Tyler Brooks
Candles are a great way to make your home feel cozier, but they can be a little pricey. Luckily, making your own candles is a fun and simple DIY project that lets you customize your home decor and control the ingredients and fragrance level. Before you begin the candle-making process, ensure you have a clean, flat surface to work on and measure out your wax. Then, add the wax to your melting pot and allow it to melt. You can add color and fragrance to the melted wax, such as dried flower petals or crayons, to create a unique candle. Once the wax is melted, place your wick into the container and carefully pour in the hot wax. Let the wax cool completely, then trim the wick, and your candle is ready to burn!
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What You'll Learn
Prepare your workspace and materials
Preparing your workspace and materials is an important step in candle-making. Here are some detailed steps to help you get started:
Firstly, ensure you have a clean, flat workspace to craft your candles. Cover the area with newspaper or paper towels to protect the surface from any potential wax spills. Move any items that you do not want to get wax on away from the workspace. It is also important to ensure that your workspace is well-ventilated.
Next, gather your materials. Candle-making requires a few basic supplies, including wax, a wick, and a container. You can use wax pellets or melt down wax blocks. If you are using wax blocks, you will need a stovetop or similar heat source to melt the wax. You can use an empty container from a previously used candle or purchase new containers, such as glass jars or planters. Choose a container that will not melt or catch fire, such as glass or porcelain, and avoid plastic containers.
Additionally, you will need a melting pot to melt your wax and a larger pot to create a double boiler. Fill the larger pot with enough water to cover at least halfway up the melting pot. You will also need a kitchen scale to weigh your wax and determine the amount of scent oil to add.
If you plan to add colour or fragrance to your candles, gather your desired essential oils, dried flower petals, or crayons. You can also add decorative elements, such as small toys or jewellery, by burying them in the wax. Wick stickers or hot glue will help you secure the wick to the bottom of the container.
Finally, for safety, ensure you have a fire extinguisher or a lid nearby to extinguish any potential flames. It is important to always follow the manufacturer's instructions and never leave burning candles unattended.
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Measure and melt wax
To make candles, you'll first need to measure and melt your wax. Before you begin, make sure you have a clean, flat surface to work on. You can also protect the area with newspaper or paper towels and move anything you don't want to get wax on.
First, measure out how much wax you'll need to fill your container, then double it. If your wax isn't in pellet form, break it up into a bowl. If you have larger pieces of wax, use a small, sharp knife to cut the wax into pieces. Each piece should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide or less.
Next, melt your wax. One way to do this is by using the double boiler method. Fill a large pot or saucepan with about 1-2 inches of water and place it over low to medium heat. Put your wax into a pouring container that's heat- and water-resistant. This could be a glass pitcher, a metal can, or a smaller pot or saucepan. Once the water is boiling, place the pouring container directly inside the large pot or saucepan. As the wax melts, monitor the temperature with a thermometer. Keep the heat low to medium and maintain a gentle simmer. As the water evaporates, periodically add more water to keep the water level consistent.
Another method is to boil 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water in a large pot and place a smaller pot inside, pouring your wax into the smaller pot. Give it 10-15 minutes to melt, then add your fragrance and colours of choice. Pour the melted wax into a container to cool.
You can also melt wax in the oven. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting and place the jar of wax inside, removing any labels or stickers first. Once the wax is melted, scoop it out and reuse it.
If you're using a wax melter, place it on a table or counter with the spigot over the edge so you can easily pour out the melted wax. Plug it in and set the temperature according to the type of wax you're using. Place the solid wax directly into the wax melter pot and keep an eye on it as it melts.
Alternatively, you can use aluminium foil to melt the wax. Prepare a piece of aluminium foil big enough to cover the top of the candle. Cut out a small, 1-inch hole in the centre of the foil. Light the wick and wrap the foil over the top of the candle, ensuring the hole is directly over the flame.
