Gel candles can be beautiful to look at and fun to make, however, when you get too many bubbles in your candle it ruins all the fun. In addition, too many bubbles in your candle can alter the way it burns. Let’s take a look at what you can do to reduce the number of bubbles in your gel candles. How to make gel candles without bubbles?
Make gel candles without bubbles by slowly pouring them at between 185°F and 200°F degrees. Then put the candles into your preheated oven at 170°F for 1 hour. This will allow any bubbles to work their way out.
When working with gel, it can easily create bubbles by being worked too vigorously, and in most cases, this includes pouring the candles and stirring the gel. In order to avoid this, you have to be very careful.
There are also some steps you can take after your candles are poured to try and reduce the number of bubbles.
This is some of what you may need to get started making gel candles.
Required Supplies
Things you will need to make gel candles.
- Melting Pot
- Thermometer
- Gel Candle Wick
- Gel Candle Wax
- Gel Compatible Fragrances
- Containers
- Decorative Embeds
- Gel Candle Liquid Dye
You can also buy a gel candle making kit on Amazon.
Melting Pot
Any melting pot will work but something with an extended spout would work best for reducing bubbles.
Thermometer
I prefer to use instant read thermometers, the candy style thermometers take too long to adjust temperature for me.
Gel Candle Wick
Remember you need a wick specifically designed for gel candles, in addition, you should pre-dip it in gel before putting it in your container. This will help cut down on bubbles.
Gel Candle Wax
There are three different densities of gel wax that you can get. Chances are whatever you get will be medium grade.
Gel Compatibly Fragrance Oil
It is important to buy fragrance oil specifically made for gel candles. The temperature at which fragrance oil is mixed with gel wax is above the flashpoint of most soy wax fragrance oils.
Make sure the fragrance oil has a flashpoint of 200°F or higher.
Containers
With gel candles most people like to get more decorative glass pieces, but I would still try to find a container that is rated to work with high temperatures and is often used in candles.
Decorative Embeds
Decorative embeds vary widely when making gel candles. People use everything from seashells to marbles, in addition to high density gel wax embeds.
Gel Candle Liquid Dye
You have to use liquid dye designed for gel candles when making gel candles. The dye blocks you use in soy wax candles will not work and do not use crayons. Crayons will just clog up your wick.
Making Gel Candles Without Bubbles
Follow some of these tips and you should greatly reduce the number of bubbles in your gel candles.
Pre-dip wicks
Pre-dip your wicks and whatever decorative pieces you will be using in your gel candles. If you do not pre-dip them, and let them dry then when you add them to your candle bubbles may form that will become trapped in the candles.
Gently mix
After preheating the gel to about 225°F, once it has cooled to around 200°F you can add your gel compatible fragrance oil and dye. You will find gel melts a lot slower than soy wax.
Make sure the fragrance oil has a flashpoint of at least 200°F or higher and do not add it to the wax until the wax is at a temperature below the fragrance oil flashpoint.
When adding your candle gel compatible fragrances stir the mixture very gently. Over stirring or being too rough with the mixture can cause it to include and form bubbles.
Preheat glass containers
Preheat your glass containers before pouring in the gel. A preheated container will help the candles prevent the formation of bubbles around the sides of the container as you pour in the gel.
Gently pour
The more gently you can pour, the fewer bubbles you will have in your candle to get rid of. This is the step where you will pick up the majority of the bubbles. The further the distance from the melt pot, to the bottom of the glass, the more bubbles will become trapped in your gel.
Tilt the container as you pour, pour from something with a spout, whatever you can do to lessen the distance from the pot to the bottom of the container will help.
Pour between 185°F and 200°F
As soon as your gel-compatible fragrance oil and liquid dye are mixed into your gel candle wax, you are prepared to pour and fill your candles at between 185°F and 200°F.
Tap on the containers
Once you have filled the container do not be afraid to shake it a little and tap on it. This will help work out any bubbles hiding around the wick or your embeds.
You can also poke around inside the container gently with a chopstick to knock air bubbles loose.
Place in oven
If you think you have any pesky bubbles remaining you can place your candles in an oven preheated to 170°F for up to an hour. This might cook off some of your fragrance oil so if you choose to do this step, you may consider adding a very small amount extra.
However, if you are confident you removed the majority of the bubbles by tapping on the container and poking around with a chopstick you can skip this step all together.
Let cool in oven
After an hour, shut the oven off and let it sit until the candles are cool.
At this point, there is no reason to handle the gel candles again before they’ve cooled. After preheating the glass, tapping on the sides of the glass, and poking around with a chopstick there is not much else you can do to reduce bubbles at this point.
I would let them sit in the oven for about 6 hours. You need roughly 2 hours for the oven to cool down and an additional 4 hours for the gel candles to cool and harden.
Where To Get Gel Candle Supplies
These are some of the places you can get gel candle supplies.
- Candle & Soap Making Supplies
- Aztec Candle & Soap Supplies
- CandleWic
- Bittercreek Candle Supply Inc
- HobbyLobby
- Amazon
Conclusion
In conclusion, making gel candles is no more difficult than making soy wax candles. You are just working with temperatures that are a little higher than what you may be used to.
While making gel candles maybe a little more time-consuming and a little harder to turn into a full-time business it can still be a great hobby. However, that is only if you are making elaborate designs for your containers.
You can really customize the candles you make with different designs and themes and then keep them for yourself or give them to family and friends. It gives you a little more of a creative outlet than what you get from making soy wax candles.