A candle mold is a container that you poor wax into until it cools in the shape you want for your candle. Candle molds come in a variety of materials, sizes, shapes, and styles.
One of the more popular materials used for candle molds is aluminum. It is durable and heat resistant. Plus, they leave a smooth finish without leaving any seams in the finished candle. These types of metal molds are widely used in making votive and pillar candles.
Compared to rubber molds, aluminum molds are cheap and 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 melt onto the baking sheet.
One negative about aluminum molds is that they aren’t flexible so your shape choices are very limited. You’ll also need 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 do not stretch well. They are cheaper then silicone molds but have a strong odor that may be able to be passed along in your candle. So forget about using them for fragrant candles! They too need a releasing agent in order to get the candle out.
Silicone molds are another type of rubber mold. They are the most expensive but best quality molds. A releasing agent is not necessary with these type of molds because they are very stretchable and flexible.
Latex molds aren’t as popular but are still used. . It is very easy to make your own molds at home by using liquid latex and painting it. This process requires a lot of coats of latex but once you get one created there are different options available to you.
Plastic candle molds are the cheapest but not of high quality. They have a shorter lifespan then the rest because they are more brittle. However, 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. Plastic molds are good for beginners and once you get used to making candles, you’ll want to move to something else.
The Author:
Ariel Bella is a candle making enthusiast.