How to Make Wax Candles

Candle Wax:

  • Soft paraffin wax is best suited for making candles in containers. It is soft and oily, and is not easily removed from a mold. Its melting point is 129 to 135° F. Candle making using soft paraffin wax colors well and has good translucence, but a finished candle made from this wax will mar easily and may droop or sag in hot weather.
  • Medium paraffin wax is a good all purpose wax and works well for tapers, block, molded, and free-form candles. It has a melting point of 140 to 145° F. Homemade candles made with medium paraffin wax is pliable, colors well, releases easily from a mold, is moderately resistant to hot weather, and has a fairly hard finish.
  • Microcrystalline wax is a soft, oily, pliable wax. Because it is easily shaped and sticky, it is easy to use when making homemade candles since it is excellent for sculpture work or as an adhesive. It has a melting point between 160 and 200° F. It is difficult to remove from a mold but colors well and is very translucent.
  • Beeswax is a very expensive, fine-quality candle wax that is often mixed with paraffin to make dipped tapers. It has a melting point of 145° F. Beeswax candles are slow burning and normally smokeless. It is difficult to remove from a mold. Honeycomb beeswax sheets come in colored 8"x16" rectangles that are easy to roll into candles. No melting is required.
  • Bayberry wax has a melting point of 130° F. It is a mildly fragrant, brittle, greenish-colored wax used mostly for dipping or molding tapers.

The Procedure:

Melting Wax

Precautions:

  • Wax is flammable. It will ignite at about 400° F and will smoke and the color will drastically fade at about 250° F.
  • Most candles require a pouring temperature of about 185° F or less. You need to check the temperature of the candle wax constantly while you are melting it for your homemade candles.
  • Remove the wax from the heat source as soon as it reaches pouring temperature of 165 to 185° F.
  • Never allow the candle wax to reach temperatures higher than 250° F.

Double Boiler Method

If you do not have a double boiler, you can use a metal pitcher or similar container to hold the wax.

  • Place this container into a larger pan containing water.
  • Place a screen wire under the melting container to allow hot water to circulate underneath it.
  • Place broken pieces of candle wax into the melting container and turn on the burner.
  • When the wax begins to melt, place a thermometer in the melting container.
  • If necessary, add water to the larger pan to maintain an adequate volume of water while heating the candle wax.
  • Only add dyes when the candle wax is melted. (Remember that liquid wax will usually appear a bit lighter than when the wax has hardened.)
  • The candle wax is ready to pour at 165 to 185° F. The hottest temperature the wax will reach when using a double boiler is 190 to 195° F.
  • It is important to wipe any moisture off the melting container before pouring the wax into your candle mold.

Direct Burner Method

To safely candle melt wax directly on an electric burner, follow these precautions:

  • Use a melting container that does not leak, and make sure that any wax on the outside has been wiped off. Do not use seamed cans, old cooking pots with riveted handles, etc.
  • Always start melting your candle wax on low heat. When you have at least one inch of liquid wax in the container, then you may turn the heat up to medium. Always use a thermometer, and never let the wax overheat. If it is allowed to exceed 270° F, it will change color. The best way is to pour candle wax at 165 to 185° F.
  • Never leave the stove unattended; candle wax will melt rapidly. If you must leave the area, even for a few moments, turn off the burner and remove your melting pot from the stove until you return.

Combined Method

  • Start melting your candle wax using the double boiler method. When the candle wax has been completely melted, remove the melting container from the water and wipe it clean.
  • Place the melting container directly on the burner. Keep the thermometer in the candle wax until the correct pouring temperature has been reached.

Pouring

  • Check the temperature of the candle wax with a thermometer. The pouring temperature will depend on the type of wax you are using.
  • When you are ready to pour the candle wax, tilt the mold slightly and pour wax slowly down the inside of the candle mold.
  • Do not pour the candle wax too quickly, as this will cause blemishes in the candle.
  • When the candle mold is full, place it in an upright position and draw the wick taut (but not tight) to the center of the candle wick holder, which will lie across the top of the candle mold.

Cooling

  • Place the candle mold in a draft-free area to cool.
  • As the candle cools, a film will form over the wax with a depression in the middle. Puncture this film near the candle wick to allow a cavity to grow as the candle cools. Be sure to break all the way through the film to the liquid wax. This allows the cavity to form without distorting the candle.
  • When the cavity is perhaps 1 inch deep, fill the cavity with candle wax that are melted (about 185° F).
  • Do not overfill the cavity as wax may flow between the candle and mold causing the candle to stick.
  • Repeat this process of puncturing the film and adding more wax several times as the candle continues to cool and harden. The smaller the candle the fewer times this step is required.
  • When the candle is completely cool it may require one more filling.
  • If you wait until the candle is cool and hardened before filling the cavity, you may cause a fracture to appear in the base of the candle. This is because the hot wax causes a rapid expansion of the cool candle.
  • The complete cooling process from the time of pouring to the removal will vary according to the size of the candle.

