How To Make Soy Candles

From the time I discovered soy candles, I liked them much better than the old paraffin ones.  Paraffin candles leave their container black as they burn, but soy candles don't.   That alone makes me feel better about burning soy candles over paraffin ones.  But candles can get expensive.  You can make your own for much less.

I've seen soy candles anywhere from $15 to $20 and up.  It'll cost $4 to $5 each for the 8 oz. candles I made here.  

What you'll need:

1.  Some kind of jar.   Ball jars come in many different sizes and can be bought at the supermarket, but you can pour the wax in any container you want, as long as it's not flammable.  I used 8 oz. jelly jars that are less that $10 for a dozen of them.  

  

2.  Soy wax:  I bought a 10 lb. bag on Amazon for around $22.

3.  Wicks:  I found a good deal for a whole spool at http://www.candlesandsupplies.net The CD-18 wick is what I used.  A 100' roll was $12.49   If you buy the roll, you'll have to get the wick tabs and wick stickers, both of which you can get on amazon.  They also have 6" wicks with the metal tab already on one end.  In this case, you just need wick stickers (from Amazon), which are really just double-sided stickers that hold the wick to the bottom of the jar.  The pre-tabbed CD-18 wicks should be good if you're making smaller candles that are less that 6 inches high.

4.  Fragrance and color:  www.Candlescience.com has a lot of fragrances and they give you a rating on how well the scent "throws," or is released into the air from the candle.  Be sure to get only scents intended for candles.  You'll need 1 to 2 ounces of fragrance per 1 lb. of wax used.  I prefer to use 2 ounces, maybe a little more if you want a really strongly scented candle.  There is some trial and error involved here.  You just have to experiment and see what works well.  If you burn the candle and it isn't strong enough, you CAN re-melt it and add some more fragrance.  You don't have to waste it.

I don't use colorants.  I like the color of the soy wax itself and it looks cleaner.

5. A Scale to weigh out your wax and a tablespoon to measure your fragrance.

6.  A large pot to boil water in and a smaller pot that can fit inside that pot.  The smaller pot will hold your wax.  They sell pour pots, which are metal pots that have a spout in which to melt your wax. They cost about $10, but you don't need one, it's just easier to pour.  You can get that on Amazon as well.

7.  A piece or cardboard to hold the wick in center.


I've made a video that I hope will explain the candle making process better.

I Hope you have fun making your own candles.  You can design and print your own labels using your computer for a nice touch.  They make great gifts.

Thanks for visiting Hobby ADD.