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My foray into candle making was pathetic to say the least.
I halfway followed an online tutorial with materials I bought from a store marketed towards people that “just want to try it” which was perfect given that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to make candles.
I navigated unknown waters for a tremendously long time because I didn’t understand how important materials, temperature, concentrations, note-taking or container preparation really was to produce something I could be proud of.
After an hour and a half of fumbling through, I created this:
But I had fun! And I knew that this was something I could get better at with experience, learning, and a decent budget for better materials. I also came out of that night with a lot of useful takeaways and figured I could write this guide for anyone just starting out.
Follow the Wax Manufacturers Recommendations.
I made a very incorrect assumption that all paraffin wax carries the same properties. It’s important to note that almost all wax comes with some set of instructions, even if it’s just hobby wax. Either way, it’s super helpful to at least buy a thermometer. You should consider doing this even if you aren’t that serious. It’ll make your experience all the more pleasant.
Follow the recommended labels on the wax for fragrance, dye, and pour temperatures unless there is a compelling reason not to. For the first few candles it’s more helpful just to figure out a routine than it is to develop candle formulas. There’s a lot to be said about building up a robust muscle memory for candle making.
If the temperatures aren’t listed:
- Melt wax. Note the fluid’s temperature when all the wax has melted – call this the melting point.
- Continue to raise the temperature beyond the melting point at least 30 – 40° F
- Anytime after the melting point, add the desired amount of color dye (if using color dye)
- Approximately 20° F above the melting point add the desired amount of fragrance oil (if using fragrance oil). At this point you should be stirring fairly often.
- Approximately 10° F above the melting point, pour the solution into the containers. If you’re using a soy wax, pour out once it’s foggy.
It’s not guaranteed to bring fantastic results, but it should ensure you can combine all your ingredients prior to re-hardening. Your Mileage May Vary.
Pay Attention to Your Temperatures.
Temperature is the beginning and end of every candle. It’s critical to remember that this is the controlled practice of chemistry which very much follows known laws of the universe. The practice of making a candle requires a journey in changing the state of wax from a solid to a liquid, then back.
The materials used for candle making are very sensitive to thermal changes. Advanced candle makers know their melting point, max temperature, dye temperature, fragrance temperature, pouring temperature, curing temperature (rate), and a variety of absurd terms. They have mastered their workspace and can control each component of the thermal lifecycle.
Starting out, try not to pour the wax into your container at too cold of a temperature though. That’s the number one way to ensure you’ll hate the candle you just “made” (unless you like cottage cheese candles). If you do get in trouble, just heat it back up and try again!
If you’re working with soy wax, the best rule of thumb is to pour once the mixture is foggy to the point that you can’t see through it all that well.
Calculate the Amount of Wax You Need.
Like I said before, candle making is grounded in science.
The amount of wax needed to fill a set of containers can be determined a few ways. If you’re the crazy scientist-type, the specific gravity of the wax could be calculated and added to the volume of fragrance oil and dye being used but that’s generally unnecessary complexity for starting out.
It’s generally fine to follow a few rules of thumb for planning the amount of wax.
Rule of Thumb Number One
If a kitchen scale is available, fill your containers with water and measure the total weight of that water (usually in ounces). Measure only the weight of the water! This might require a correction by subtracting the raw container weight out.
For instance, if a mason jar is going to be used for a candle,
- Measure the weight of the empty jar… 4.6 oz
- Fill the empty jar with water. Match the planned wax amount as close as possible when filling.
- Weigh the jar filled with water… 14.9 oz
- Subtract #1 from #3 to get the weight of water… 14.9 – 4.6 = 10.3 oz
- Multiply #4 by 0.86 to get the weight of wax… 10.3 x 0.86 = 8.9 oz
- Measure out wax weighing the amount equal to #5… 8.9 oz
This will yield more wax than your container can hold if you add fragrance oil or dye, but not by a terrible amount for small batches. Find a place in advance to pour any excess wax that isn’t a sink!
An old candle jar or ice cube tray (for wax melts) works great.
Rule of Thumb Number Two
This one is thrown around a lot but I haven’t found it to be as reliable.
Every pound of wax will yield 20 oz of volume. Given this knowledge, total yield will equal:
(Pounds of wax * 20) + (ounces of fragrance oil) + (ounces of dye)
If you have 1 pound of wax, you’ll end up with 20 oz of volume plus however much fragrance oil or dye you use. If you have no other reason to decide, use about an ounce of fragrance oil for one pound of wax.
Prepare Your Containers Before You Melt Any Wax.
Easy to take for granted. It seems straightforward enough – place a wick in the center of the container. The tricky part becomes making sure that wick stays put when it should. I always prepare my containers while the wax first starts to melt. There’s really only two things that have to be done:
- Stick the wick & wick tab to the bottom of the container
- Support the wick near the top of the container
People suggest everything from hot glue to wax adhesive to connect the wick to the container. Use whatever is comfortable or on hand for this step, but remember that applying too much heat to the adhesive after it’s been placed can loosen the glue up and dislodge the wick.
Some sources suggest using melted wax to initially connect the wick to the center. While this works, it’s difficult to pull off without a few tries and will generally fail during the wax pour which makes recovery very hard.
The way you decide to hold the wick in place really depends on the container. If the mouth of the container is three inches or less a clothespin does a very good job at holding the wick in place. Wider mouths might need a specialized wick centering device, or you can just use a pencil or two to hold the wick in the middle. It doesn’t have to be complicated enough to resist a tornado since it only has to support the wick from drifting while the wax sets up.
Saving this step for right before you pour can complicate your temperature management so I recommend doing this early in the process before it becomes stressful. Trust me. I’ve gotten in my own way enough times.
Take Good Notes.
I don’t necessarily recommend recording every last detail of the first few experiences.
Rather, record in some fashion things that go well and things that don’t go well. A log of times, temperatures and materials can help educate your future endeavors. Be warned that temperatures are usually specific to the materials used so don’t expect that everything automatically translates into a different wax or fragrance oil. Being able to track the planning, building, and performance of candles is helpful for eventually developing formulas.
Don’t Take Everything Too Seriously.
Candle making is supposed to be enjoyable in the end. Unless you’re making candles to save a life, take time to appreciate the art and find moments to laugh if (and when) things go wrong. And share your creations with coworkers, friends and family!
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