Tiki bars, tiki rooms and Tiki Candles

Who knew tikis were all the rage!  Seriously, in preparation for getting my tiki candles out I was looking up ways to display them, since the bulk of the candles I make are for weddings and reception decor I kept returning to boho beachy weddings but in my searches I found a whole amazing subculture of tiki rooms and tiki bars. Personal oasis' decked out in dream like jungle decor.  With exotic wood fixtures, bamboo furniture, grass skirts and palm trees.

It was a long hard road making these Tiki Candles.  I was scheduled to have these out at the begging of May for the summer season, palm wax turn out to be more difficult to work with than I ever thought it would be.  But the results are totally worth it!
Scented in tropical tuberose and mango beechwood and let me tell ya.  They smell divine!

playing with palm wax

I can't believe it's taken me so long to try out the awesomeness that is Palm Wax.  The feathery crystalline effect of it's finish is beyond stunning; now I have a new wax to add to my collective addiction.

I feel like a newby candle maker all over again.  Testing 20 different wick sizes and the challenges of side blow-outs, slow burns, drown outs and the dreaded melted down to a nub in 15 mins.  I swear, I turned my back for a second and the thing was a pooled mess on the counter top.

For a wax with a high point melt it sure melts down quick, even with a tiny wick...bigger is much better in this case as that fuel has to burn up fast and hot or your left with drips and blowouts.

One thing I didn't expect was how brittle the wax is, and how worse it was when I added fragrance oil.  Is there a way to combat this?  Since I use silicone molds and removing the candles from molds puts stress on the piece, I've broken a few them with the simplest of tugs.

I'm weary of using additives which could prevent the wax from creating that crystallizing effect that I'v fallen head over heals for.

I tested two different types; Glass Glow, which is formulated for containers but can be used in other applications as it isn't sticky or soft like other container waxes.  And Palm feather pillar wax which had an amazing opacity that gives that crystallizing finish a massive pop!  I can't wait to test out colors!  Does UV inhibitor effect palm wax?  Guess I'll find out soon.

I don't know yet which of my new palm wax creations will be added to the site, right now I'm just enjoying something new and all those experiences that go along with it.