There are three different candle competitors that beeswax candles are competing with: paraffin candles, soy candles and gel candles. The competition is not as expensive, but then again, it has a lower quality too.

We are making beeswax candles from the wax commercial bee farmers are gathering from their bee hives. To prepare the candle making process, the beeswax itself is being processed and purified. Heating the wax in a hot water is what a purification process is all about.

Beeswax candles come in many different shapes and forms and they also come in scented and unscented varieties. The main reason these pricey candles are stated as top of the notch candles is their burning qualities. The difference is that some other candles do not emit such a powerful yellow color and burn with such warm flames.

There is only a small amount of wax dripping from a beeswax candles.

A lot of different religious services are using these candles just for the characteristics they have. Some religious institutions like the Catholic Church make heavy use of candles during their services. If those candles would drip wax everywhere, that could be a huge mess and a big problem.

They are using beeswax candles because they do not drip wax, and this is how the problem is solved. You will not have to tolerate a lot of smoke from these candles, simply because they do not produce it. In other words, they are very clean burning candles. This characteristic makes them desirable candles to burn with children in the home and also generally to protect your family’s respiratory systems.

With these candles you won’t have such problems as bad petroleum smell that you usually get with paraffin candles and you won’t have problems with darks spots on your ceiling or your walls due to the soot.

It is worth to buy these expensive candles that require a lot of labor involved in their manufacturing process, since they are giving a big amount of benefits.

Would you believe that collecting coins, aside from being a great hobby, can be a nifty one, too, just as long as you know what you’re doing? Of course, who wouldn’t want to collect a lot of money? And as what they say ever since, money can make the world go round. But that’s different. This one’s about collecting vintage coins, coins from around the world and coins from outer space, if you can find one. You might even discover a coin as big as a car which was used by early humans to barter or trade and with this kind of collection, you might even make your friends go envy. You can even start selling your own coin collection for money. The fact of the matter is, there are lots of coin collecting guides that can help you how to do coin collection professionally (nice…).

That’s correct, there are actually different guides like this that thrive all over the Internet. What these different coin collecting guides can do is to aid you better comprehend that collecting coins is actually a professional hobby and concept of collecting anything and they even made a term for it: Numismatics. According to book guides and you can find this information in a coin collecting for kids guide, Numismatics is the systematic collection and study of coins. It’s even regarded in the olden days as the “hobby of kings”. If you’re serious about coin collecting, you should have specific guide with you. It will help you how to detect fake or genuine ancient coins. Nobody wants to waste precious time looking for various different types of coins only to discover that they are imitation, right?

So, where can you find a specific coin collecting guide that can teach you how to collect coins in a serious but fun and professional manner? To help you out and prevent you from doing the traditional leg and drive approach, you just have to click any of the links above and follow it to get your guide and what’s more, it even has a free sample email message that will tell you more in a brief manner about numismatics or the systematic hobby of collecting coins.

Before you start making your gel candles, do your research and find a reputable supplier of gel wax.  It is the most important ingredient in your candles and should be your highest priority. Local craft stores may not carry a high quality gel so check before you spend money on an inferior product that ruins your candle making effort.

A word about embeds before starting. Embeds are part of what makes gel candles unique. From fish aquarium scenes to seashells suspended in air, embeds are the icing on the cake. You can’t use just any object in your candle due to it melting. Ceramic, glass, wax molded figures, pewter, and glitter. The basic rule of thumb is anything that is non-flammable can be used as an embed.

How to Make Gel Candles

Assemble Your Ingredients and Tools

Gather all your tools in one central location to make it easier for you to work. Preferably you will want to be near your heat source. This could be your kitchen or a room with a hotplate. Do not use the microwave for melting your gel. It can catch fire if it reaches its flashpoint and it needs to be a precise temperature for making candles.

