No comments about Scented Candles: 20 Fragrant Projects for All Occasions.

1 comments about Aromatic Candles.

1. Excellent book with a good background on etheric oils, how to recognise and combine them and finally how to prepare candles using the different oils. The book has a very nice layout with a lot of pictures inviting to be very creative!
   Material needed is quite a lot (especially if you start from scratch) but if preparation of candles is not a "one-shot-event" it is definitely a good investment. After a little bit of training these candles are the best presents to good friends and you can be sure to be invited again! ;-)

1 comments about Instant Gratification: Candles: Fast and Fabulous Projects (Instant Gratification) (Instant Gratification).

1. As an amateur candle maker, I found this book to be chock full of really great ideas, and easy to do. The ideas are very original and look great in any home. It's full of projects that you will actually want to do, instead of being slanted toward old-school techniques that no one really likes anymore - it's up-to-date! You'll have a harder time finding your supplies at your local craft store than you will completing these projects. Plus, some can be done with store bought candles for those who don't want to get their hands dirty making the actual candles. I highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Naturally Creative Candles: Discover the Craft of Candle Making and Decorating Using Nature's Bounty.

1. This is a great book, with wonderfull pictures and a lot of step by step ideas and instructions. If you are looking to get into candle making this is should be your first book.



2. A decent guide to candlemaking. The book is rather short on text and consists mostly of pretty pictures, and that's a little irritating. Still, there is enough here to teach you to make your own tapers, although I was rather surprised at how easy it was. Great of you've never done it before.



3. This looks to be a really beautiful book. But if you are intending to try and make the really nice looking swirly candle o nthe front cover in the centre, you will be very disappointed. The cover of this book is very deceiving. It shows how to make most of the ones advertised on the front, but not the real pretty which is only in the book for display purposes only. I find that highly deceitful to print pictures on a book of how to make candles.

3 comments about The Book Of Candlemaking: Creating Scent, Beauty & Light.

1. The information is very useful, detailed, and well presented



2. First impression....all I can say is I guess my dog likes it! I woke up this morning to find the pages of this book strewn all over my yard. What was left of it did seem very informative and useful, so I came back to reorder it. Maybe this time I'll get to see the whole book. LOL



3. This book covers the basics in candlemaking, what you'll need, wick types, wax types, pouring temps, which is very informative but it lacks in the candle varieties. It seems to focus more on candle decorating. I was looking for tips on making chunk, layered and ice candles to name a few. There also isn't any information on Gel wax or soy wax. There was some helpful information in here, but overall it wasn't what I was looking for in a candle book.

1 comments about Beeswax Crafts: Candlemaking, Modelling, Beauty Creams, Soaps and Polishes, Encaustic Art, Wax Crayons.

1. This book was my introduction to crafting with beeswax. The book has detailed instructions and beautiful detailed photographs to follow along with. Six areas of beeswax crafting are introduced to the reader: candle making, beeswax modeling, making cone shaped crayons, encaustic art (melting crayons onto an iron and then "painting" it onto paper), furniture polish, and making beauty creams and soap.

   As I said this is a great introduction, and as such, sometimes there is only one project per category. I think this book is helpful for a beginner and if you find that enjoy these crafts and you want to do more of one the same, then you may either custom design your own projects (when applicable) or find other recipes or instructions from other books and/or sources. If you know and understand this before buying the book I think you will be very happy.

   The photographs are wonderful and I found them very helpful. The different kinds of beeswax are explained and important melting safety tips are clearly written. Many different types of candle making are explained, some using sheets of wax that are rolled by hand and others that used melted beeswax. Dipping candles, hand modeling candles, and using molds, both hard and flexible are all included here. Five recipes for creams are included, and one soap that uses beef tallow (fat). Five wood/furniture polish recipes are here, one of which is made with beef tallow. Instructions to make the crayons are here along with tips for successful sketching with them. Encaustic art is clearly explained although it still seemed a difficult craft, and requires specialty equipment, which does not make it easy or inexpensive to try out. (I had previously read about it without accompanying photographs and didn't understand what was being communicated. Other instructions I've read elsewhere don't fully outline the proper materials needed, so this book did a great job of explaining it.)

