Giant Sunflowers and Soy

These are the big mommas to the smaller sunflower floating candles that I've shared in previous posts.  Come to think of it, I think I did share these back in the candle making blog days.. jeesh that has to be 10 years ago or so. 

I decided to dust off the, well, dust from the molds that have been living on a shelf, forgotten, ignored.  Their immense size use to put me off.  They are more costly to make being that they weigh close to a pound.  Over the years I've shelved a lot of the bigger molds opting for the smaller more manageable pieces.

But I've been rethinking the larger candles recently and with summer approaching faster than I can say, grab the sunblock, lets hit the pool, I've decided to give them another go.

Lets face it, summer is pool time centric in the Valley of the Sun and there's no better way to spend those too warm evening bbq's than pool side, lit by candle light.

I've been playing with soy wax the past few weeks and even though I enjoy the soft creamy ease of it, I have huge reservations on how well it can stand up to the upcoming summer heat.  I swear, sometimes I think soy wax can melt at the slightest touch, I can't imagine what it'll be like when summer actually comes.  Mixing it with paraffin has yielded better results and burn tests have been amazing too.  Pool testing is next on the list...long lazy days of floaties and sunblock are next....

As I'm typing this post the temp outside is an irrupting 103 degrees.  Yesterday it was only in the 80's, so I'm gonna grab my towel and floatie and head out with thoughts of soy melting in my head and as I bob along through the rest of my afternoon maybe I'll come up with a way to ship soy wax during the summer.

Can I float candles in my pool?

YES.....but.....

Any candle that is designed to float, can and will float in a pool, pond or water fountain regardless of it's size.   But, here are a few things to consider before you light that wick.  

Pool pump off
Make sure your pool pump is off and any water features such as a water fall or mister system are off as well.  You want to prevent as much water movement as possible.  Hopefully mother nature is going to be on the lighter side too as wind and even a light breeze can affect how well the candles work in larger bodies of water.

Candles will gravitate toward edges or corners.
You'll need to come to terms with the fact that where you place your candle won't be where it stays for any length of time.  Floating candles may start the evening in the middle of the pool but you'll notice the little buggers bobbing along toward the sides or a corner only to rest there for the remainder of the night.

Coping
If your floating candle isn't specifically made for pools, you could end up with a blackened underside to your coping.
Candles 5-6 inches in diameter are a good size for most pools.

Clean up
If any water seeps in to the candle it may weigh the down the wax shell and sink a little in the water, making for irritating clean up as they could be hard to see.   They will not sink to the bottom as wax naturally floats but the weight of the water inside the shell will hold it suspended just below the surface.
Finding ways to anchor the candles is possible and luckily we have Pinterest to help with us that.

I now have floating rose candles available that are the perfect size for pools and spas.  They measure 5 1/2 inches in diameter with an 8 hour burn time.