If you think heat guns are mostly used for repair work, think again! You can actually do a couple fun crafting tasks with a normal heat gun. With do-it-yourself type gifts being back in style, you’ll have the skills and tools to have unique, thoughtful, and cost effective gifts that you can personalize for everyone. Let’s take these heat tool applications to the world of arts and crafts to learn how to shrink cellophane and melt wax.
Shrink cellophane
In the world of homemade gift giving, the ubiquitous gift basket is king. Everyone loves them, and everyone welcomes them for the personalized delights they have inside. The cellophane is the clear bag around the basket that holds everything in during transport and lends an air of sophistication to the basket as well.
Using a heat gun on the cellophane is easy. After you get the basket filled, wrap the cellophane around how you’d like it, and use the heat gun as you would a hair dyer on the areas you want to be shrunk. The heat from the heat gun will shrink up the cellophane in just a few moments, freeing you up to make more baskets.
Melting wax
After you burn a votive candle down, you’re often stuck with this lump of unmelted wax fixed to the bottom of the candle holder. Instead of using a knife or something else that might cause an accident, use a heat gun to loosen up the wax so it easily pours out and into another holder at the ready with a wick.
To do this follow these simple steps:
- Lay out your new candle gear by putting a new, unused wick into a holder.
- Hold the old candle in one hand, and set a heat gun to medium-low.
- Melt the candle by moving the heat gun around the bottom and the sides of the old candle holder
- Pour the melted wax into the new holder standing by.
Pro tip: if you have trouble keeping the wick standing up straight, tie the wick around a chopstick or pencil, then lay it across the top of the new candle holder. This will hold the wick into position while you melt the candle with the heat gun and pour the wax in.
Ready to fill your crafting needs? Send us a message, and we’ll help you find the right heating tool for the job.
