I like making candles. In fact, I have big plans to create a few this coming weekend. I think the fragrances will be Sandalwood, Cinnamon, and some kind of floral or fruit aroma like Sweet Pea or Mandarin Plum.
One of the perks of being a candle maker is I get to keep all of the shop-worn candles that aren’t suitable for sale anymore. Don’t be sad for me getting “dregs.” They burn perfectly fine and of course they smell divine.
A Gingerbread votive was burning in my powder room a few evenings ago. Instead of putting it in a votive cup (which you should always do with votives to increase the burning longevity) I put it in a shallow bowl-like container. The candle was made of palm wax. That, along with the circumstances of my burning it in a less-confining holder resulted in this:
Because palm wax is a very hard wax it doesn’t soften when heated by the flame like paraffin, soy or beeswax would. Palm wax is either solid or liquid, which accounts for the lacy prettiness created after this votive was burning for a few hours.
Don’t expect this effect with a palm wax pillar though. Had this votive been in a cup (like it should have been) the melted wax would have been contained and would have continued to melt the small lace patterns where the candle wall blew out. Pillars are made in a way which prevents candle wall blow-out. However, anything is possible, and in the event a hole does form and the wax spills out, always put a plate or bowl or other such candle holder under pillars before you burn them.
For me, a super-duper expert pro at candle burning, this was a lovely occurance, but also a lesson in the importance of using votive cups with votive candles. You can see at the base of the candle how much wax had poured out of the holes created by the heat of the flame. Had this been in a cup the wax would have remained liquid, more fragrant, and the candle would have burned much longer than it actually did.
If you have any questions about candles, what goes into making them or how to burn them properly, please let me know in the comments. I’d like to hear what your experiences have been with candles. Do you hate them? Do you love them? Do you buy they by the dozen but never burn them? Tell me your candle stories.
Auntie B's Wax 
I love candles! I keep a drawer stocked with them, and another drawer with candle holder. I do sometimes go weeks where I forget to light them, but always enjoy the pleasant scent and homey feel when I do. I use mostly soy or beeswax, but have a few others that just smelled too good to pass up. I don’t like cookie, coffee, chocolate and cake scented candles at all. Mostly citrus, or floral, or combinations of the two.
Oh yay ~ another candle lover! I’m not one to burn candles every day, but sometimes I just need a little ambiance and candles are an easy way to achieve that. It sounds like you’re a natural wax girl too. Good for you! I make beeswax and palm wax, both which are natural waxes made from sustainable resources.
Have you entered your scent preferences in my poll? You can find it on my sidebar. Just click and vote for your favorites. I always like to hear what kind of fragrances people like.
Thanks for your input, Cindy!