You will need:

* Large glass measuring container – this is used to pour your melted wax into your containers;
* Heat Source or Electric Presto Kettle: Use to melt your gel;
* Thermometer: Your gel has to be melted to 225°F, candy thermometers work great;
* Metal Utensil: Do not stir your gel with wooden utensils, this causes bubbles;
* Skewers: Metal, for positioning and moving your embedded objects;
* Glass Containers: These are your candle containers; they can be mugs, champagne flutes, votive cups, and more. The only requirement is that it not be made of a burnable or meltable material;
* Gel: candle gel wax in the density required for your project, the higher density gels are used for candles that will contain embeds. Lower density gels are great for plain, scented candles.
* Fragrance Oils: These must be made for gel candles and have a flashpoint of 170°F.
* Liquid or color block dye: Again, make sure it is appropriate for gel candles. Do not use cloth dye, crayons or food coloring.
* Embeds: Use your imagination
* Candle Wicks – you should use pre-tabbed pre-waxed wicks for the best outcome.

Let’s Get Started

Now that you’ve got all your supplies gathered, let’s have some fun. Remember that you are only limited by your imagination. Each candle is a work of art that is unique to you the maker or the person you are making it for. Follow these simple steps to make your masterpieces.

1. Melt Gel: Use your candy thermometer to maintain and reach the desired temperature of 225°F. If you are using a glass cup for melting, put it in your oven to melt it. The Presto Pot is great but don’t rely on the gauge, use a thermometer. The gel will take a little while to melt. While it is doing so, you can move on to other steps.
2. Wash your container and dry them thoroughly. There should not be any residue or oils to cloud your candle gel wax.
3. Assemble your embeddable objects and your wicks and have them near your containers.
4. After your wax is melted: If you are going to color your wax, use a toothpick to add a small amount of color. Stir well and drip a small amount on a piece of white paper to see the result. If you are adding fragrance add it now as well.
5. Secure your wick to the bottom of your container with a small dab of hot glue. Try not to use too much hot glue as it can make your candle murky.
6. Fill your containers partially with hot wax.
7. Add your embeds as desired, using your metal skewers to position them where you want them.
8. Top off the container with wax.
9. Allow to gel.
10. Trim wick to 1/4” from top.

Bubble Tips

To avoid bubbles, stir gel slowly and pour gel slowly. This will take practice. If you see a lot of bubbles after pouring you can use a heat gun to remove them. If they appear after the candle has settled you can put the candle in a warm oven to remove them.  Bubbles can be decorative if you are making a champagne or aquarium candle.

Gel candles are a simple, inexpensive means of letting your creative juices flow. Sharing your talent with friends and family makes gift giving that much more meaningful, and who knows your idea for a candle might just be the next product that takes the world by storm.

The popularity of these wonderful candles lies in a range of attributes. They are simple to make, more economical, unique in design and more.

Uniqueness

From apple pies that look good enough and real enough to eat to mugs filled with an ice cream float that smells like the real thing, gel candles are vastly different and unique. They come in some of the most amazing shapes, colors and fragrances imaginable.

Gel candles can be formed to look like anything you can imagine. You can find them in the shape of food, animals, and household objects. You can also find them with intricate scenes seemingly suspended in air. Everything from aquarium scenes to winter wonderlands can be found in gel candles.

Crafts

As many artisans can attest, candle making has long been a popular item at craft fairs and holiday shows. Making gel candles is a relatively simple process that produces very unique and individual products. The potential to have an income generated by making gel candles is very high.

Good, quality, work along with unique ideas for the gel candles can result in a home-based business. Stay-at-home moms can help supplement the family income and possibly create a full-time business for themselves.

Friends and family will be delighted with their candles made specifically for them based. This also saves time and money when gift shopping.

Economical

Gel candles last longer than standard was candles. Gel candles, depending on size, will burn upwards of 200 hours.

In terms of making your own gel candles the value is amazing. The gel wax is the most expensive item on the list. Containers for the candles can be found everywhere from thrift stores to your own cupboards. All that is necessary is that the glass be thick enough not to crack from the heat of the candle.

The return on gel candles is amazing. It is not unusual to see profits that are upwards of 200%. It takes very little time to make a great many candles making the return skyrocket.

