Types of Soy Candles
There are quite a few types of soy candles that you can make, but I will only touch on a few here. The most
commonly made soy candles are molded candles, pillar candles, and
container or jar candles. The following is a brief description of the
most popular types of soy wax candles.
Molded Soy Candles
The molded candles are those in which the soy wax cools in a mold of some sort to give the candle its shape.
Molded candles are usually small in shape and can be molded from candle molds, or anything else that can hold
wax and survive the temperature of the melted wax.
On a personal note: I rather enjoy using candy molds to make tarts! Oh, in case you don't know,
tarts are usually smaller molded candles (some may be bigger than
votive candles) that can be used in a tart melter. The tart melter
may be electric or heated with a tea light candle. The heat melts the candle wax, and releases the fragrance.
Soy Pillar Candles
Pillar candles are generally molded candles, but they tend to be in a class by themselves (as far as I am
concerned). When making pillar candles, special attention must
be made to the candle wick size. If you have an undersized candle
wick, the candle may tunnel, and with an oversized candle wick, the sides melt and you have a mess! Did I
mention that soy candle wax cleans up with soap and water?
Pillar candles may range from 3 inches high to over a foot high with several candle wicks. The
pillar candle shape itself can be round, square, octagonal, or any other shape you can imagine.
To be able you to make your own pillar soy candles,
you will need a pillar candle mold. And you will also require a
pillar blend wax in order to acquire the hardness necessary to make a quality pillar. You might even need to add
Vybar to raise the melting point of the soy wax in order to harden the
pillar candle.
Soy Jar Candles
Jar candles are the way to go for beginners. No special molds are needed. You can make a quality container
candle in something as simple as a mason jar! Your container can be quite small (smaller than a
votive candle) or pretty large. I have seen container candles that
hold upwards of 64 ounces!!
The procedure is relatively straight forward: With a jar
candles you simply set the candle wick, prepare the wax, pour,
then cool. The following section on how to make a soy wax candle
will give you a glimpse into the world of candle making and soy wax candles for yourself.