Removing the Homemade Candle from the Mold

  • To extract the candle from the candle mold, remove the rubber plug. Let the candle wick hang free.
  • If the candle does not drop free from the mold, chill the candle while in the mold in the refrigerator for a short time. Lightly tap the mold to free the candle. Do not bang or tap the mold directly on any hard surface. You will damage the CANDLE mold thus making it impossible to remove the candle.

Candle Coloring

  • Usually high quality concentrated color chips are formulated from aniline dyes to give clearer and brighter shades in homemade candles. These sediment-free dye chips will color approximately 11 pounds of candle wax to a nice medium tone. Add shavings from the color chip to melted wax until the desired color is obtained.
  • For lighter colors, use very little. To judge the color of the wax, pour a small amount into a container to cool. Remember that melted candle wax always appears lighter in color than when it is cooled and hardened.
  • Powder dyes are highly concentrated, lightweight particles, therefore extreme care should be exercised when mixing. It is recommended to dissolve the powder dye into melted stearic acid before adding to melted wax.
  • Adding powder dye directly to melted wax may form a sediment (undissolved dye particles).

Colored Layers

  • You can create homemade candles with different colored layers. Pour different colors of wax, one on top of the other producing horizontal stripes, or blend layers to form a soft graduated look.
  • You can vary the thickness of each layer. You can alternate colors to form a pattern, or each layer can be a different color.
  • When creating a layered candle, each layer must cool until a firm but warm crust forms on the candle wax before the next layer is poured.
  • Pour the wcandle ax slowly and gently.
  • Do not cool too long or the cooled layer may shrink, allowing hot wax from the next layer to seep down the sides of the mold.
  • If a blended appearance is desired, pour a light color of wax first. Each layer thereafter is a progressively darker shade of the same color.
  • The colors will blend together depending on how cool each layer is before the next layer of candle wax is poured.

Candle Scents

  • For best results, add the candle scents of your choice just before pouring the candle. Make sure to mix thoroughly to blend the oil from the fragrance with the oil of the wax; otherwise, bubbles may form in the surface of your homemade candle. One half ounce of fragrance should give a pleasing scent to approximately 11 pounds of wax.
  • If heavier candle scents are desired, use approximately half of an ounce with 4 pounds of wax.
  • Be aware that scents may change the color of the candle.
  • To add scent to an unscented candle, burn the candle until a one inch diameter pool of melted wax has formed. Adding a few drops of candle scent to the melted wax with an eye dropper and you have created a nice soft aroma that will last approximately one and a half hours.
  • Do not use perfumes or colognes as they contain alcohol, and do not mix well with the candle wax. They will have no aroma when they burn.
  • Never dip the candle wick directly into the scent; because this will cause your candle to smoke.
  • Candle scents should be stored in brown bottles, and preferably in a dark place, because sunlight will destroy your fragrance.

Chunky Homemade Candles

  • Chunky candles are a firm favorite project for many candle-makers. These candles have colored chunks embedded in translucent wax. Chunky candles are economical because the chunks can be made from leftover candle wax, old candles or crayons.
  • Prepare the wax chunks. To make your own colored chunks, pour concentrated colored wax into a shallow metal pan that has been coated with silicone spray.
  • Pour the wax to approximately to one half inch in depth. Allow the wax to cool until it is firm but still warm and pliable. Take a knife and cut into one half to one inch squares.
  • Leave the chunks of candle wax in the pan until they are completely cool, and they will easily snap out of the pan. You may also use an old ice cube tray.
  • Prepare the candle mold with the candle wick centered at top and bottom.
  • Fill the candle mold with wax chunks, being careful to keep the candle wick centered.
  • Fill the candle mold with extra hot wax (approximately 200° F). This wax needs to be translucent; therefore no additives are needed. You may need to add more chunks as you pour, because the chunks in the candle mold will settle. You can also drop wax chunks into the mold after it is about one third full with hot wax (at approximately 200° F). This will give your candle a smoother finish.
  • Roll the candle in hot water or use a propane torch to melt away extra wax and expose brightly colored chunks.
  • Wicking the candle mold in the normal way may cause the finished candle to burn unevenly.
  • A better quality chunky candle can be made if a thin taper candle is used instead of a candle mold. Place the taper in the center of the candle mold, either upright or with its wick through the wick hole at the bottom of candle mold. Seal the wick hole with rubber plugs, and arrange the chunks around taper.