Embedding in gel
One of the aspects that makes gel candles so stunningly appealing is the ability to embed objects into the candle that are visible through the transparent gel. From glass, to wax, to ceramic and plaster; embedded items can increase not only the attractiveness of your candle, but also it's perceived value.
The most important thing to remember is to only embed items that are non flammable - plastic, wood, resin and fabric etc are all extremely flammable and should not be used.
Another important thing to remember is to place your embedded items right up against the edge of the glass. This not only gives your items better visibility, but keeping them away from the wick will mean your candle will be safer and burn for longer.
If you are embedding wax, my recommendation is to pour the gel first and then embed the wax items. This gives you the least chance of the embeds melting. Make sure the wax embeds are clean and do not have any wick. Coat them with warm gel before placing into the candle right up against the edge of the glass. This will help to prevent air pockets.
As always, before making a large batch of anything …. Test, test, test!!!!!!
Tips for embedding wax
- Refrigerate wax embeds for an hour before using. This will make sure that the wax is as hard as possible before it is embedded.
- Pour the gel first, and then embed the wax shapes.
- Pour the gel hot around 210°F, but leave to cool until at least 185°F before embedding. DO NOT embed wax shapes above this temperature as this can cause the wax to melt and the colours to bleed.
- Darker colours are more prone to bleeding. Pay particular attention to the temperature of the gel when embedding dark coloured wax shapes. Test in a small amount of gel for best temperature with your particular gel wax before making a large batch!
- Placing your newly embedded gel candles in the fridge will help the gel to set quicker and minimise melting. This will also produce extra bubbles in the gel, but these can easily be reduced by sitting the candles in a sunny window for a few days.
Other Embed Ideas
- Anything glass... pebbles, figurines, hearts, fish etc.
- Ceramic ornaments like cats, dogs, snowmen.
- Gem stones and tumble stones
- Metal and foil cake decorations
- Sand, gravel, sea shells
- Bright coins
- Cosmetic grade glitter. Do not use craft glitter. It is not safe.
Don't forget the projects section for even more embedding ideas!
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