13/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

How to make candles is a fun and easy craft that can be done as a family.It is a fantastic idea for gift baskets and presents, because each candle is a exclusive creation fashioned with care.  Supplies for candle making can be found in grocery or craft stores, so getting started is a simple process.

Types of Candles

There are different types of candles that can be created.  One type is a solid candle that is formed in a mold.It can be a big block candle in dissimilar shapes, such as a cylinder or rectangle, or it can be short, even down to a votive candle.  A variation of these solid candles is to add a scent, which can be anything from vanilla or mint, to cinnamon.  Basically any spice can be added in candle making to provide that unique scent for any occasion.

Another option in how to make candles is to create a crayon candle by mixing old crayons in with the paraffin to give it a colorful appearance.  This is a great choice for families who have old, broken crayons lying around with which they don’t have any use.  Bees wax candles are also a great choice for families to make since they do not require any melting of the wax in the making of them.Bees wax candles simply require a tight wrapping of the wax around the wick for this type of candle making.

A more ancient type of how to make candles is dipping the candles.  This type of candle is made two at a time, since the wick is draped to form two equal lengths that are dipped into the wax.This kind of candle making is more of a process and takes time to do, since the candle has to be dipped, allowed to cool for one minute, and then dipped again, repeating the process until the candle is as thick as desired.This kind of candle can also be scented, just as the solid candles are.

Supplies:

There are several basic ingredients that have to be included in the candle maker’s candle making supplies. The main ingredients are wax (of course,) wicks, a way to melt the wax, like a double boiler, and candle molds or containers.  It is vitally important to have a double boiler or a wax melter because the paraffin wax can catch on fire at the high temperatures needed to melt it.Additional essential items are a candle making thermometer to keep track of the heat and make sure there isn’t a fire, fragrances for scented candles, dyes for colored candles and putty for the molds.

Posted in General | Print | No Comments »

13/05/2009 by FeedCrazy.

It’s a safe bet that you’re not the only person right now wondering about tips for coping with stress    Anxiety, tension, frustration, and stress are facts of life for probably everyone and anyone these days, no matter what you do for a living and no matter what your personal situation.Even fun and enjoyable situations bring stress, from holiday dinners to pregnancy, weddings, retirement, new jobs, and moving.  So even when you have something fun and enjoyable coming up, you still need some pointers on how to deal with stress While sometimes big changes need to be made in order for you to adequately deal with the stress in your life, such as finding a new job if you’re unemployed or getting adequate treatment if you have a health concern, very often it’s just a few minor changes.

Changing your  routine or even to your thinking that can help in how to deal with stress Let’s take a look at some of these things we found in different books on stress. 

One of the best things you can do when it comes to how to deal with stress is to face those stressful situations head-on.  This can be a difficult prospect because often we deal with stress and tension by hiding, shutting down, avoiding the situation, or "clamming up." Rather than discussing it with are wife or co-worker about a continuing problem, we dodge it completely or give him or her the silent treatment.  This is not a good way of coping with stress as of course it won't make the situation go away and can cause confusion and resentment on everyone else's part.However if you think respectfully about your involvment in situations and what you can do to see the other persons side, this can help tremendously.  Very often just taking charge or taking responsibility for our own actions is a good way of how to deal with stress since this means feeling less helpless and frustrated at the situation.

How to deal with stress might also mean changing our own thinking about things.  It's easy to get irritated and tense every time our spouse or children or friends do something that we find annoying, but often it's the fact that we're overreacting that is causing the stress, not their little quirks and faults.  Ask yourself if you're overly critical and demanding, and also consider how well you would hold up if someone had these same standards for you!  Changing our expectations and learning to be reasonable is a good way of coping with stress as then we have less conflict.  Often it's the fight we have of our expectations versus other people's behavior that is causing tension, and since it's unreasonable to expect perfection or to expect other people to change for our preferences, changing our own attitude can be the key to coping with stress    Give these things some brutal, honest thought and see if perhaps it's not your own attitude and opinions that need to be changed and if that won't help to ease tension.

Posted in General | Print | No Comments »