• Candlemaking is a fun and easy craft.candles image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
  
  Mankind has been using candles for more than 5,000 years. The ancient Egyptians and Romans used candles, and candle making was an important profession from the middle ages through colonial times. Candles today are used in homes and religious ceremonies for decoration, special commemoration and celebration. Although candle making can be an art and a craft, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Many fun, easy and interesting techniques and methods produce beautiful handcrafted candle creations.
  
  

Keep It Simple with Beeswax Sheets

• Beeswax sheets are made of a material that is naturally cream to rich light brown. It is also available shaded in a variety of colors. Using a beeswax wick placed on one edge of a sheet of beeswax at room temperature, tightly roll the edge of the wax to cover the wick. Continue to roll up the whole sheet. For an interestingly textured candle, cut a sheet of beeswax diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner and use the triangles to roll spiral candles. Rolling candles from beeswax sheets is one of the quickest and easiest candle making methods, making it a perfect craft to do with children.
  
  

Sparkle Candles

• Whether you are dipping or pouring candles, adding beads or crystal accents results in a very decorative item. For dipped candles, sprinkle beads, crystals, sequins or glitter on the candles after the last dipping, while still hot. A light sprinkling or a very thick coating give different results. To add sparkles to poured candles, spray a little extra release into the container and sprinkle the items inside before pouring.
  
  

Stacked Wax

• For a textured look, build your candle from wax pieces that you shape from warm wax. Either shape the pieces by hand or roll the wax and cut out shapes with a sharp paring knife or cookie cutter. Stack pieces on top of each other, use an ice pick to poke a hole in the center to insert the wick, and you have a unique stacked wax candle.
  
  

Sand Molds

• An easy way to make candles in unique shapes is by making molds in wet sand. Using a large bowl filled with wet sand, scoop out a handful of sand and shape it into a round bowl shape, a square or an uneven-sided cavity to fill with hot wax poured around a wick. Add shells, starfish, leaves, flowers or whatever else you wish to decorate your candle by pressing them into the wet sand before pouring the wax. Let the wax dry overnight, pull it out of the sand and brush it off to reveal the finished candle.