Books For Candle Making

What are your objectives in candle making?  Is there only one type of candle that you wish to make, or do you want to attempt to make all kinds?  Some candle making books address all kinds of candles and some don't.

The wonderful thing about candle making is that if you do just a few basic things, you can produce a functional candle.  If you really want to be a good candle maker, you need the instruction and guidance of someone who has already made the big mistakes and learned the ropes.

Books can be informative, instructional, rudimentary, advanced, and any number of other things.  If you have no idea which end of a candle is which, you will need a book that approaches the subject from a very basic standpoint.  On the other hand, you may be way past that and only need help on tweaking your finished products.

If you want to know anything about anything, there is usually a "dummies" book on the subject.  Candles are represented here along with soaps in "Making Candles & Soaps for Dummies."  It gives you the basic information in simplistic terms, and would be good for the person who has never made soap or candles.  It would probably not serve anyone well who has made candles or soap before.

Instructions on soy, paraffin, bayberry, and wax candles are usually addressed in one book.  If you want to learn about gel candles, you might have to go to another source.  Then, you have the oil candle which goes in a different direction altogether.

Fine tuning your skills as a candle maker takes numerous hours of work on your part.  Some of that time might be alleviated by the printed word.  If you are having problems with the finish on your pillar candles, most everyone else has had that problem, too.  If you can't get the fragrance the way you want it, someone has written instructions on a solution.

For the person who wants to get ideas on specialty candles, there are books for that, too.  Have you ever made a sand castle candle?  How about a chocolate chip muffin candle?  How would you like to make fake food candles?  The possibilities are boundless, and if it has been done, there is at least some portion of a book dedicated to explaining the process.

In the world we live in, things are much different than they were 50 years ago.  We can acquire knowledge quicker and through many avenues.  Some say that the day will come when we no longer need books.  That opinion is a fallacy, because no matter where you get information, it is still good to be able to hold it in your hand.  Computers are not always convenient.

What do you need to know about candles?  If it is anything that has been done before, you can find out about it in candle making books.  When you are in the middle of a batch of candle wax, it is a great advantage to have a book readily available to reference a problem.