Candle Making..Homemade Candles

Simple Instructions for Candle Making

Always use safety precautions when making candles

Handmade candles make wonderful and thoughtful gifts. Your friends and family will appreciate the time you take to create a special gift just for them in mind.

Below you will find everything you will need to create your own candles.

Supplies you will need for candle making:

• Double boiler
• Pour Pot (Pyrex measuring cup or a coffee can)
• Thermometer (don't use a regular household thermometer, a candy thermometer will work)
• 139-145mp paraffin wax
• Stearic Acid
• Wick (type of wick depends on size of mold)
• Color block or liquid dye
• Candle making mold
• Mold seal (plumbers putty will work)
• Vybar
• Fragrance oil
• Always use safety precautions

Step 1

Put your wax into pour pot.

First you will need to figure how much wax you should use for candle making by filling your mold with water, measure how much water it held, then add 3 ounces of wax per each 31/2 ounces of water.

Add a couple inches of water to your boiler. Place your pouring pot with wax into boiling water. Turn heat source down to let water simmer, you don't want to allow any water to splash into your wax. Replace water in boiling pot as needed, you never want pot to boil dry. Use your thermometer to keep check on the temperature of your wax, never allow thermometer to touch bottom of pan. You are aiming for 175-180 degrees.

Step 2

Insert the wick through the small hole at the top of the mold and pull it all the way through.

Secure the wick by wrapping around a pencil, toothpick or wick support, at the bottom end, and fill the small hole with plumbers putty, press the sealer firmly in place to prevent the wax from leaking out.

Step 3

If you are using additives add them when wax reaches 175-180 degrees.3 TBS stearic acid and 1/2 tsp vybar to 1lb wax, therefore if you are using an 8 oz mold you should use 1.5 TBS vybar and 1/4 tsp vybar. After your additives have completely dissolved, add your color. Remember it will be best to start off with a little color and keep adding a little at a time until you reach your desired color.

Next add your fragrance oil. 1 ounce oil to 1lb wax, stir gently for about 2 minutes, or until everything is dissolved.

Step 4

You might want to heat a metal mold before filling with wax. You can do this by placing in oven on a low setting for short amount of time.Then use your pouring pot to pour wax into your mold. Save some of this wax for a re-pour in a later step. Tap sides of mold several times, as the wax sets, to release any air bubbles.

Step 5

When the wax reaches a tacky consistency, you will need to poke a few holes in the candle, these holes should be about 1 inch less the depth of the candle. You may need to poke holes several times during the cooling process. Cool to room temp.

Step 6

As the wax cools it will shrink, so this is when you need to use the wax you saved earlier. You will need to re-heat this wax, then pour, to just below the level of your first pour.

Step 7

You might need to even out the bottom to make it smooth, to do this you will need to place your candle on a cookie sheet, then place on top of a pot of boiling water.

You have successfully made your first candle. Now Enjoy!(tip) You might want to wait a day or two before lighting, to allow the scent to set, but if you just can't wait, go ahead and light it.

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