The Candlemaker's Companion: A Complete Guide to Rolling, Pouring, Dipping, and Decorating Your Own Candles [Paperback]

Betty Oppenheimer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004

Create exquisite, handcrafted candles at home with this comprehensive primer!

From wax to wick to wrapping, the magical glow of a handmade candle is now easier to create than ever before. With illustrated step-by-step instructions and complete source lists, The Candlemaker's Companion shows you how to:

- Create rolled, poured, molded, gel, dipped, and custom-blended candles

- Scent, color, and decorate candles for special places and occasions

- Make innovative containers, holders, and gift packaging

- Create luminaria, lanterns, and floating candles

- Use specialty techniques, such as overdipping, painting, layering, and sculpting

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Please, please, please, burn candles!" pleads Betty Oppenheimer. "Too many people save them, keep them wrapped up in a drawer or forever in the same centerpiece holder, never to be burned." If that isn't enough incentive to use candles, the rest of this thorough guide certainly provides it in the form of step-by-step instructions covering virtually all aspects of making rolled, poured, molded, dipped, and decorated candles--even candleholders. Though there are no photos, the line drawings are quite helpful, as are the crafting tips that--along with well-chosen candle-related quotes--fill the book's margins. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Both these books cover essentially the same ground and are good basic guides for making candles. They deal with waxes, wicks, molds, scents, and a variety of decorating techniques. Oppenheimer's book has a more extensive text with line drawings, while Coney's is completely illustrated with color photographs. Both have more information on candle-making than Gloria Nicol's The New Candle Book (LJ 11/1/95), a guide that emphasizes candle display. These are both good basic books for the library craft collection.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; Revised edition (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580173667
• ISBN-13: 978-1580173667
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must for beginner and those who thought they knew candles!, April 17, 2000

By 

Evelyn Welka (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Candlemaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to Rolling, Pouring, Dipping, and Decorating Your Own Candles (Paperback)

This book is incredibly useful for creating a cheap candlemaking studio out of common items. It makes candlemaking accessible for the regular venturing hobbyist. It is meant to be owned. I recommend that once you get the basics of this book down that you also buy The Encyclopedia of Candlemaking Techniques A Step By Step Visual Giude by Sandie Lea to explore the more creative techniques in an easy approach. They are a must set.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book!! It is my "Candle Bible", September 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Candlemaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to Rolling, Pouring, Dipping, and Decorating Your Own Candles (Paperback)

This is a wonderful , well-written book that is so very easy to understand! I found that the math formulas in the text made the process very simple to understand! Ms. Oppenheimer has a light-hearted way of informing that conveys her love of the craft while somehow managing to let you know that she was once a novice too! I have read MANY candlemaking texts in recent months and if you buy this one....you will not need to seek any further! Kimberli Witkowski....KandelKat Kreations. [e-mail]

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written., September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Candlemaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to Rolling, Pouring, Dipping, and Decorating Your Own Candles (Paperback)

This was a very well written book. I have been trying to make candles for about a year, now. The book answered alot of my questions and explained why I have been having problems with certain kinds of candles. I recommend this book very strongly.