How To Make Votive Candles

Votive candles are easily one of the easiest types of molded candles to make. They add a great deal of charm to just about any setting. Usually votive candles will burn for approximately 15 hours and will consume just about all of the candle wax that was used to create it.

Ingredients

  • Wax suitable for votive candles
  • Additives – if required: dye, fragrance oils, etc.
  • Pre-tabbed candle wicks suitable for votive candles (36-24-24 zinc core used here)
  • Metal votive candle molds
  • Candle mold release spray (optional)
  • Pouring pot
  • Thermometer

Method

  1. Prepare Your Molten Wax Mixture

    • Set up the double boiler to melt the candle wax – your target temperature is between 170 and 175° F
    • Melt the candle wax completely.
    • Add your additives (if you selected to do so) to the melted candle wax and mix thoroughly.
    • Add the additives in the following order:
      1. Additives such as vybar or stearic acid (but only if required)
      2. Candle scents
      3. Dye (this is done last so that you get visual confirmation that everything else has mixed well with the candle wax)
    • Before pouring your candle wax, you may want to lightly coat your candle molds with a very thin film of candle mold-release agent such as silicone spray or a Pam-type cooking spray. This helps aid the release of the finished candle from the mold. However, it is really only needed with new candle molds.

  2. Initial Candle Wax Pour

    • With your wax at the proper temperature (approximately 175° F), carefully fill your votive candle molds to the desired level.
    • Save about 20% of the candle wax in the pouring pitcher for the re-pour. DO NOT return it to the heat source.

  3. Add Pre-tabbed Wicks

    • While the candle wax is cooling, prepare your candle wicks by straightening them. They do not need to be perfectly straight at this point; a loose approximation of "straight" is fine.
    • Once the candle wax just begins to congeal, insert your pre-tabbed wicks.
      • The tab will "stick" to the bottom when it touches.
      • Care should be taken to position the tab roughly in the center of the mold.
    • Once the tab has stuck to the base of the mold, it is very easy to manipulate the candle wick to straighten it.
    • During the cooling process, the shrinking wax may pull the candle wick off-center. If this occurs, simply apply a light tug to straighten the candle wick from time to time. DO NOT use so much force as to free the metal tab on the base.
    • Allow your candle wax to completely cool before proceeding to the next step. This may take 3 to 4 hours.

  4. Re-pour Wax

    • When the candle wax has completely cooled, it will have shrunken a bit, leaving a sink hole that needs to be filled.
    • With the candle wax that you saved from the previous step, the 20% of wax, melt it back down and bring it to a temperature of 190° F. This increased temperature is to facilitate adhesion between layers.
    • Fill the molds to a level just slightly above the lip of the candle mold once your wax is at the proper temperature. Care should be taken to avoid spills.
    • Allow your candle to cool completely.

  5. Remove Votive from the Mold

    • Remove your votive candles from the candle molds once it is completely cooled. It should slide right out without any difficulty.
    • Place the votive candles in the freezer for about 5 minutes if they are difficult to remove from the candle molds.
    • If they are still difficult, place them back in the freezer for another 5 minutes and try again.
    • Also, for very stubborn candles, it sometimes helps to gently press the sides of the mold inward as you "roll" the candle mold in the palms of your hands.

And voila! You've got your homemade votive candle.

A Note of Caution:

  • Always burn votive candles in votive candle holders.
  • Remember that votive candles are not intended to be free-standing candles and they will liquefy.
  • A properly crafted votive candle will liquefy to some degree as it burns. This is necessary to achieve good scent throw.