Instructions for making a hurricane candle centerpiece    
 

How to Make a Hurricane Candle Centerpiece


Hurricane candle centerpiece with ironed-in designs Hurricane candle lanterns can be made with a variety of waxes. You need to create a firm, strong, translucent shell, which withstands high temperatures. Use a hard wax, with a high melting point.

Your handiwork will endure, and you'll enjoy the repeated pleasure of burning many candles in it.

Hurricane shell candles make the best candles for outdoors. Unlike ordinary candles, they don't keep on going out, in the slightest little breeze. They're a welcome addition to any celebration. These candles won't flicker and die, midway through the festivities. A joy for alfresco dining and entertaining. Votive glasses, with tea lights in them, or deliciously scented votives, safeguard the inside of the wax shells, and prevent drips. Or opt for flame free, cool LED candles, which won't melt the wax.

Numerous decorating opportunities come with the hurricanes. Place the candle in the center of a wide, ready-made floral ring or wreath. This type of arrangement will take you a few minutes to complete. Or surround the candle with shells, stones, or any of your favourite decorative objects.

Below are the instructions for burning designs into a hurricane shell with a hot iron.

Suitable Wax Mixtures and Moulds for Hurricane Candles

  • Paraffin wax with a high melting point. 140°F (60°C) is workable. 156deg;F (69deg;C) is better.


  • 1 part microcrystalline wax added to 10 parts paraffin wax. Use micro 170 or 180 (with a melting point of 170°-180°F (77°-82°C). Your wax manufacturer might have a different name or label for these waxes. Consult with them if you're uncertain.


  • A metal mould at least 4" (10cm) wide. Extra-large moulds, especially made for hurricane candles, are available. If you don't have a metal mould, acrylic moulds also work quite well.


You'll need:
Wax, and your chosen additive, (if you're using one)
A mould
Prestik or mould seal
A cool-water bath, (use any bucket or container that is wide enough and will take the length of the mould)
An iron
Masking tape

Instructions:

1. Using an ordinary mould with a wick hole at the bottom? Close the hole with mould seal or Prestik.

Cutting the wax skin off 2. Heat the wax up to 180°F (82°C). Work with undyed wax.

For metal moulds, or when working in chilly conditions, warm the mould up first, by running warm water over the sides.

Pour the wax slowly into the center of the mould. Wait for 2 minutes. Give the mould a sharp tap.

3. Skip this step if you are working in chilly conditions. Place the mould into a water-bath. Make sure the water-level is slightly above the level of the wax. Place an object onto the mould to keep it weighted down.

The optimum temperature for a water-bath is 50°-59°F (10°-15°C).

Remove the mould after 30 minutes, or when a skin has formed on the wax, and dry off thoroughly.

The wax shell mustn't be less than ¼ (5mm) thick, or it will be too frail.

4. Cut the wax skin off and pour the wax back into the wax melter or double-boiler. Scrape untidy bits of wax off the edge with a small, smooth-edged knife. Pour a bit of melted wax into the bottom of the wax shell to give it strength.

5. Leave the shell to set. Place the shell into the fridge for 20 minutes. It should pull out of the mould easily.

Melting a design into the candle with an iron

Iron Designs into the Hurricane Candle Shell


6. Mark the places where you want your designs to appear with a small piece of masking tape.

7. Heat the iron. Heat old irons with faulty, or no electrical connections, up on a stove-plate.

close up of design make with iron
8. Hold the candle to the iron, and use the point of the iron, to make the patterns in the wax.

9. Neaten the bottom of the hurricane in an old saucepan.


Variations for Hurricane Candle Centerpieces:

  • Pour wax into a large square or round mould. Leave until a skin forms. Pour the wax out. Press dried flowers, pieces of fruit, shells, etc., into the wax. Reheat the poured-out wax, and pour it back into the mould. Swish it around, so the decorations are covered with a thin layer of wax. Pour the excess wax back into the melting pot.
  • Create a plain hurricane candle. Carve a scalloped design on the top edge. Or carve out simple shapes in the sides of the shell.
  • Tie a string of glass or wooden beads around the candle.
  • Push a ribbon or leather tie through a piece of dried fruit. Encircle your hurricane candle with this.

 

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