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Candle Molds
First step in making molded candles is, of course, finding the best mold. For making pillars, votives, molded tapers and perhaps floating or novelty candles, you need to choose the right type of mold.
Some candles can be made with things you have at home, like milk cartons, heat resistant glass jars, sometimes even small plant pots or some plastic cups. If you don't have anything that could serve the purpose, or you want to skip experimentation and start making perfect molded candles at once, you can get molds made specifically for candlemaking. There are molds made of metal, glass, plastic, silicone and latex.
Metal molds are the longest lasting ones. They are easy to handle and can be heated to a temperature high enough for making really shiny candles. They are expensive, but you can use them over and over again. Molds are most commonly made with wick holes, but if they're not, you have to use auto wick pins.
Using glass molds will provide you with candles with fine finish. Just a little polishing and you'll have a perfect straight candle. All you have to pay attention to is to heat the molds before pouring hot wax, keep the glass clean and be careful not to break it.
Plastic molds are the cheapest molds available. They are great for making novelty candles with odd shapes. The disadvantage of plastic molds is that they're not suitable for pouring wax that's over 180 degrees F and you can not use them to make scented candles.
Silicone molds or silicone rubber molds are also good for making molded candles, especially for the ones with odd shapes. They should be warmed a bit before pouring the wax. And don't be impatient, wait for the candle to cool completely before you remove the silicone.
Latex molds are quite cheap. Before pouring the wax, you will probably need to support it in some frame, perhaps wooden, so it doesn't distort. Also, you better wait for the candle to cool completely before removing the latex.
Don't forget coating your candle molds with oil or some spray for easier mold release. It will help you get the candle out of the mold. If it doesn't work, try putting the candle in the freezer for a while and then try again.