Learning how to make candles at home can be a lot of fun, and a good family project, although if you are having to heat wax, an adult must do this, as it does get extremely hot. However, if you are making beeswax candles, which basically means that you roll half a sheet of bees wax around a candle wick, then any age can do this as there is no heating of wax involved.
Let’s assume you are going to be more creative, and color and scent your own candles, then you will need:
- double boiler, or a coffee can placed inside a pan which is half filled with water
- candy thermometer
- paraffin wax, cut into chips to speed the melting process
- pre-tabbed wicks
- essential oils or scented oils
- food coloring
Once you have gathered your supplies together then:
1. Place the paraffin wax chips into the top of the double boiler, or coffee can, and heat the water in the lower pan so that it boils.
2. Check the temperature of the melting wax. It needs to be about 160 degrees.
3. While the wax chips are melting, you can be gently warming the candle jar in the oven on its lowest setting. This will help the wax to stick to the glass a little better.
4. Slowly add the essential oils or the scented oils to the hot wax, and mix thoroughly.
5. Add the food colouring – just a little at a time, and again stir thoroughly.
6. Carefully remove the candle jar from the oven, and place the wick in the center of the jar, with the metal tag in the center at the bottom of the jar.
7. Now even more carefully, pour most of the melted wax into the jar, keeping the wick in the center. As the wax cools, the wax in the center will drop a little, so save some wax so that you can pour it in to level it off later.
8. Let the candle wax cool, may be even as long as 6 hours, and at this time reheat the remaining wax, and pour it in the dip at the center to level the candle, letting the wax just spread to the sides of the jar.
9.Once this layer has cooled sufficiently, trim the candle wick so it is about 1/4″ high.
10. Your candle making is complete, so you can light it whenever you choose.
Above is the basic method of how to make candles at home, but obviously there are variations, depending on the type of wax or gel you use, and you can make candles to your own choice of color and scent. But knowing these basics, you can then go on to make other candles at home, experimenting with different wax or gel, using essential oils or scent oils, and varying the colors. Your creativity can go to work, and you can produce some interesting candle shapes for your friends and family, perhaps making pillar candles, or tin candles, depending on the container you use to pour the wax into. There is a lot you can do to make unique candles when you make candles at home.
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