How to make candlesWritten by Jennifer Hall
Making homemade candles can be a fun hobby, whether making them as gifts or for yourself to enjoy. Candle making usually requires some experimentation, but when you discover how to make those perfect candles, it’s well worth effort. There are a few basic supplies needed for making most candles: wax wicks mold or containers wax melter candle making thermometer fragrances dyes putty for molds First decide on a wax you would like to start with, there are three different kinds to choose from: paraffin wax, soy wax, and beeswax. Paraffin wax is most commonly used in candles, this wax is found at most candle making stores. Soy wax is all natural, made from soybeans, and cleans up easily with soap and water. Beeswax is all natural too, and making beeswax candles is often easiest because you simply wrap a sheet of beeswax tightly around a wick then seal it with your thumb, which means no melting is required. To begin, spread newspapers around candle making area. First you melt your paraffin or soy wax and it must be double-boiled. Usually you place a large pot that is about half-filled with water on a burner over low-medium heat, place a melter in water, then gradually place wax pieces into melter. When wax has melted, you can add coloring or fragrance as desired.
| | Need a Low-Maintenance Pet? Try a Tarantula!Written by V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D.
If you’re like me, then you don’t really have luxury of keeping a high-maintenance pet such as a dog. Even a less demanding pet such as a cat might be beyond your time constraints. Fish tanks can be difficult too, since it’s easy to under-estimate time and effort involved in keeping them clean. So what options do you have?Well, you could try a snake or one of hardier lizard varieties. My personal favorites, however, are tarantulas. That’s right—those big, hairy, eight-legged freaks. Contrary to popular belief, tarantulas are not known for being deadly; in fact, there are no known instances of anyone dying from a tarantula bite. In addition, most of pet store specimens that you’ll encounter are exceedingly docile, and will generally not bite unless they are severely provoked. The most common variety available is Chilean rose hair tarantula (Grammastola rosea), which is notoriously gentle and easy to handle. It is also known to have fairly mild venom, and almost never bites. Other docile and readily available species include Honduran curly hair tarantula (Brachypelma albopilosum) and Guyana pinktoe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia). Unlike a dog or a cat, these animals do not require much care. They can go for weeks without food or water, although regular care is still recommended. They do not generate much waste either, and so cleaning their cages is easy as well. Some species do have rather specific humidity requirements, but most common pet store varieties are not so demanding. They also require very little space, and most of them can be kept in plastic shoebox-sized containers. Make sure that their lids fit tightly though, since these animals can be quite good at escaping.
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