Centuries ago, candles only served as a major source of light, but that is no longer the case today. Candles are now deployed in interior décor, romantic displays, and as scenting agents. However, they can be quite expensive, and the only way to circumvent this difficulty is to make your own candles at home. You can easily design your own home-made candles with absolutely zero stress, little spending, simple materials, and without the need of much technical know-how. This article will guide you through very simple steps on how to make your own candles at home.
What materials do you need to make candles at home?
Image Source: Candle Making Supplies.com
You can exercise a lot of flexibility in the materials you decide to use in making your candles. For example, if fragrance isn’t much of your thing, you can easily skip using it. Soy wax is the healthiest base substance for candles, so it is advisable for you to use it. You can however, decide to use paraffin wax. Your choice.
Here are the basic materials for home-made candles:
- Candle-making soy wax
- Candle wicks
- Heat source (electric stove, hot plate)
- Essential oils for scent (optional)
- Pencils
- Heat-proof container (pot or saucepan)
- Thermometer
- Candle mold container
Instructions on how to make candles at home
Step One: Clear out your workspace and make sure there are no unnecessary items lying around. Of course, it should be a flat surface large enough to house the materials you will be using for your candle-making exercise.
Step Two: Chop or grate the wax. The smaller the wax particles, the quicker they melt.
Step Three: Fill up your container with wax and double that amount. When you melt it, the total volume will be just what you need.
Step Four: It is time to melt your wax. Set up your electric stove or hot plate, pour the wax into the heat-proof container (pot or saucepan), and place it on the heat source for the wax to melt. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature and ensure it doesn’t exceed 90°C.
Step Five: After totally melting the wax, add your fragrance oils or coloring agents (chopped crayons or powder). 12ml of fragrance oils should do the trick for 100ml-sized candles. This is a totally optional step, but we recommend it to give you a unique and exquisite candle finish.
Pro Tips: Swiftly carry out this step while the wax is still molten and hot, preferably over the heat. Don’t forget to stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure even distribution of the coloring and scenting agents added.
Step Six: The wick has to be in a horizontal position at the bottom of the mold before you pour in the wax. There are two ways to go about this. The first method is to tie the wick around a pencil, and allow the pencil to sit horizontally above the mold, while the wick stands vertically in the mold. The second method is to dip the bottom of the wick in the molten wax, and attach it to the bottom of your mold. Let it sit in that position for about 5 minutes to ensure proper fixing. You can also use superglue to attach the wick.
