How to Make Ear Candles
Ear candles, or ear cones, are hollow tubes typically made from muslin and beeswax. They are used to soften and extract earwax and remove excess moisture from the ear canal. They also help to alleviate sinus pressure and extricate any debris that has become stuck in the ear canal. Many of the candles also contain herbs such as marjoram and sweetgrass, and essential oils like
lavender
oil and tea tree oil, to add soothing and healing properties to the candles. Follow these steps to make ear candles at home.
Things You'll Need:
Muslin cloth
Beeswax
Wooden dowel
Pencil
Aluminum foil
1
Cut muslin cloth into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Make them a few inches longer than the dowel you are using for a mold on each end. If your dowel is 12-inches long, cut your muslin strips to be between 16- and 18-inches long. You will need one strip for each candle you intend to make. Use only unbleached muslin.
2
Cover the surface of your work station with aluminum foil to protect it from any hot wax drippings and make cleanup easier.
3
Melt beeswax in a saucepan over low heat. You can buy beeswax online or at local craft stores. Plan on using about 4 ounces of wax for each candle, although you may use less depending on the size of your candles. Let the beeswax simmer but do not allow it to boil or become too hot.
4
Place your mold across the top of your saucepan to heat it. Use a wooden dowel for your mold. It should be about three 3/4 inch in diameter and about 10 to 12 inches long. The dowel should be sharpened to a point on one end and then lacquered or oiled to ease the candle off the mold when finished.
5
Drop a strip of the muslin cloth into the wax. Use your mold to slowly submerge the cloth into the wax.
6
Lift cloth out of the wax using your mold. Allow to cool for a moment until the wax is cool enough to handle.
7
Wrap a little of the cloth around the pointed end of the mould to form the candle tip. Pinch it into place and allow to cool for a minute.
8
Continue wrapping the cloth around the mold until it is completely covered with the cloth. Apply pressure as you wrap and shake off any excess wax.
9
Smooth the cloth onto the mold in the same direction you wrapped it.
10
Dip the tip of the candle back into the warm beeswax.
11
Remove the mold from the candle once it is about half way dry. Simply hold the candle with one hand and twist the mold with the other hand to loosen the mold from the candle. Then pull candle off the mold, taking care not to misshape it.
12
Use a sharpened pencil to poke a hole in the tip of the candle and open it.
13
Lay the candle on the foil to finish drying. When dry, hold your hand over the tip and blow in the other end of the candle. If you feel the air on your hand, then the candle was made properly.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4465241_make-ear-candles.html
Ear candles, or ear cones, are hollow tubes typically made from muslin and beeswax. They are used to soften and extract earwax and remove excess moisture from the ear canal. They also help to alleviate sinus pressure and extricate any debris that has become stuck in the ear canal. Many of the candles also contain herbs such as marjoram and sweetgrass, and essential oils like
lavender
oil and tea tree oil, to add soothing and healing properties to the candles. Follow these steps to make ear candles at home.
Things You'll Need:
Muslin cloth
Beeswax
Wooden dowel
Pencil
Aluminum foil
1
Cut muslin cloth into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Make them a few inches longer than the dowel you are using for a mold on each end. If your dowel is 12-inches long, cut your muslin strips to be between 16- and 18-inches long. You will need one strip for each candle you intend to make. Use only unbleached muslin.
2
Cover the surface of your work station with aluminum foil to protect it from any hot wax drippings and make cleanup easier.
3
Melt beeswax in a saucepan over low heat. You can buy beeswax online or at local craft stores. Plan on using about 4 ounces of wax for each candle, although you may use less depending on the size of your candles. Let the beeswax simmer but do not allow it to boil or become too hot.
4
Place your mold across the top of your saucepan to heat it. Use a wooden dowel for your mold. It should be about three 3/4 inch in diameter and about 10 to 12 inches long. The dowel should be sharpened to a point on one end and then lacquered or oiled to ease the candle off the mold when finished.
5
Drop a strip of the muslin cloth into the wax. Use your mold to slowly submerge the cloth into the wax.
6
Lift cloth out of the wax using your mold. Allow to cool for a moment until the wax is cool enough to handle.
7
Wrap a little of the cloth around the pointed end of the mould to form the candle tip. Pinch it into place and allow to cool for a minute.
8
Continue wrapping the cloth around the mold until it is completely covered with the cloth. Apply pressure as you wrap and shake off any excess wax.
9
Smooth the cloth onto the mold in the same direction you wrapped it.
10
Dip the tip of the candle back into the warm beeswax.
11
Remove the mold from the candle once it is about half way dry. Simply hold the candle with one hand and twist the mold with the other hand to loosen the mold from the candle. Then pull candle off the mold, taking care not to misshape it.
12
Use a sharpened pencil to poke a hole in the tip of the candle and open it.
13
Lay the candle on the foil to finish drying. When dry, hold your hand over the tip and blow in the other end of the candle. If you feel the air on your hand, then the candle was made properly.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4465241_make-ear-candles.html
