In this candle making article we will learn about how to attach shaped wax to the outside of your candles.

In the arts and crafts world you will often hear people talking about appliqués, and while this sounds very flash it's actually a posh way of describing the method for attaching shapes to a background.

The more creative you are the more designs you can develop into wax appliqués!

Some things worth remembering...

When you're working with wax appliqués you need to remember that you must work fast, as you will need to attach your wax to your candle before it sets. You might also want to use a wax with a low melt point.

It's also easier to work with both the appliqué wax and the candle to which the wax will be applied if they are both warm. This helps with the adhesion. A warm water bath or even a low powered hair dryer can warm the wax to a good handling temperature.

How it's done...

You have a choice of which way to go when it comes to making appliqués. You can buy pre-made or you can make your own. Either way works. With the pre-made you are a little constrained in terms of creativity as you can only buy what is available. If you wish to make your own, then you have a world of options.

If you want to try making your own, here's how it's done.

1. Set up your equipment to melt your wax (if you need detailed instructions on how best to melt wax please refer to my book: Make Your Candles). Once melted, slowly pour your wax onto an oiled flat board or baking sheet - anything that is non-stick will work best. Let the wax cool a little until it is soft enough to work with.

2. Cut out the shape(s) you want. You could use a variety of cookie cutters or anything that forms a shape with edges that you wish.

3. Once cut, you now need to work quite quickly, gently press the shape onto your candle in the pre-determined place. Once in place properly you will need to apply some firm pressure...but be careful not to leave thumb or finger prints! If you do end up with finger or press marks you can smooth them out with the back of a spoon.

4. Continue the pouring, cooling, cutting and pressing until you have finished your candle design.

Remember that fully cooled, hard wax will break and snap, so when your shapes are ready then is the time to apply. Do not try to attach hard wax to curved corners as it will snap. Hard wax can of course be re-melted, so all will not be lost.

So, there you have it. Now go and practice your skills.