More About Candle Making Molds

Aluminum molds are a very popular type of candle making mold.  They are durable and heat resistant.  When choosing an aluminum candle mold, make sure to pick out a heavy aluminum mold.  Aluminum candle molds leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle, if you have been careful to choose an aluminum mold that is seamless.  This gives the candles the appearance of being professionally made.  These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles.  They are also inexpensive when compared to rubber molds. 

A plus about aluminum molds is that they are easy to clean.  All you need to do is to put them on a baking sheet in your oven.  By placing them upside down and heating them to about 150 degrees the leftover wax will milt and run out of the mold onto the cookie sheet.  Just remember to line your cookie sheet.  The down side to aluminum molds is that they are not flexible so there are very little choices when it comes to varying the shapes or textures of the candles and that they require a releasing agent to get the candle out of the mold.

On the other hand, rubber molds like polyurethane, silicone, or latex molds are very flexible.  Polyurethane molds are flexible but they do not stretch well.  They are usually a little bit cheaper then silicone molds.  Unfortunately, they have a strong odor that may be able to be passed along in your candle and they will need a releasing agent to get the candle out of it.  Often times pillar and taper candles are made from these types of molds. 

Silicone molds are another type of rubber mold.  They are the most expensive molds because of their outstanding qualities.  They leave no parting lines, they are flexible but also stretchable to a point so getting the candles out of the molds is easier and requires no releasing agent.  Although latex molds used to be used very often, with the advances in other types of rubber molds they are loosing their luster. 

But, it is very easy to make your own molds at home by using liquid latex and painting it onto a structure at home.  This process requires a lot of coats of latex but, the options of different types of unique molds are endless.  Check out this page, Can't Find The Right Candle Mold? Make Your Own, and watch Martha Stewart make a terrific mold using a gourd ad a model.

Plastic candle molds are the cheapest but they are not always the best.  They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle.  On the plus side, plastic molds are easy to clean.  All you need to use is some warm water and a little soap.  Just make sure that the mold is completely dry before you use it again or you will get water bubbles in your candles.  They are good molds for beginners but if you were to take your candle making hobby into the next level and turn it into a business you are probably going to have to invest in different types of molds.