.

8. Whip the wax with a fork until frothy, and place a spoonful around the wick, between the two wax shapes. Clamp the two sides together gently, and hold for a few seconds. Apply more melted wax, to seal up any holes remaining in the joins.

9. Heat a knife up on a stove plate, and work your way around the candle joins with the hot knife, neatening, and melting closed any holes that remain.

10. Snip the wick off against the bottom of the candle, place a drop of warm wax into the wick hole, and run a hot knife over the hole, sealing it properly.

11. If the water-tightness of your candles is in any doubt, dip the candles in 93°C, (199°F) wax, for 3 seconds.


Instructions for sun candles:

Follow the instructions for the moon and star candles, using yellow and orange waxes instead. Pour the yellow wax in first, pour out, and fill the moulds with orange wax.


Back to Candle Centerpiece Crafts page.