   A great introduction if you've never watched these crafts being made in person or if you are a visual learner and have a difficult time following directions that are not accompanied by photographs.

5 comments about Encyclopedia Of Candlemaking Techniques: A Step-by-step Visual Directory.

1. I use this book as a handbook in my candlemaking. It have lot of tecknic and many projeckts that is wonderful to see creates in your hand.
   And for me that dont have english as a main langues Im Icelandic :) it is easy to read and good pictures are in this book how to do things.



2. I got this as a Christmas present and I can't wait to try many of the different ideas presented in this book. There are numerous techniques from which to chose. The instructions are concise and beautifully illustrated in great detail. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to "play with wax"



3. My wife was inspired to candle making after reading this book. You can view her soaps and candles at www homespun-candles-soap .com .



4. I bought this two weeks ago off of amazon with some other books. I am really impressed with how well written and informitive this book is. I am really looking forward to applying it.



5. The Encyclopedia Of Candle Making by Sandie Lea is an excellent book for anyone with the least be of knowledge in candle making. However, with that said you really need to know the basics to get this book because a few things are not explained in detail in the beginning.

3 comments about The Everything Candlemaking Book: Create Homemade Candles in House-Warming Colors, Interesting Shapes, and Appealing Scents (Everything Series).

1. M.J. Abadie's The Everything Candlemaking Book lives up to its name with all the facts, how-to instructions, tips, safety precautions, and much more needed to embark on the creative and satisfying art of making one's own candles whether just for fun or for practical use. From the history of candlemaking, to step-by-step instructions on getting started, to making candles for holidays and special occasions, to using intricate techniques such as applique to ornament candles, to recommendations for tools and supplies, to using unique containers, to incorporating candles into rituals, to adding scents and other personal touches, The Everything Candlemaking Book is a first-rate instructional reference for anyone ready to roll up their sleeves and enjoy a unique and rewarding activity.



2. I will agree that this book has a wealth of information, such as history and useage of candles, along with good descriptions of the types of candles, etc. But what it lacked was good pictures showing step by step processes of candlemaking. It described a lot of things in text, but I am a picture person. Also I didn't find anything about Soy candles. Anyway, I was a bit disappointed due to the lack of pictures.



3. The Everything Candlemaking Book: Create Homemade Candles in House-Warming Colors, Interesting Shapes, and Appealing Scents (Everything Series)
   
   This is a great book! I picked it up and learned a lot about the history of candles, which really intrigued me. When she talks about how they were used for warmth, light, and fragrance in the time before electricity, I was enriched with a deeper knowledge of candles. I was also intrigued when she talked about their spiritual/religious significance and how they are viewed by various religions. I have always wondered about that sort of thing.
   
   The recipes/directions for making different kinds of candles (rolled, tapers, pillars, containers, etc) is pretty clear. She also gives you tips on some common tools that you need (skewers for puncturing air bubbles, lollipop sticks for immobilizing the wicks, etc) and how she gets them very cheaply (She shops second hand stores, garage sales, and discount stores for most of her supplies!).
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a beginner all the way through novice (she has a lot of tricks for making the most complex things with her candles).

5 comments about Making Candles & Soaps For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. If you've never made a candle, or done pour-and-mold soap, this book will tell you how. It will also warn you of every concievable mishap you could encounter. In today's litigious society, I suppose that's required, but it did detract from the rest of the work, in my opinion. Then again, I was looking for pointers and updates on materials, since I hadn't made any candles since the late 1980's. In that regard, it introduced me to soy wax and a few products I did not know existed.
   
   However, the pictures offered were not all that helpful, and the instructions very basic. Any of this information could be gotten from a decent online search. The best part of this book was the part in the back which listed a lot of websites for supplies and further information.
   
   I found the author's style to be rather pedantic, and overly "upbeat", as if she were trying too hard to make this a fun and enjoyable book by interjecting bits of humorous commentary that didn't quite "gel".
   
   As a series, the "for Dummies" line seems to me to be stretching a bit thin. I have quite a few of them, and the originality of the first few made learning fun. Now it simply makes it tedious, and the attempts at fun and humor are becoming tiresome.
   
