Getting started with Candle Making

Here at Creative Hobby Supplies we stock a range of supplies and kits for making your own candles. If you want to have a go but aren't sure where to start then this little guide is for you! We also stock a booklet 'The Basics of Candlemaking' A guide for beginners, which goes into more detail.

Supplies:
Wax - We stock both Paraffin and Soy wax. Both can be used to create your own candles. Soy wax is a softer wax and has a lower melting point than paraffin. Our soy wax is a container blend so can only be used if you are making candles in a container such as teacup candles. Paraffin wax needs to have Stearin added to it at the point of melting, normally at 10% stearin to wax. Stearin is added to the wax to help it harden, increase the depth of colour, reduce dripping and improve burning. If you are using a rubber mould then do not use stearin, Vybar must be added instead at 2% because stearin would rot the rubber mould.

Wick - This is available at different sizes depending on the diameter of your mould. So if your mould measures 64mm diameter then you use a 64mm wick!

Moulds - We stock a range of rigid plastic moulds that can be used along with the paraffin wax. You can also use containers such as teacups to make container candles.

Colour - We have a whole range of coloured dye blocks. These are concentrated dye which will colour your candles. Use a little at a time until you have achieved the desired colour. It's not easy to see what the colour will be like while the wax is still liquid so a little tip is so drop a little of the wax onto some white paper, once hardened you will be able to see the finished result.

Fragrance - Candle fragrance is available in both solid and liquid form. We only stock the solid fragrance for ease of display. To use this simple add in small amounts to your liquid wax. Our solid fragrance blocks are marked into 8 sections, the manufacturers guide is 1/8th strip of the block to 900g wax. This can be increased to suit your own requirements. Suitable in both paraffin and soy wax. 

Useful tips

A super simple way to work out how much wax you need for your container is to fill the container with water. Pour this into a measuring jug, however many mls of water fit into the container is approx how many grames of wax you need to use!

If using soy wax you can melt this in a plastic jug in the microwave. Melt on 30second - 1 minute bursts to insure you do not over do it! Let the wax cool a little before pouring.

When you add the colour and fragrance ensure that you thoroughly stir the wax to ensure that it is distributed throughout the wax evenly.

Paraffin wax needs to be melted in a double boiler. Simply use 2 old saucepans, fill the larger one with water and put the smaller one on top with the wax inside. Never melt wax directly on the heat source as it is highly flammable!

Always cut your wick to longer than is needed. When using a plastic mould thread through the bottom and knot it (this will become the top), make sure you leave about 25mm protruding. Seal the hole with some mould seal. Using a wick stick across the open end of the mould tie the wick to it so that is it straight but not too tight. You are now ready to pour your wax.

When making a container candle you will need some metal wick sustainers/holders and ideally pre waxed wick. You can make your own waxed wick by dipping the wick in some molton wax and then leaving to dry on some greaseproof paper.
Sustainers are used to secure the wick in the bottom of candle moulds and glasses where there is no wicking hole. Use with small to medium size wicks and crimp the neck closed with small pliers to hold the wick firmly. The sustainer can be secured centrally in the bottom of your mould using glue dots or a glue gun.

You may find that the wax dips and cracks in the middle. This is simply because wax shrinks as it cools. This isn't a problem you can simply keep a little extra wax by and repour a layer on the top or if you have a heat gun then you can simply give the top of the wax a quick blast which will sort it out! 

If you decide to use liquid fragrance in your candles then the suggested rate is 5-8% of the total amount of wax.

We also stock 2 candle making kits, a basic kit and an ultimate kit. They can be found on the website here.

I hope that this has given you a little look into candle making and has answered some questions or given you the push to give it a go. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask and I will answer if I am able. 

Happy Candle Making!

~ Maxine