Making a specialty candle such as a geode candle can be a lot of fun and a great way to express your inner artist. This candle is a pillar candle shaped in the form of a bowl with intricate designs to mimic the natural formation of geodes and rocks found in nature.
To make a geode candle you will need the same basic candle-making supplies as making pillar candles. You will need paraffin wax, gel wax, candle wicks, candle dye, and a metal bowl for your mold. As with candle making you will need a heat source, a double boiler set up, a pouring pitcher, a larger spoon, a mold (or foil) for the crystals, a drill bit, and a pairing knife.
I have created a video that you can follow along with and start and stop as you reach each step. Watch the video all the way through first to understand what I am doing and then play it as you make your candle.
This type of candle can be very complex and time-consuming so do it in sections or plan for several hours. Heating the wax and then cooling can takes some time.
It is important to not rush the process. Putting the wax in the freezer can result in cracks or poor adhesion between layers and is not recommended.
There is no wrong way to make this type of candle. Take a look at geodes in nature and you will see that they have color themes and layers.
The formation of the rings has a transparent look which is why we are using paraffin. You can include soy wax for a more solid color. Be creative!
You can pre-plan your colors by taking small amounts of wax and adding candle dye to test the outcome.
Most agate or geode has lines of black or gray and deposits of crystals in random areas of the rocks. When you split one open you never know what you will find.
Actual crystals or salt can be added for a more realistic look. A druse mold can also be purchased from an artist on Etsy. If you make several of these I would suggest making yourself a few molds. However, I like the uniqueness that handcrafting each candle can give.
These can be made in any size and the shapes can vary with a modification to the bowl you use. The geode candle can be sold at craft shows as a specialty candle and as an art piece, they will bring a higher revenue than normal candles. Some elaborate pieces could sell for over $100.
All candles require testing. I have included affiliate links to help you in your candle-making journey. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post via affiliate links to products or services associated with content in this article.
The cost to make a geode candle is very little in the material. Paraffin does not need a vessel (jar or tin) so the cost is under $10 to make a 1-pound candle. The cost is in the labor.
Making a geode candle takes practice and patience. This candle starts like an ordinary pillar candle or hurricane candle. The outer shell is poured and allowed to set up just enough to form the rim of the candle. The hotter wax in the center is then poured out creating a wax bowl.
An alternative to this is the balloon method creating a luminary by dipping a water balloon in wax. Building up the outer shell and creating a bowl. As a more advanced method of creating the outer core of your geode candle, the shape can then be manipulated while the wax is warm to create a geode that is no longer that perfect round look from a bowl.
As a caution, until there is enough layering, the outer shell is very flexible and fragile and needs to be handled with care. You will also need a method to stabilize the candle while pouring additional layers of candle wax in the center. You can prop the candle with towels or other soft objects.
A geode candle is created by pouring wax into a bowl shape, letting the rim solidify, and pouring the center out. This is repeated several times with layers of varied thicknesses as you would see in the rings of an agate stone. The center of a geode – called the druse is naturally crystallized.
Geodes are not perfect. They have nodules that form and rings that form in different directions. Sometimes a larger geode splits into smaller pairs. The combination is endless. They have mixed sediment, granite, and salts.
Start your outer shell and keep making layers within the “bowl” until your geode has the look you want.
Make sure the candle is thick enough and flat on the bottom to sit flat on a surface.
On the last layer, while the wax is still liquid, it is used as glue to hold the layer of candle wax druse and crystals you have made.
To Make the Center of a Geode Candle Druse
The easiest way I have found to make my mold for clusters of crystals is to take a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and gently crumply and then unfold it to make a shallow pan. This is good if you do not want to invest in a lot and only want to make one candle.
If you want to make many geode candles I would suggest making some molds for the druse or buying them from someone on Etsy.
The diamond points I used with the mold were difficult to use and did not come out of the mold very well with the gel wax. Also, the silicone molds do not always leave a shiny finish on the wax and that shine is what gives the crystals a realistic look.
You can use paraffin wax for the crystals and skip the gel wax if you want. The gel wax can be cut with scissors and both can be cut with a pairing knife to form the shape of crystals and quartz points.
Gemstones and genuine crystals can be added to accentuate realism. I made my geode candle completely with wax.
After you have made the druse, secure it in place in the center using the last layer of the candle wax as glue. You will need to hold it in place until the wax congeals enough for the druse to stay.
Let the candle completely cool and smooth the top first with a pairing knife and then with a hot iron (or heat tool). These are hard to finish using a flat hot griddle as they are harder to hang onto than a square candle would be.
Drill a hole in the location for the wick (or wicks) and thread the wicks through. Press the wick tabs firmly into the bottom of the candle base.
As a finishing touch, I paint the outside of my geode candles black or grey. I mod podge aquarium sand to the outside to make it look like rock texture and seal it with mod podge.
The goal of the video was to demonstrate the concept and to show you the technique. Take the liberty to use your imagination and expand on this.
