Handmade Candles: A Tutorial and a Giveaway!

I am going to just jump right in here because I feel very scared about posting right now. If you are a blogger, has this happened to you? I posted this post Tuesday night...well, a version of it, but when I hit "publish" the entire Blogger "box" went blank and poof! The whole post was gone in a flash! To add insult to injury, the auto save feature fired up before I could click Control Z so it saved a blank page!


At that point I did a couple jello shots and called it a night. Just kidding. 


about the jello shots, that is. 


So. not. my. style.






Anyway, lets get to this.

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When I think about what to make as a Christmas gift for teachers, friends, etc. and I keep coming back to my favorite gift...handmade candles.

I have shared with some of you before that I once had a home-based business making and selling candles. It is for this reason that I cringe every time I hear people talk about melting down old crayons in to “candles” or using shoestrings for wicks. If you decide you’d like to try candle making, please keep in mind that any time you are going to light something on fire, safety MUST be your number one concern.

That being said, homemade candles can be one of the very best gifts I know of. Made well, they can be very safe, have a better scent throw than most commercially made candles, and are relatively inexpensive to make.

In this tutorial, I will cover the making of container candles, wicked or wickless, because this is the easiest kind of candle to make and it often yields the best results for the rookie candlemaker.

It is of utmost importance that you do not skimp on the supplies when taking on a project like this. I cannot stress enough that you will get what you pay for. If you go to a big box store or a craft store and buy over-the-counter waxes and scents, you are not really experiencing the kind of candle making I am referring to. Please note that when I buy a pre-made candle, I usually buy Yankee. My goal for a home-poured candle is to match or surpass that kind of quality. In my opinion, you will not find that quality at a hobby store. For this you will need to venture into the big leagues.

One of the best candle supply companies out there is called The Candlemakers Store. Throughout this tutorial, I will be referring to the Candlemakers Store and their high quality products. I promise when you smell their Pumpkin Pie Fragrance Oil, you will think you have died and gone to heaven! They have more scents than you can possibly imagine, and they also stock everything you will need to get started on this adventure.

Basic Supplies you will need:

1) A warming surface such as a hot plate or an old fry daddy. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO MAKE CANDLES ON YOUR STOVE! (I use a Fry Daddy.)

2) A pouring pot. You can buy these from a candle supplier or craft store. Essentially what you want is a clean metal pitcher that can be wiped free of  the wax when you are finished. Note that after you have made candles in this (or the Fry Daddy) it is notsafe to eat or drink from it anymore.

3) A large long- handled metal spoon. I found a great one at the Dollar Store.

4) A digital scale. This particular item changed everything about making candles for me. Remember, I.measure.everything. and this is no exception. If I am going to light something on fire, I do not want to leave anything to chance!

5) High Quality Candle Fragrances.

6) Candle wax that is suitable to the type of candle you want to make. In this tutorial, we are only covering container candles, such as are pictured. You will want to find a low-shrink wax, in either soy or paraffin. Use the links I have provided to decide which wax is best for you. If you want more specifics, please leave me a comment (with an email address) so I can answer your questions….or you can go directly to The Candlemakers Store and ask for help. Their customer service is great!

7) Candle Wicks. I recommend using pre-tabbed and waxed CD wicks if you are using wicks.

8) A glue gun. You can use a glue gun to attach the wick to the bottom of the candle jar. Or, you can purchase wickstickers

9) Jars. For the beginning candle maker, I would recommend just going out and buying some tempered glass canning jars such as a Ball jar. They come with lids too, so you will be all set.

10) A 6 pack-size cooler…or similar arrangement. Wax dries with a nicer finish if it is allowed to cool slowly, so you will use this to insulate the warm candle and make sure it hardens very slowly.

11) Some bamboo BBQ skewers. These can be found at the dollar store. You will need approximately one skewer per candle. I will show you how to use these later.

12) It is VERY important for safety reasons that you use an accurate thermometer. I use a calibrated candy thermometer. 

13) High Quality Candle Dye. I have always preferred liquid dye, but it also comes in solids. Dye is optional. Some candle brands are now making dye-free candles.

14) Paper Towels

Most of the supplies I listed are not very expensive…some of them may be things you have around your house.




If you prefer to make jar candles 
that do not use a wick 
(for use in a candle warmer),
 just skip this next section on wicks. 

Wicking the Jars

This candle has too much wax left unused.

No, I didn't make it. It's from Wal-Mart.

It was cheap,

and it smells great,

but I would not be pleased if I had made this.

I highly recommend you use the same jar size for all the candles you make. That way, you will only have to do one test candle to make sure you have the proper wick to fit the jar.

Testing is when you pour a candle, let it dry and cure, then burn it to test to make sure the wick burns the wax properly… you should not have a large accumulation of unmelted wax around the rim of the glass…but you should also not have a wick that immediately melts the wax all the way to the edges and then smokes and soots. We are looking for a happy medium.

Here is one of my candles that was made in a 16 oz jelly jar. 

There is a very minor amount of soot on the jar. It has also burned very evenly across the surface of the wax.

This is the goal.

See how much Blogger loves me?

It refuses to turn this photo even though it was CLEARLY taken upright.

*sigh*

This is a quality control issue (who wants soot on their walls?) but also a safety issue. When wax melts too fast, it is because the wick is too big for the jar, and burning too hot. If the wick begins to lean over and heat the glass unevenly, there is a potential for a crack, or even an explosion of glass.

If you begin making candles by using a candlemaking starter kit, such as this one sold by The Candlemakers Store, you will not need to do the testing because they have done it for you! The kit comes with the correct wax and wick for the jars in the kit.

