How to Make Candles at Home – A Beginner’s Guide

We all love to decorate our homes with candles, don’t we? Glowing candles add warmth and beauty to our living space. But the problem is that they don’t last forever and are a bit pricey. Some really beautiful candles can be really expensive, which is why you may not buy them. But if you want to adorn your home with candles, you can always make them at home. It will be a bit overwhelming if you aren’t familiar with the process of candlemaking, but you will learn soon enough.

How to Make Candles at Home

Candles allow you to add beauty to your home and can also make lovely gifts for your loved ones. The process of making candles is simple, and it is something that will take you only a few hours to do. If you are ready to start on your candle making journey, here is how you can go about it:

Materials Needed

You will need to invest in a few things, after which you will be able to make many candles.

• The first thing you will need it is wax, of course! There are a few types to choose from, so you should get familiar with the different types. Beeswax is the most expensive. It has a naturally sweet scent, but it is not considered to be a good wax for making scented candles, as the other fragrances do not mix well with its natural scent.
• Paraffin is the traditional wax that is used to make candles. It is made from petroleum by-products, which makes it toxic, a concern to many. But paraffin wax is cheap and can take gold colours and scents quite easily. Soy wax is also being used nowadays for making candles. Most often, it is made with the oil from soybean, but it is sometimes mixed with other types of waxes. If you are using an 8-ounce mason jar, use half a pound of wax.
• Wicks are the next essential component required for making candles. Consider the width of a wich before buying. It is best to get the larger ones and trim them down to size rather than get a small one and have it not work properly.
• Essential oils for fragrance and colours. Candle fragrances have a special formula that makes the wax to hold onto the scent better.
• The next thing you will need is a double boiler. If you do not have one, you can boil water in a large pot and place another bowl containing the necessary ingredients in it.
• You will also need a container to hold the wax. They can be anything from old coffee mugs to mason jars.
• Spatula
• A pen

Step By Step Process

Follow these steps and make your own candles with ease

1. Prepare the Work Area 

Since working with wax can get a little messy, so it is best to cover the work area with newspapers. Keep some paper towels handy. Designate a space to place your spatula when you are not using it as it will be covered in sticky wax, so you don’t want to be leaving it lying around.

2. Melt the Wax 

Using the double-boiling method, melt the wax. Stir with the spatula to break the bigger chunks. The temperature needs to be anywhere between 160 to 170 degrees; make sure it doesn’t go any higher. If it does, take it off the heat immediately.

3. Stick the Wick 

Stick one end of the wick to the bottom of the container. You can use super glue, or you can stick the metal tab of the wick to the bottom by first dipping it in the melting wax and very quickly sticking it to the bottom of the container. When the wax hardens, it will be stuck to the bottom of the container.

4. Add Fragrance Oils

Once you have a nice pot of melted wax, add the fragrance oils if you are making scented candles. If you have managed to get candle fragrance, follow the instructions that come with it. Usually, one ounce is enough for one pound of wax.

5. Cool and Pour 

Take it off the heat and wait for your wax to reach about 130-140 degrees before pouring it into the desired container. Make sure to hold onto the wick so that it remains straight, but do not pull too hard and loosen the adherence that you made to get it to stick.

6. Secure the Wick 

If the wick is not centred properly, it will not burn well. This means you need to make sure that the wick does not slide around while the wax is cooling. The trick is to use a pen to keep it in place. Just tie the end of the wick around the pen and lay it across the mouth of the container. This will keep the wick straight and steady.

7. Top Off 

Let the wax completely cool and observe; you will notice that there will be a sinkhole right in the middle. You can now use the appropriate amount of wax to top it off. This can be done by reheating the wax and pouring it in. Be careful with the amount as too much of hot wax will simply cause another sinkhole.

8. Trim Wick 

Only a quarter of an inch of the wick should be left above the surface of the wax, so be careful to measure while you cut. If you leave the wick too long, it tends to burn too hot and then burns out.

9. Clean Up 

Since you set up your workspace, you do not need to worry about the wax getting on any of your kitchen counters or furniture. But you will have to clean the dishes used to make it in and the spatula used for stirring. Do not try to pour the wax down the drain as it will clog once hardened. Wipe the wax out of the dishes while it is still warm with a rag or a paper towel. If the wax has already hardened, it can simply be scraped off.

Variations in Candles

After you have got the hang of making a simple candle, or even if you want to get creative right away, here are some additional ideas for you while making your candles:

1. Colourful Candles

Get some wax crayons and break them into little pieces. Add them to the melting wax so that they can melt and blend in together.

2. See-through Candles

You can create a cool see-through candle by making a gel candle. Take something like a ring or a toy and keep it at the bottom of the container before you pour in the hot wax. By using gel, you will be able to see the treasure through the body of the candle.

3. Floral Candles

Floral candles look elegant and pretty. Just take some flower petals and stick them to the inside of the see-through jar you will be using as a container. Use fragrance oils that match the petals while prepping the wax and then pour the hot oil into the container. Mix and match different coloured petals if you want the candle to look more colourful and lively.

Making candles is not that hard. It is a good way to get creative and make something to decorate your home. You can also gift homemade candles to your close ones; they will appreciate the gift. Follow the method mentioned above to make candles at home.

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