   All in all, the series overall has become what the name implies: books for beginners and dilettantes. There is nothing wrong with that, by any means. But it wasn't what I was looking for in this book.



2. I appologize that this is not an actual review of the book but a warning about one of the merchants that the book suggests you buy products from. I suggest that you DO NOT order soap making products from Well Naturally Products. Check out the Better Business Bureau on line first. I unfortunately failed to do that and had my credit card billed 60.00 and so far it's been a month with no products and no replys to my inquiries.
   This may have been a fine company when the book was written...but I'm not so sure about that now.



3. Of the many books I bought on soap making this was the worst. It had no real information in it. It skimmed on all the topics but never really explained how or why. The books written in the early 1900 on soap were more helpful than this one.



4. I did not read the sections on candle making, so this review is strictly based on the soap sections. I found this book to be one of the most helpful ones I've read (I checked out a lot from the library). True, it does not cover the cold process, but as the more simple, melt and pour method is all that I'm interested in, this book is right on target for my needs.
   
   In addition to the color and fragrance info, it discusses stenciled soap, soap on a rope, variegated soap, embedded soap, three-dimensional soap, imprinted soap, soap balls, customized shampoo, massage oil, bath salts liquid soap and more.
   
   I also enjoyed Chapter 19 which is devoted entirely to aromatherapy. It lets you know what a particular scent is noted for (i.e. boosting memory, fighting infections, relieving congestion, calming effect, etc.), as well as whether it is photosensitizing (increases your chance for a sunburn), a possible irritant to sensitive skin, possesses antibacterial qualities, etc.



5. I usually love the "Dummies" books and was hoping this one could teach me about soapmaking. It really didn't have much in the way of helpful information and I ended it returning it.

5 comments about Origami Zoo: An Amazing Collection of Folded Paper Animals.

1. Even though the final models are *extremely* complex, the book begins with very interesting texts about origami origins, evolution and approaches to creation; and the models go in progression from the very simplest ones. So actually this is an excellent "transition" book - if you have some experience with origami and have the ambition to try more complex stuff, there cannot be a better book than this one to guide you. The diagrams are crystal clear, and so are the indications. I got this book when I was 11 (I'm 24 now), and it is still every bit as amazing an enjoyable as back then!!



2. There is a great selection of animals to make in this book. Some are very advanced and complicated. Others are easier and more familiar. If you are a beginner, but are familiar with folds and instructions, it is worth giving it a try for a challenge.



3. This is the first origami book I have bought,Origami Zoo. Before I got this book I had to print heaps of stuff off the internet, and before long I had a huge collection of stuff I put in a folder. I soon found out that all the models I had printed out were way too hard for me, even though I'm around the intermediate to advanced level!! As cool as they may sound, the Biplane always confused me, the Bee always ripped and the Alien always became too small and thick.
   But then I discovered Amazon.com. Here there were millions of choices of origami books, but I chose to get "Origami Zoo, an Amazing Collection of folded paper animals." This book was at my level exactly!!
   My fav models are, so far:
   - The Penguin. Even though this is one of the easiest, it still looks lifelike side-on.
   - The Owl. This model is also 2D, but it perches on a thin rod, and looks lifelike as well.
   - The Duck. This model is a particularly cute 3D one!
   - The Sea Turtle. This model is both fun to make and cool to look at!!
   - The Fox. This model is rather easy, 3D, and lifelike!
   None of the models in this book are very easy. Most of them are at the intermediate level, but the last 10 or so models are complex. I still haven't gotten to the real complex models yet, but when I do, I hope I have a lot of large origami paper on hand!!
   This book contains info at the start, about folds, paper, designing models and so on.
   I would recommend this book to people who like to make a variety of animals, not just plain four legged animals, but insects and sea creatures as well!!



4. Lang's book on Origami is a good buy for anyone interested in this ancient art of paper folding. It covers models that are simple to fold all the way to models that require more skill. It also includes quite a large variety of animals to explore.



5. This is harder than it looks. Patience is a requirement. My swan was all right, but I decided not to do any more. It just wasn't for me. Others may find it fun.