Decoration

Gel candles can be used in a variety of decorating schemes. Wedding planners and brides can have them made in flutes to use as centerpieces on the tables of the reception. Baby showers could have take away gifts for the guest using votive size candles with diaper pins embedded and scented with a baby powder fragrance.

Home décor ideas are limitless. Having a wine dinner? Make wine glass gel candles and arrange them around the table and seating area or use a small wine bottle as your container and have a wine bottle as the centerpiece. Make enough wine glass candles to send home with your guests.

Here to Stay

Gel candles are not a fad that is going to disappear overnight. Their unique designs make them more than a passing fancy. Couple that with the simplicity of making them and you have a recipe for a successful product for many years to come.

Basics

The basis for all of the gel candles includes the following items:

• Candle gel
• Wicks – preferably coated as they are easier to work with
• Scissors for trimming the wick
• Accessories as listed in the recipes

Bride and Groom Candles

Give the bride and groom a set of matching candles made using champagne flutes. Add a light scent and color that corresponds to the wedding color to make them even more special. If you prefer to have the candle colored more like champagne, use a pale yellow color. Items Needed:

• Champagne flutes – plain or inscribed with “Bride” and “Groom”
• If desired, small bride and groom figurine, small ceramic wedding bells, or other wedding celebration accessories you would like to add. Make sure any items you choose are ceramic.
• Fragrant oil for scenting the candle, if desired.
• Lace or ribbon for decoration

Instructions

• Secure the wick to the bottom of the champagne flute using hot glue.
• If using coloring or scented oil place in gel as it melts.
• Fill the flute partially with gel.
• Place the bride figurine in one flute, the groom in the other flute – if using inscribed flutes, make sure the bride is in the bride flute and the groom is in the groom flute.
• Continue filling with gel until approximately ¼ inch from rim.
• When gel sets, trim wick to approximately ¼”.
• Tie a pretty ribbon or lace bow around the base of the flute.

Variations

• Instead of using a bride and groom, add plastic wedding bells as you fill the flute. Alternate layers of wedding bells and gel until you reach the top; or,
• Use artificial flower petals that represent the bouquet carried by the bride.

These flutes make great keepsakes to remind your favorite couple of their special day.

Simplicity

This gel candle recipe is just the beginning of the ideas you can come up with. From fish aquarium candles to fruit jars, your only limit is your imagination. Once you know how to make a basic gel candle the fun has just begun.

My question was what do you think was the best or most entertaining toy you ever owned?” 

The first response I got back was “etch a sketch” I too remember having one of those and got hours of fun out of it. 

Next up was “Hungry Hippos” probably a game that many people have either owned or heard of. It’s an addictive game and one that you never seem to get fed up with. 

Someone else said it was a yo yo and another “juggling balls” which kept them amused for hours. 

Football was mentioned often using Mums washing line to make your own makeshift goalposts in the back garden. Also there were boomerangs. 

Another real old favourite was lego which I suppose really took over from mecano. 

For the girls out there it was of course “Sindy”, “My Little Ponies” and the “Barbie Doll”. 

It seems that a lot of the girls were lucky enough to have their own dolls houses. Very often they have been kept in the family and passed on to further generations. 

One thing I do notice is that out of all the replies there is only one game which requires more than one to play. 

I wonder what that says about our childhoods or do we just prefer our own company? Perhaps we were simply just used to amusing ourselves better, that’s my theory anyway! 

When I look at all the different toys I think what strikes me most is the lack of computer games. It looks like the good old fashioned traditional toys are the ones that seem to stand the test of time and its those that we remember best! 

What do you think?

Crocheting is a skill that once learned will never leave you. If you learn the skill yourself, then you could pass the craft onto your daughter or granddaughter. Many people all over the world crochet as a means of relaxation and as an outlet for their creative nature. By learning this skill you will open doors, allowing you to create hats, decorations, clothing and much more. It is a tricky ability to tackle, but with determination, the right supplies and a little imagination, you will be ready for anything.

