Ajello Candles

The motto of the Ajello Candle Company is “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”. This candle making company has been in business since 1775. The business has been family owned for seven generations. The candles from Ajello’s are well known for their beauty and quality. While they make more candles now than in 1775, their dedication to quality and to customers has never changed.

The Ajello Candle Company was founded by Rafael Ajello, an Italian painter. He was also a beekeeper, so he tried his hand at using bees wax to create candles. He worked hard to create a formula that worked well. The formula, combined with his outstanding artistic ability, lead to the birth of the Ajello Candle Company. In 1785, the company earned the honor of creating all the candles for the Vatican. He and his wife ran the business, keeping their children involved in the processes from an early age. As time went on, their children and grandchildren kept the business running as well as passed the family business on to their children.

By 1862, the company had established itself as a leader among the candle making industry. They had also added perfumes and many colors to their line of outstanding candles. The decided to extend the business to Manhattan, New York. In both places, the business prospered. Kings and aristocrats in Italy wanted the services of the Ajello Candle Company. They designed candles for weddings, funerals, and ceremonies. They made the candles for the inauguration of the King of Spain in 1876, Pope Pius IX in 1878, and Pope Leo in 1902. Hollywood stars and rich people in Beverly Hills California wanted the candles from the Ajello Candle Company as well. Candles were also ordered by President Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, and Rudolph Valentino.

In 1922, the Ajello Candle Company made a memorial candle for their deceased friend Enrico Caruso. This candle was 18 feet tall and weighed more than a ton. It is estimated this candle could burn 24 hours a day for 1,800 years before running out of wax. This enormous memorial candle remains the largest one ever made in the world. Each year it is lit twice to honor the day Enrico Caruso was born and the day he died.

The Ajello Candle Company continued to grow and sells were well beyond anticipated both in Italy and the United States. In 1953 the company was asked to create 2,200 candles for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The company was honored to meet the request, and had all the candles ready in six months. The Ajello Candle Company was approached to be bought out, but refused. The family wanted their candle business to remain just that, not a major corporation.

Despite the creative efforts of the Ajello Candle Company, they were not able to meet the demand for their candles in 1965 during the blackout in New York City. The age of computers has found the Ajello Candle Company offering candles via the internet. Ironically, as Rafael Ajello worked around the clock to make candles for this need, his wife was giving birth to their child at a hospital scrambling to find candles for her room.

The Ajello Candle Company is still going strong today, offering quality candles that are beautiful as well as made of the best quality products. These candles can be purchased in many specialty stores throughout the world as well as on the internet in the comfort of our homes. This candle making business has spanned many generations, yet continues to hold the traditions and values of Rafael Ajello who started this business more than two centuries ago.

Making Hand Dipped Candles

Making candles is a great hobby or business endeavor. Once you get the hang of it, the process is quite simple. For those who have the basics down cold, consider experimenting with the art of making hand dipped candles. While these lovely creations take more time, they are stunning. You can use several colors on each candle giving it a unique color scheme.

There are basic tools you will need to make hand dipped candles. Most of them you already use if you have experience in making candles. You will need a large amount of paraffin wax, wick, and a double boiler to melt it in. Other utensils include wooden spoons, bowls, and a good quality thermometer. The colors available for hand dipped candles are too many to name. These colors come in various forms including cakes, chips, powder, or liquid. If you choose to add scents to your hand dipped candles you need to make sure it is pure oil that does not have a water or alcohol base to it.

You will prepare your wax for hand dipped candles that same as you do for regular candles. Let it continue to heat until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it does, turn the heat down very low to keep the wax in liquid form. Add the color to the wax, using a small amount at a time until your reach the color you want. Add a small amount of scent the mix at this time if you desire. Use scents moderately as you don’t want to have too powerful of a smell. Using too much fragrance can also result in the candle not burning properly.

Next, cut the wick for your candles, keeping it just a bit longer than the candle length you want. If you are making sets of the candles, it is important to cut the wicks exactly the same length. You will want to dip the wicks into the candle wax making sure to coat it properly. This is how you will “build” your candle. After the wicks cool, dip them again. Each time you do, the candle will grow in size. If you want different areas of the candles to be different colors, you will be able to do so by simply having more than one color of wax ready to use. Once your candle is close to the desired thickness you want, shave it with a soft blade, giving the top a pointed look. Dip your candles a few more times to give them a smooth finish.

Creating hand dipped candles is a great hobby or business venture. The process is time consuming, but the creations are beautiful. Learning to make hand dipped candles can be tricky. This is not a good type of candle for beginners to try to learn with. They will quickly become frustrated. To practice without wasting supplies, melt down the wax from the candles you are building and use it over and over again until you have the process perfected.

To make particular designs on hand dipped candles, consider purchasing a book. Most will offer you great color photos with step by step directions for making each hand dipped candle. You will also be able to obtain great color charts for obtaining the best color for your candles. The internet is also a great place to get ideas for the colors of your hand dipped candles.

Candle Making Basics

The use of candles for light and heat is known to have existed in ancient times. The remains of candles have been found in the caves of France. It is believed that cavemen used them while painting and etching on the walls. It is believed those candles where made out of animal fat. The Egyptians used candles as well by dripping beeswax onto leave stems. The burning process of a candle involves the four basic elements of matter which are solids, liquids, gas, and plasma.

Today candle making is a fun hobby or craft. For some, it is a very profitable business venture. Candle making provides you with they ability to create wonderful designs and crafts out of your candles. There is no limit to the shapes, sizes, and colors you can make your candles in. A candle is a device to provide light or fragrance. Candles have become very popular for the wonderful aromas more than for their ability to produce light. Some candles give off a popular smell such as vanilla or jasmine. Others smell like a chocolate cake or cinnamon rolls.

The body of a candle is generally made of paraffin wax. It can also be made out of beeswax. Paraffin wax is a natural wax that comes from plants. This wax can be purchased from Petroleum Refinery or the Specialty Wax Processor. Beeswax is also considered a natural wax, and is taken from honeybees. This is the substance the bees use to construct their honeycombs. A wick is placed in the center of the wax before it dries. The wick is made of cotton fibers that have been braided together. The wick is very thin, but also very powerful. Sometimes candle makers will use a wick that is wider than normal to increase the size of the flame.

Safety is a very important part of candle making. The temperature of the hot wax can result in severe burns. There is also the risk of fire. Make sure your candle making area is set up properly and that you have a fire extinguisher in the area. Clean up spills quickly as they will become very slick, leading to falls if you walk across them.

To make candle making fun instead of frustrating, start will making simple candles. This is a great opportunity for you to discover what works well with your set up and gives you the chance to make necessary changes. Initially, work at implementing good safety habits and melting your wax at the proper temperatures. You will also want to experiment with your cooling process. Once you have these areas down, you will start to relax and the process will become more natural to you. This is the right time to start experimenting with dyes, scents, and shapes for your candles.

The candle making process is easy to follow if you take your time and learn from your mistakes. Those who are impatient and take multitasking to an extreme will most likely not enjoy the art of candle making. However, it is very enjoyable by those who have plenty of time to take with the process and who enjoy creating things. Candle making supplies aren’t expensive so use the best you can. This will also help ensure your candles form well and burn properly.