My candle making tips
I’ve recently gotten into candle making and have really been enjoying it. Not maybe for the typical reasons you’d think. Most fragrances make my nose itch, so I have never worn perfume or used traditionally scented candles. The naturally scented beeswax candles I like are 8 oz and $39.50. While I enjoy the scents, I don’t often care if my candles have a scent, I’d love to have more beautiful containers and try something new that could be a lower cost too. I’ll spend all my money on skincare, but not so much on candles. Hey, we all have our things!
Another reason
I’ve been getting into circadian rhythm/light biology and with having a 2 month, old some days she will be up before the sunrise since that’s currently not until 7:15. Before or after sunrise I am learning (follow Sarah Kliner and Josh and Jeanne for more info) you shouldn’t be looking at your phone (blue light), using overhead lights etc. Ideally it would be candles, low light/LUX. Especially in the winter when we have such early sunsets, I really enjoy the ambiance of candles. I’ve always liked more dimly lit spaces in general. Wonder why I love a cozy spa room?!
Supplies and Tips
This is a list of the supplies I have used to far. My first candle was 100% beeswax. Since they I have done about 30/70 tallow and beeswax. Ideally 50/50 according to a friend who gave me some tips, but I can’t find my food scale yet. Tallow is for candles and other things, not your skin. But that’s for another post.
Beeswax – I got 5 lbs. Next time I will likely order from here, Etsy or a local beekeeper. I chose pellets vs a block. It would take a lot longer time with a block to melt and not burn.
Tallow – This 7 lb. bucket is not as huge as you think. You can also cook with it, but please don’t use it on your skin! At least definitely not the face.
Thick hemp wicks – I wanted to try a hemp wick.
Double boiler – I got lucky and found one for $6 at the thrift store. My friend who gave me candle making tips said that the double boiler and any tools you use are best to keep reserved for candle making as it’s hard to remove all the wax and get them clean. This was a VERY helpful tip! If you want to use a pot you have and make it into a double boiler you can get this.
Wick holder – so far have just used popsicle sticks and clothes pins to hold the wick in place when I pour the candle. Because of the heat the beeswax on the wick softens and could fall in your candle if you don’t have something to hold it up.
I get crystal dishes from the thrift store for all my candles so far. If I was going to purchase online, I want to try these. If you want something more simple you can use a simple glass bowl or wide mouth mason jar.
For scents, I am trying out some essential oil blends that I read about here. I have lots of essential oils from years ago. In the future if I continue scenting candles, I’ll buy from here.
The process
Candle making seems so complicated, but I have found it to be pretty easy!
First 1 wick can cover about 3.5 inches of candle. If your candle is larger than 3.5-4 inches, you’ll need multiple wicks. Wicks should be 1.5 inches apart, and 1.5 inches from the container sides.
- Gather all of your supplies. Put a couple inches of water in your lower pot and place the double boiler/upper pot on top.
2. Weigh or measure your beeswax and tallow. So far I haven’t had my food scale to weigh, so I have done 1.5 cups beeswax pellets and 3/4 cup tallow. I’ve gotten lucky my measurements have fit my containers perfectly.
3. On low-medium heat (the goal is to not burn your wax) start heating your beeswax and tallow. Stir occasionally. The warmer you have the heat, the more you’ll need to watch it. This takes about 15 min to totally melt for my 1.5 cups/3/4 cup ratio.
4. During this time is when I setup my clean dishes I want to pour into. Place the wick sticker inside. Sometimes depending on the candle size you want want 2 or 3 wick for even melting. Then put your pick inside the metal base piece and stick it to the wick sticker. Cut your wick longer than you desire so your clothespins have something to grab onto. So far I have cut mine long enough that if it did fall over, it would still reach out the container hopefully, and not in.
5. When it reaches 180 degrees, that’s when you add your scent if desired. Stir for a minute or two. You don’t want to go too much about 180 degrees so I often turn the heat all the way down now.
6. Then you want to cool your wax some before pouring. Down to 140 degrees. I move both pots off of the burner. I remove the upper pot to let out some steam, then just wait. Don’t set the upper pot somewhere else. When I tried that, the bottom almost instantly started to harden in the pot because it cools down too fast.
7. When it reaches 140 degrees, you can now pour your candle! Pour into a clean glass container with your candle sticker, wick holder and wick(s) held in place. I pour mine on a baking sheet so nothing would get on my counter if I had a spill.
8. Leave your candle alone to cool. I have moved mine the next day, but everything I have read says wait 7-10 days before lighting for the best burn.
9. Trim your wick(s) to 1/4 inch. I learned my lesson the hard way the first time leaving mine too long!
Post candle making – I wipe off my stirring spoon and thermometer. My double boiler if I added scent I may need to warm again and wipe clean as best I can. Then when cooled I put it in a plastic bad for the next use. Same with my spoon.
Now you know how to make a candle! I hope you to try it out, and please let me know if you do.