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Add colour, scent, and decorations
Candles can be decorated with various items to add colour, scent, and embellishments.
Colour
Candle wax can be coloured using candle liquid dye, candle dye blocks, crayons, or food colouring. However, it is important to note that food colouring may not bond well with candle wax due to its various ingredients, causing it to sink or bead up. Candle dye chips are another option, made of wax and highly pigmented colour, providing consistent results.
Scent
Adding fragrance to candles requires caution as essential oils and fragrance oils are flammable and combustible in their raw form. It is important to research and source safe oils for candle-making.
Decorations
Candles can be embellished with a variety of items such as glitter, plastic jewels, printed tissue paper, beads, and other craft items. A unique design can be created by gently carving patterns into the candle surface with a toothpick or similar tool. Alternatively, strips of coloured tape or melted crayon can be used to create patterns before applying paint or other decorative elements. Natural items such as dried flowers or seashells can be added, but these candles should not be burned as they pose a fire hazard.
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Prepare your wick
Preparing your wick is one of the most important parts of candle-making. If the incorrect wick is selected, your candle will not burn properly. When preparing your wick, you should aim to achieve a consistent flame size, minimal or no blooming (carbon deposits), a consistent moderate container temperature, and a well-formed wax pool with no dripping.
To prepare your wick, first decide how thick and long you want it to be. The size of your wick will depend on the size of your candle. Small candles only need single wicks, while medium candles require a wick made from three strands of twine braided together. For a single wick, measure and cut the twine to be three inches longer than the height of your candle. If you plan to braid your wick, cut three equal lengths of twine that are four inches longer than the height of the candle.
Next, prepare the area where you will hang the candle wicks to dry. Set up a laundry drying rack by your stove and loosely wrap the bars you will be hanging the wicks on in a layer of foil. Wrap the bars underneath in plastic wrap to make any wax that drips off the wicks easy to clean up. Place a large piece of cardboard or some paper towels under the drying rack to catch any wax drips that make it to the floor.
Now, melt your wax. Place your wax into a small saucepan or heat-safe bowl and pour about two inches of water into a larger saucepan. Heat the water to a simmer over medium heat and place the bowl of wax over the saucepan to melt the wax. Alternatively, you can melt the wax in a double boiler.
Once your wax is melted, carefully soak the twine in the wax for about a minute, coating as much of the twine as possible. Use tongs to protect your fingers if you fully submerge the twine. Remove the wick from the wax and hang it to dry.
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Pour and set
To make a basic poured candle, you will need wax, a mould, a wick, a pot, a container, and a cold-water bath. Common waxes include beeswax, soy wax, and paraffin wax. Wicks should have metal tabs on one end, and the mould should come with instructions for which type of wick to use.
First, measure out your wax. The easiest way to do this is to fill your container with wax pellets and then weigh them. Next, add the wax to a melting pot and heat it to 185°F. You can do this by placing the melting pot in a larger pot of water over medium heat—this ensures the wax doesn't overheat. While the wax melts, add your wick to the container, using a wick sticker or hot glue to secure the metal bottom of the wick to the centre of the container.
Once the wax has liquified, add your dye and essential oils to give it colour and fragrance. Stir well. Then, turn off the heat and allow the wax to cool to 125°F. While the wax is still hot and liquid, pour it into your prepared mould until it is about 1.5 inches below the rim. Place the mould in a cold-water bath to help the wax cool down quicker.
Once the candle has hardened, trim the wick and it's ready to use!
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Frequently asked questions
The quickest way to set a candle is to trim the wick, place the candle on a flat surface away from any flammable objects, and light the wick.
Before lighting a candle, trim the wick to 1/4 inch and remove any debris in the wax pool, such as wick trimmings or matches.
It is recommended to use a wick dipper or a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. Blowing out a candle or using the lid to put it out can cause the candle to become sooty and smell burnt.
It is recommended that candles cool down for at least two hours before being relit.
