Gel Candles: Creative & Beautiful Candles to Make
Product Description
Amazon.com Review
Relatively new to the candle-making kingdom, gel is a readily available, adaptable substance that can be transformed into all sorts of fascinating candle looks. By melting the jelly-like goop, adding color and perhaps fragrance, and pouring into a heatproof container with a wick, anyone can whip up one-of-a-kind candles. Dawn Cusick’s Gel Candles presents a stunning selection of gel candle creations. Sometimes the containers define the style: Moroccan painted glasses, Easter candles in glass eggs, a teacup, an etched bud vase. But more often what makes the candle unique are the items embedded within: beads, wire, seashells, metal charms, marbles, tiny ceramic figures. The transparency of the gel–even when tinted–enables the treasures to shine through.
Overall, the step-by-step directions are adequate, and the author includes numerous safety precautions. Some of the embedded choices, however, appear rather questionable: silk flowers, plastic toys, and paper photocopies all appear in projects, and although the author warns to keep such items away from the wick and to extinguish the flame when it comes within one inch of the container bottom, such warnings seem insufficient, especially for beginners. And the wicks themselves are often short and unanchored, threatening more hazards if they burn too long. With these caveats in mind, Gel Candles is a worthwhile, whimsical idea-filled guide to the subject. –Amy Handy
Gel Candles: Creative & Beautiful Candles to Make
November 14th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I don’t know what either the Michigander or the Nashbabe are talking about. Rankin goes into depth about flash point and the importance of a clip-on thermometer and the dangers of gel.
The ideas in here are solid, inspirational and very creative. I was quite impressed with all the various candles that Rankin mentioned but I must admit she sorta hints that GELS cannot be taken out of their mold (she only talks in terms of this as a plus factor that you show off the mold).
Don’t know why Cusick is here; not on my copy of the book. It’s Rankin only.
Rating: 4 / 5
November 14th, 2009 at 11:18 am
This book is fantastic, I really love all the information. Excellent!
Rating: 5 / 5
November 14th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
This book does have some pics with short wicks(which the candlemaker could fix) and one or so of the crafts could be fixed differently to keep the wicks away from embeds. The rose candle on p.49 could still work in a larger container with a shorter wick. The paper used in the candles is against the glass and away from the wick. As with all crafts, the crafter can use his judgement and change around things. That said.
This book has beatiful pics and some great ideas. The marbles/stones candle is very pretty. There is a garden scene with the garden supplies(that could be bought at Wal-mart in crafts)at the bottom, a wire candle,various shell candles, candles using stated nonflamable gold leaves,a glass shard candle,a candle using springs(you make springs yourself,great for a man),broken glass shards candle,fruit/vegetables at the bottom candle,tubular gel candles(could still work with rounder tubes)with materials,there is a neat shark candle, a candle using spare screws,nuts,bolts,ect.(very nice for a man),Pics with candle jars in a jar,use of button coins,ceramics,a very nice fruit cocktail,use of sand in between gel layers(different), a metal dinosaur candle,a birthday cake candle using gel and whipped gel made with crayons and real birthday candles,christmas ornament candles,cylinder/beaker candles for science looking candles,and beer caps candle or other caps.
This book does have flaws, but has great ideas/pics too. The candlemaker can always perfect these ideas and still use this book.
Rating: 4 / 5
November 14th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Some of the items are very cute and creative, but as another reviewer states, you would be ill-advised to actually burn many of these candles and taking a significant risk to sell them. It’s a start, but don’t use this book as your definitive way to make gel candles. It’s more a “crafty” type book than a true book about making candles. And “crafty” books aren’t a good idea to use when you are making things that are designed to burn. Use caution.
Rating: 1 / 5
November 14th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
This was my second gel candle book purchase, and let me say that this book contains so much more helpful information, that I am returning the first book that I bought. This one blows the other right out of the water!! It offers step by step colored photos for those just beginning to work with gel candles, to photos of the finished projects for the more experienced that want fresh new ideas. I highly recommend this book and believe that is the only one you will need!
Rating: 5 / 5