Rustic Pillars for a True Handmade Look and FeelRustic pillars are different from standard pillars in that they have a textured surface ranging from lightly pearlized to a rough, almost leathery, pitted surface. In either case, much less slick and finished than candles you would normally see.
The secret to making a rustic pillar is actually very easy to achieve. The key is to freeze/chill your molds beforehand, and let the wax cool a bit before you pour it. That's it! The cold mold shocks the wax and produces the rustic effect. You can do it on any candle that is made using a metal mold.
For this project, you'll need:
Metal pillar or votive molds - either with wick pins (as I'm using) or with a wick setup.
Pillar-blend wax.
Appropriate wicks (I'm using an HTP105 for the pillars and a 44-24-18z for the votives).
Essential oil and color as desired.
Basic understanding of How to Make a Handmade Pillar Candle.
Melt and pour the wax as you would for a basic pillar candle. Chilling the molds isn't quite enough to fully shock the wax, you need to pour at a very cool temperature. I let the wax cool to about its original "melting temperature" - in the case of the IGI 4625 pillar wax, that was 145 degrees.
You can place your melt pot into a water bath in the sink to help it cool quicker. The wax will start to solidify on the sides of the melt pot and thermometer. Keep stirring the wax to keep the temperature even. Once your wax has cooled sufficiently, get your molds out of the freezer and get ready to pour your rustic pillars.
It's important to pour quickly. Not so quickly as to splash wax everywhere - but quickly enough to prevent what are called "jump lines" - horizontal lines in the candle where one level of wax cools before the next is poured on top of it. I usually pour pillars in a count of 1-2-3-4-5. You'll see the wax on the sides cool and solidify immediately. It will likely also give you a frothy, bubbly top. Don't worry about this, you're going to have to do a second pour, and this will be covered up.
When a skin has formed over the top of the pillar, it's a good idea to poke some relief holes in the top. This will allow any air bubbles that have gotten trapped to escape. Once your rustic pillars have cooled quite a bit, do a second pour to fill in the valley that will be created by the wax cooling and shrinking.
Be careful not to pour the wax any higher than the original outer edge of the candle. You don't want any of the new hot wax going down the sides of the cooled candle, it will ruin the finish. Once cool, unmold, wick and enjoy!
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