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Free Autumn Leaf Hurricane Shell
Candle Making Project

By Bob Sherman

This fun candle making project shows how to make hurricane shell candles. Hurricane shell candles are the pinnacle of poured candles and although slightly more challenging than most candle making it is a technique easily learned by most candle makers. These make great gifts and also sell very well.

Any type of embedded object may be used although artificial Autumn leaves were used here. Real leaves may be used, but have a tendency to turn brown when contacted by the hot wax. Artificial leaves are also more translucent and will let more illumination pass through. Most of the candle making supplies needed can be ordered directly from this page for your convenience.

PLEASE NOTE! - Candle making can be dangerous if proper safety procedures are not followed. Please read these Safety Rules before attempting any candle making projects.

This article assumes basic candle making skills. If you are new to candle making, my Introduction To Candle Making Course is free and will show you all the basics for working with wax safely.

WAX FORMULA

Fill wax - For best results we need a hard, translucent wax. Mix enough of this formula to fill the mold.

• 1 pound of 140 MP wax
• 5% Micro 180 (8/10 of an ounce per pound of wax)

Candle Making Supplies

The following candle making supplies were used to make this candle. Clicking on the item name will bring you to that item's page with a full description and ordering information.

• 140 Melt Point Paraffin Wax - Enough to fill the mold.
• Micro 180 - 8/10 of an ounce per pound of wax.
• Hurricane Candle Mold - Molds larger than 4 inches in diameter are needed and the larger they are, the better they work.
• Hurricane Mold Insert - An insert only slightly smaller than the mold works best due to the embedded objects being slim.
• Melting / Pouring Pot - Note that larger hurricane molds may hold as much as 8 pounds of wax. so several melting pots may need to be used.
• Thermometer - One.
• Mold Release - To prevent the wax from sticking in the mold.
• Mold Weights - To prevent mold from floating in the water bath. Due to the size of the molds, several weights may be needed.
• Artificial Leaves - I find that silk leaf garlands from your local craft store work well for this. Peel the silk portion off the plastic before using.
• Water Bath Container - A bucket with water.
• Hobby Knife - A sharp, pointy blade is needed. From a hobby or craft store.
• Insulated Work Gloves - For handling the hot mold.
• Baking Pan, Wooden Spoon, Measuring Spoons - Purchase at a house wares store or a dollar store.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1
Apply mold release. If using a regular candle mold as shown here, plug the wick holes.

Step 2
Wrap several mold weights around the mold to prevent it from tipping when placed in the water bath. Mold weights may be taped in place if necessary.

Step 3
Place the mold into a bucket and fill the bucket with water to within 1/2 inch of the mold top. Note: you must hold the mold down while doing this step.

Step 4
Position the insert in the mold. Note that an insert barely smaller than the mold was used. This simplifies positioning of the leaves.

Step 5
Prepare the leaves by separating the fabric portion from the plastic stems.

Step 6
Position the leaves between the insert and the mold. Do not use too many leaves as that will reduce the translucency of the candle.

Step 7
Melt the wax and pour it into the center of the mold insert. pouring at temperatures close to 200 degrees F. will reduce the amount of trapped air bubbles.

Step 8
Use a wooden spoon to tap around the sides of the mold to dislodge any trapped air bubbles. Use the flat part of the spoon for this - using the edge may dent the mold.

Click Here To Continue To Page 2

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Disclaimer: The information presented here is accurate to the best of my knowledge and common candle making practices as of the time of this writing. This article was first published to the internet in November 2000 and was updated and re published in January 2006. The author and the publisher accept no liability for the use or misuse of any of the information presented in this article. This article is presented for informational purposes and is used at your own risk.

Author: Bob Sherman

Publisher: Bobby's Craft Boutique Inc.

This article is provided free of charge for use. Candles may be made and sold using this design royalty free.

Web sites may use links to this page without restriction.

No portion of this article may be reproduced for publication elsewhere without express permission from Bobby's Craft Boutique Inc. with the following exceptions:

• Non profit organizations such as religious groups, scouts, 4h, etc... may use this information without permission for printed materials provided it is used without modification and credit is given to both the author and onestopcandle.com
• Reprinting to the web is prohibited without permission, however web sites wishing to link to this article may do so without permission.

All other requests need to be submitted via our reprint request form.

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