Before you begin to crochet, you’ll need supplies. The supplies needed are simple and relatively inexpensive. Look up yarns in the yellow pages and you will find chain stores and independent stores that sell the materials. First you’ll need to get crochet hooks. When starting out it is best to start with an “H” or “I” hook. These are medium sized and will keep your stitches simple. As for yarn, you will want to stick to one theme; simple! Purchase cotton yarn and wool yarn that is free of any fringe or fuzz. The fancier yarns are for the advanced crafters.

The correct supplies will only be your first step in learning how to crochet, yet there is more that one way to learn. One popular way is to find a yarn shop that offers classes. At many locations the class will be free; you just have to buy your yarn supplies at their store. This is a great compromise when you consider that professionals will charge to train you. If they do cost money, then the fee is usually minimal. You can also go to the bookstore and pick up some basic teaching books. Find a book that leads you through step-by-step. In no time you’ll learn the knots and chains.

Once you learn how to crochet you will be able to create many items and your choice of supplies will be incredible! When you advance, you will be able to buy specialty yarns with a little more flair. If you find a yarn shop that sells these, then you’ll be in luck. They are more expensive but worth it for the originality they will bring to your project. Look at books that contain crochet patterns. If you can perform the basics, then the patterns should be fairly easy to follow. Soon, you will be making Christmas wreaths and sweaters with sparkling yarns and artistic panache.

A dreamhome has a home garden as it’s essential component. Make it too complicated, however, and the home garden has an easier chance to destroy the harmony. Besides it is also more difficult to maintain. So a simple home garden is more appropriate to start.

A simple home garden adds beauty and value to your dream house. The attraction is not lost by having a simple garden. It is actually much easier to destroy the balance if your garden is complex and too fully featured. If you plan too much for your garden, especially if it is fairly small, chances are it will end up an eye sore and worse, a pain to maintain.

Simplicity, however, should not be separated from function. A simple home garden can still function in many ways. If you desire a garden with commercial returns, for instance, a small garden can be made up of vegetables which could otherwise be difficult to get or expensive. Likewise, it can be hydroponics in nature and you can have all the exotic plants within your home.

Flowering plants, usually a central feature of home gardens need no professional help to start with. A few correctly selected, planted and placed can a source of delight for you and your visitors for a long time. A simple home garden will stand out more easily in this respect than an overly sophisticated one all crying for attention.

For sufficiently large spaces, however, it may make more sense to create areas for different purposes. However this should not be overdone. There should not be artificial barriers between, say, vegetables and flowers. Playgrounds can be together with playgrounds. Vegetables may make good sense to be together so that harvests can be easily done within the same area.

Easy to maintain plants and vegetables should be grown first. That way you can gain confidence before starting on the more difficult plants. You don’t want to wait for 6 months to know that your first plant was started wrongly! Plant easily so that you get fast results as morale booster before you go for the difficult one.

Use your experience on simpler plants to go for the more challenging ones. The simpler successes will help you feel good if you happen to fail in the more difficult plants later.

Start simple and you have the chance to see it grow. Start big and chances are you will fail. Grow with your experience and do not force it. After all, a garden are filled up with living beings needing love and care. Before you know it, in fact, you will have a simple but successful home garden, a pleasure for your soul and your heart.

Loamy soil will help you produce a productive, healthy garden. The soil should crumble in your hands and should have a minimal clay and sand mixture. Too much water is retained by clay-like soil, which doesn’t allow for proper drainage. Nutrients are lacking in andy soil, and there is little support and water retention.

Good fertilizer and the right amount of water are needed to produce loamy soil.

But before you add anything, know what you’re starting with. A simple and inexpensive soil testing kit will tell you what kind of soil you have. It will test for levels of nutrients and for pH. Some vegetables like a more acidic soil, others prefer an alkaline earth. Most will do best in an intermediate range of 6.0-6.5.

Adding sulfur or lime can adjust the pH. Adding fertilizer will supply those nutrients. pH should be adjusted several months before planting. In some climates, that means doing so after the prior years harvest, before the snows start.

