Candle Making | Crafts for Seniors

Advancement of age does not mean staying inside the house doing nothing or getting sick and being unable to do any fun activities. Seniors or elderly adults can still do a lot of fun activities that can be beneficial to them physically, psychologically, and socially. It is inevitable for seniors to experience deterioration of their health, however, it is not a hindrance for them not to stay active. There are a lot of different activities that they can still do, without requiring any unnecessary physical movements that they can’t perform. Candle making is one activity that seniors can do alone or together with other seniors, for them to interact and have fun at the same time.

Candle Making for Seniors:

A lot of seniors have already been doing candle making as their past time. In fact, seniors who love candle making are also teaching their family members on candle making. Candle making does not only bring enjoyment to the seniors and their family, it can also help seniors in stimulating their brain function, because, they will have to think of ideas on what design do they want for their candles. Candles made can also be given to friends as a gift.

Material Needed for Candle Making:

Materials needed for candle making may differ from person to person, however there are these general materials that are essential in every candle making. These materials include:

1. Melting Pot – this is used to melt the wax. If you do not have a wax melting pot, you can use an old saucepan or pots in the kitchen.
2. Wax – there are 6 different kinds of wax that can be made into a candle, which includes:

• Paraffin Wax – the most common type of wax used. This type of wax is made from refined crude oil.
• Petroleum Wax – this type of wax is made from microcrystallines and petrolatum.
• Beeswax comes from the glands of honey worker bees.
• Soy Wax – this is made through the hydrogenation of soybean oil.
• Gels – wax derived from hydrocarbon based stock.
• Palm – this is derived from the hydrogenation of palm oil.

       3. Wick – what is a candle without a wick? Wicks’ length and size will      have to depend on the size and type of the candle you are making.

Safety Guidelines in Candle Making:

• Always have a fire extinguisher or something to turn off fire, in case of any emergency.
• Use pot holders or wear gloves when handling the melting pot and hot wax.
• Never use direct fire in melting wax, since wax is highly flammable.
• Never leave hot wax unattended.
• Never pour hot wax down the sink or toilet. It can cause pipes to clog.