Once you have your pre-tabbed wicks, you are going to need something to make that wick stick to the bottom of the jar. You can use wickstickers, or a simple glue gun to accomplish this. Just place the wicksticker or glue dot on the bottom of the wick and then, centering it, press it into the bottom of the jar.

Here's a tip: I take a regular ink pen, like this one, and pull it apart so that I have separated the ink barrel portion and the tube portion . The tube piece will look like a straw. You can slip this down over the top of the wick to give you a way to press the wick down into the bottom of the jar.

Next, grab your bamboo skewer and break it in half. Bind each end with a rubber band or tape. This can now be used as a “wick clip”, which is a way to hold the top of the wick centered. When the hot wax surrounds that wick, it tends to sag and sway, so it is important to keep it centered and straight in order for the user to get a nice, even burn. Make sense?

Set your jars in a warm place, so that they are not frosty cold when you pour the wax in. 

Room temperature should be fine.

Now, let's get pouring!

For any wax you buy, you will want to find out the melting point, the ideal pouring temperature, and the flash point (at what temperature it will combust.) Once you know this, weigh out the amount of wax you would like to melt, for example, 1 lb. Put it directly into the Fry Daddy or melting pot on an electric hot plate. Set your Fry Daddy or hot plate to a little above the ideal pouring temperature and keep an eye on your thermometer. Allow the wax to melt completely, but do not allow it to become too hot, to boil, or to smoke. If any of those things happen, safely remove it from the heat or turn off the heating element and allow the wax to cool before proceeding. (Always keep a chemical fire extinguisher nearby.)

When you have achieved a temperature about 5 degrees above the ideal pouring temperature, add in your measured amount of Fragrance Oil. (If you are using a Fry Daddy, I recommend you do NOT add scents or dye in this container. Pour it into the Pour Pot and mix there...it is easier to wipe out so that you can make a different scent next time.) 


You can measure the oil, by purchasing pre-measured 1 or 2 oz bottles or by using your digital scale, if you have one. Follow the manufacturers guide as to how much oil the wax can hold. For example, when I make paraffin container candles, I use a wax which takes 1oz-1.5 oz of fragrance oil per pound of wax. (Get out those calculators!) My rule when adding fragrance oil, is to err on the side of conservatism. Less is more when we are lighting things on fire. 

Are you seeing a theme here?

Stir the fragrance oil in well. Most oils blend perfectly, almost immediately. But other, heavier oils, such as some vanillas, are more reluctant to combine. For the novice candlemaker, I recommend avoiding those more difficult oils on your first time around. 

Once the fragrance oil is combined well, add in the amount of dye you would like, per manufacturer instructions. Some dyes do have a nasty odor, so go lightly and you can always add more. After stirring the dye into the scented wax, take your spoon out of the pot and set it on a white paper towel. As the wax begins to harden on the towel, you will be able to see the color of the wax and determine if you need more dye.

Note: Wax-covered paper toweling is a reality in candlemaking. It seems like a lot of waste, but do not despair! These waxy paper towels make great firestarters! Just pop one in the fireplace among the kindling when you are starting a fire. It lights easily and will help get that kindling going with much less effort than matches. Also, it smells great!

Once you are satisfied with the color, slowly pour the wax into the jar. You will need to read the instructions that come with your wax to determine if you are supposed to fill the jar all the way up, or only halfway at a time. Most waxes available today do not shrink much, which means you may be able to fill the jar all the way up. I recommend using a low-shrink wax for a beginning candlemaker because it's just easier. 

However, if the directions call for you to NOT fill the jar all the way, or if you find that after the wax hardens it has shrunk back too much, just reheat some of the leftover wax in the bottom of the pour pot (pictured) and pour it on top of the hardened wax to even out the surface.


If you have any questions about this process, you can contact me, or your supplier. There is also a lot of information available on the internet...but you knew that!






Set the warm jars inside a small cooler or other insulated surface to slow down the cooling process and reduce shrinkage. I often allow my candles to cool overnight. In the morning, I will remove the wick clips, trim the wicks to 1/4" and put a lid on top to preserve the scent. 

There are so many ways to dress up a candle, with ribbon, fabric, or labels.

Use your imagination!

***THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

The Candlemakers Store has generously offered to send a free candlemaking starter kit to one Ain't She Crazy reader!

Here's how you can enter:

MANDATORY-- Go to The Candlemakers Store website and look around. Come back here and leave a comment telling me which of their amazing candle scents you'd most like to try.

Bonus Entries:

leave a separate comment for each entry, so you  can get extra entries!

1) Leave me a second comment with a question you have about handmade candles or candlemaking.

2) "Like" The Candlemakers Store on Facebook and leave me a comment here telling me you did.

3) Follow Ain't She Crazy! on Facebook and leave me a wall post saying "hi", OR leave me a wall post telling me that you already follow me, then come back here and let me know that you did!

4) Follow Ain't She Crazy! on Networked Blogs leave me a comment here telling me you did.

I will choose the winner, using random.org. 

Contest ends Monday, November 22, 2010 at midnight.

disclaimer: after writing and re-writing this post after "the big crash", I am pretty tired. I want to apologize for any errors in grammar or typing, as I am sure I missed some in my proofing. ;)

***FTC COMPLIANCE: I was not compensated for writing this post, but The Candlemaker's Store agreed to send one FREE candlemaking kit to the winner of my giveaway. My opinions about their products and services are based on my past experience as their customer.