Making corals

Anyone who has ever seen corals in a sun-drenched lagoon of a tropical sea or in the ultramarine depths of Sharm El-Sheikh will forever retain the first impression - this is a real underwater paradise. Not all corals are equally attractive: there are reefs that are modestly colored, there are bright thickets, but together they form a wonderful underwater forest. I would like to take a couple of twigs from such a “forest” as a souvenir. This is not always possible, and it’s a shame to spoil the deep-sea landscape. I offer you an old, half-forgotten method of “growing” corals at home.

What you will need:
• A ladle and saucepan, preferably steel, not aluminum or enameled (it is easy to remove paraffin residue from steel).
• Small paraffin candles or white cinders. Once melted, they can be painted any color.
• Oil paints in tubes, or food coloring.
• Branches from any tree that have many raised buds and small knots - so the coral with its rough texture and shoots will form more naturally from the very beginning than, say, on a smooth twig.




Progress
We remove small candles in aluminum trays from the wick and from the tray.These candles are very convenient because the short wick can be easily pulled out of the candle and does not interfere with work. White candle stubs are also an option, but then you will have to catch the wick threads from the paraffin during melting. Paraffin should not be melted over an open fire or on a hob. Its vapors are highly flammable; in addition, paraffin, melted at high temperatures, becomes too liquid and does not stick to the branch. So it is best to melt candles in a water bath: it is safe and creates a liquid temperature that is comfortable for work. Fill the saucepan with water, check if there is too much by inserting a ladle with paraffin into the filled saucepan. Excess water is poured out. We can start. As soon as the candles have melted by more than half, you can remove the ladle from the water bath and begin “growing coral.” First, add a small drop of paint and knead a little. For me it was first ultramarine paint (for one branch), and then light green (for the second branch). I made the red coral branch in a separate saucepan. Place the branch over the container with paraffin and water, water, water, not forgetting to rotate the branch from time to time. At first it seems that nothing is happening, that the paraffin simply flows off, leaving no traces. But after a couple of minutes, interesting stalactites and streaks begin to emerge. The coral is formed, almost as it happens in nature. Only the material is different))) and the process proceeds hundreds of times faster!



We continue to water the branch even when the paraffin begins to harden, forming ice crystals. This way we get a characteristic rough surface with pointed processes, in contrast to the initial smooth ridges. The entire “growing” process takes 5-7 minutes.




We leave the finished coral branch to cool by sticking it into a bottle or vase and proceed to the next branch, adding brighter paint to the paraffin. I made turquoise coral, bluish green and pinkish red. You can make compositions from small twigs using shells, pebbles and glass beads for the aquarium.




Bright corals seem to glow from within. It’s hard to believe that they are not real, but artificial, “grown” in your own kitchen from the remains of paraffin candles! Try it! Making corals brings great aesthetic pleasure!
Tip: Remaining paraffin should not be poured into the sink or toilet. Let them set, then heat them slightly and remove them whole. Paraffin will also come in handy for other crafts!