Once you make one candle, you’ll be hooked. Candles make great gifts and add soft light and fragrance for a perfect spa day. In this post you will learn how to make candles at home. It’s incredibly easy to do and tons of fun.
Below I describe how to make candles at home using beeswax. Beeswax is wonderful for candle making and is our top pick wax. It burns clean and has a lovely aroma, but it doesn’t produce as hard a candle as paraffin without additives. Don’t worry about that for your first candle making experience. We’ll get into all the details on types of waxes, hardeners, scents, blends, colors, etc. on later posts. In the meantime, go ahead and make your first candle.
Before you start making your candle, cover the table with newspapers. Candle wax is messy and drops are bound to spill.
What you will need:
- 1 Pound of beeswax granules (Use bleached granules if you plan on adding color.)
- 1 Roll of wick material or ready made to length wicks (You can also use regular string, but it’s not as good)
- 1 or more wick tabs (A wick tab is a small weight you center on the bottom of your mold to hold the wick in place.)
- 1 Bottle of candle dye (You’ll only be using 1 or 2 drops.)
- 1 Ounce of candle scent (You may also use 15 drops of essential oils.)
- Mold(s) to form your candle. (You can purchase molds or use household items. Just make sure you use items that are nonflammable. Also, if you want to remove the candle from the mold, make certain the top of your mold doesn’t have a lip or is smaller than the base)
- 1 cooking thermometer
Directions:
1. Using an old pan that will not be used for cooking, slowly melt wax on top of the stove. (An old aluminum coffee pot works great)
2. While your wax is melting, spray your mold with nonstick spray (Only if you plan on removing the candle from the mold.)
3. Measure and cut wick about two inches longer than the top of mold
4. Position your wick tab at the center bottom of the mold.
5. Center top of the wick by laying a Popsicle stick across the top of your mold and firmly attaching the top of the wick to the Popsicle stick with a small piece of tape. You can also tie the wick to the stick, but you will need to cut the wick material a little longer to do this.
6. When the temperature of the wax reaches 160 degrees, it will be watery and ready to pour.
Note: Beeswax has a high melting point range, of 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs. The flash point of beeswax is 204.4 °C (399.9 °F
7. Add 1 drop of color and test by removing a small amount of wax from pan and pouring on flat, cool surface. You want it to harden quickly so you can see if the color is right. If the color is too light add another drop of color and repeat test.
8. When you have the desired color, add the scent and pour into mold.
9. Let your candle harden then quickly light it so you can experience the joy of your creation.
If the wick shifts while you’re pouring, move it to the center. Be careful not to lift the wick if you have to center it.
Once you learn how to make candles at home, the sky is the limit. Try experimenting with different colors and scents, and customize them just for you. Candles also make great gifts.
Now go have fun and relax.
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Hi there beautiful goddess,
Why don’t you give us a location so we can see the image. I think your little lanterns sound most cool.
Your friend,
Vic