Pressed Flower Candles

Pressed Flower Candle

Supplies needed:
Double Boiler
Candle thermometer
Wooden spoon
Wax (your choice suitable for container candles)
Pillar mold
Plain white candle thinner than the pillar mold and ½ in. shorter
Scissors
Newspaper
Candle fragrance
Dried flowers, leaves, or spices, such as cinnamon sticks
Skewer
Mold seal
Wick holder
Vegetable oil
Paint brush

You will need enough wax to fill your candle mold. Lay newspaper where you will be working for easy clean-up. Brush the inside of your mold with vegetable oil, so the candle can be removed easily. Release the wick of the white candle on the bottom, and then slip the wick through the bottom of the mold. Seal with mold sealer. Now you have your white candle standing in the center of your pillar mold. Place dried flowers, leaves or cinnamon sticks into the mold around the core candle. Attach a wick holder to the top of the core candle to hold in place.

Melt your wax at 175 degrees Fahrenheit (or the temperature indicated with use of your chosen wax) in a double boiler. Leave your wax uncolored or white. Add fragrance and stir into wax. Once the wax is melted, you can carefully pour it into the pillar mold around the core candle. If the botanicals try to float, use the skewer to push them down and against the mold. Allow the wax to cool (you may use a water bath if desired). When the wax has cooled, you may need to pierce around the core candle and top off with more hot wax.

When the candle is completely cool, remove the mold seal and candle from the pillar mold. Wipe any remaining vegetable oil off the candle. Trim the wick and flatten the base. Now you have a lovely botanical candle.

The picture shown are of some lovely pressed flower candles by Pleasant Ridge Candles (click here). They specialize in pressed flower and leaf candles and do quite a lovely job.

The Bonnie Bath Co.
Natural, handmade bath and body products

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Question - Soap cutters

Up until now, when I make a soap in a log, I've been using a wood soap cutter with a metal tool that you slide through a cut out in a wooden base. See photo - it's not the exact same model, but pretty close.

I don't like it for two reasons:

1. The soap doesn't always come out perfectly smooth. The blade sticks to the soap, you have to pry it off, which leaves behind markings.

2. It doesn't cut a consistent exact bar. There is a little wiggle room in the grooves that the blade slides through, which isn't too noticeable in a rectangular soap that fits the base perfectly. However, when I use it to cut my circular shaving soaps, it shifts slightly causing the soap to look lopsided when set on a flat surface.

What soap cutter do you recommend and why? Or what soap cutter do you have and why do you like or dislike it?

I could certainly buy a different cutter, but I don't want the rejects to pile up in the garage. It's best to ask others that actually use the equipment. So don't hold back!

The Bonnie Bath Co.

Natural, handmade bath and body products

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