Three weeks before planting, if you have created a compost pile, add the material to the topsoil. This allows the soil time to naturally leach the needed nutrients into the soil before you plant. The process can be hurried along by tilling it into the top few inches. You can also enrich your soil by adding artificial or organic fertilizer (such as NPK 8-8-8). Do this right before planting. In most cases 20 pounds per thousand square feet is sufficient.

Unlike most herbs and some other plants, vegetable plants love lots of water. Like nearly any plant, most shouldn’t sit continuously in a bed of water. That will lead to root rot. But a continuously moist soil will provide the water needed to power the biochemical reactions that plants carry out to grow and support themselves.

Water is a vital chemical used to transport nutrients throughout the plant, participate in photosynthesis, and give rigidity and firmness to cell structures. About an inch of water per week is the right amount for most gardens. That works out to about 65 gallons per 100 square feet. The amount will vary slightly depending on the type of soil you have. If natural rain activity doesn’t supply that amount from April through September, you’ll need to supplement it.

Fortunately, it’s easy to supply.

Unlike flowering plants, watering vegetable plants from above doesn’t wilt them if applied in moderate temperatures. Still, some of the same considerations apply. Try to water early in the day, in order to allow leaves and the top layer of soil to dry out before nighttime temperatures arrive. That keeps problems such as fungus down. Another way to accomplish the same goal is to build a simple and inexpensive drip irrigation system. Rubber tubing that leaches water should be placed near the plant in order to supply water to the roots.

Only occasional watering is then needed to keep leaves clean and their pores open. But don’t water when it’s very hot. Leaves evaporate moisture when their pores open. Watering when it is very hot will defeat the purpose of watering, as your plant will evaporate more moisture than you supplied. Also, Water droplets can act like small magnifying glasses and cause burns.

There’s nothing better than a salad made with fresh lettuce from the garden. Adding lettuce to your garden can be a welcome addition. Not only is healthy and tasty to eat but it needs very little space to grow. But there are some guidelines you should know before planting lettuce.

To grow lettuce or any other vegetable, you need to have good soil. For lettuce, keep the nitrogen level high by using 30-10-10 NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertilizer. This will provide the lettuce with the nutrition it needs to produce healthy leaves.

When planting lettuce seeds make sure they are planted 1/8-3/8 inch deep, separated by 6-12 inches (2-3.5 m) from the next plant. Romaine lettuce can be planted closer together but other crisp lettuce need more space. If you plant in rows, keep the rows separated by about 20 inches (6m).

The roots of lettuce do not grow very deep so it is important to weed often. Many other grasses and plants with deeper root growth can invade the lettuce.

Since their roots aren’t very deep you’ll also need to be diligent about weeding around lettuce plants. Many grasses and other plants can compete well because their roots go down to deeper soil. Infrequent but deep watering, letting the top layers dry out, will give most an advantage. But lettuce doesn’t have that advantage, so you’ll need to help them.

Like any other vegetable, lettuce plants have problems with diseases and pests. Many insects enjoy the lettuce leaves and the folds of the leaves also offer many places for fungi to grow.

Aphids, flea beetles, leafhoppers, slugs and cutworms are common insects that feast on lettuce. Washing the leaves with a high-pressure hose can temporally help get rid of the insects. Insecticide lightly applied to the lettuce will provide better long-term control.

One common fungal disease is anthracnose (Microdochium panattonianum). This fungus can stay alive in soil for many years. Bottom rot (Rhizoctonia solani) is another common fungus. This type of fungus usually occurs in soil that drains poorly. To combat these fungi, keep foliage dry and plant in good soil.

Another common problem with lettuce is bolting. Bolting is not a disease or pest but occurs when the plant goes to seed and the leaves stop growing. Bolting happens when the temperatures are consistently too high. To prevent this from happening, plant lettuce in shaded area or plant next to a shading crop such as corn.

Lettuce is a wonderful vegetable to have in your garden. With proper preparation and care, you can enjoy salads with fresh lettuce throughout the growing season.