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14) How to Make Hollow candles?

The most common hollow candle is called a hurricane candle. It can be made in a solid version, and also a hollow version. The hollow hurricane candle is basically a shell made from candle wax, that doesn’t get lit by itself, rather it is illuminated by burning a votive candle or a tealight candle on the inside of the shell. The beauty of the hollow candles is that they last for a very long time, since the heat is not directly applied to the hollow candle, and for that same reason you can embed objects into the wax that you normally would not be able to use in candles because they are flammable.

You should only make hollow candles if you are a more advanced candle maker, as it requires more technical skill than other candles. You’ll need a hurricane candle mold, with a diameter large enough that you can later place another candle inside the finished shell. You’ll need wax that is melted at a minimum of 140 degrees, and an additive that is used to make the wax harder. You can also choose to place dried flowers or fruit, or other objects in the outside layer of the candle for appearance purposes.

Melt your high temperature wax and add the hardener additive, and pour the wax at 190 to 200 degrees. The wax should sit in the mold for at least 30 seconds, and you should tap gentle along the sides to help release any trapped air and reduce the effect of bubbles. Then put the entire mold in a sink filled with cold water. You’ll then begin to lift up on the insert section of the hurricane mold, a ½ inch at a time, go slowly but make sure that you have it fully removed before the shell is hardened completely.

Once the shell has completely hardened you can remove it from the mold. Never leave candles burning unattended, especially when they are inside a hollow hurricane candle. If the hurricane candle was not made well, it can actually catch on fire!