How to Make Your Own Candles

Making your own candles at home can be an inexpensive, enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. The art of candle making offers many options and you’re only limited by your imagination.

What you’ll need:

Although there are literally hundreds of products you can purchase to make a wide variety of candles styles, we’ll begin with a basic candle, and you can build your expertise from there.

1. WAX. A good, general all-purpose wax is plain old Paraffin Wax, often found in the canning section of your local grocery store and also available in craft and hardware stores.
2. SCENT: Herbs, cooking ingredients like Peppermint and Vanilla and spices work well.
3. COLOR: Food coloring, inks or dyes.
4. WICK: You’ll need something to insert into the candle that will allow it to burn. You can purchase wicks from any craft store or make your own by dipping cords or heavy string into warm wax and allowing to dry on a sheet of wax paper.
5. MOLD: This is what you will pour the hot wax into. Do you want your candle to be free standing or sit in a decorative container? Cans, glass and hard plastics work great for simple molds.
6. WAX CARRIER: A wax carrier is what you will use to heat the wax in as it melts. A double boiler is excellent, but you can use a saucepan filled with water as an alternative, placing the actual wax into an old coffee tin and then into the water for heating.
7. ADDITIVES: Though not necessary, you can add things to your wax for decorative purposes. Leaves, herbs, plastics and even jewelry can add pizazz to your creation.
8. THERMOMETER: A candy thermometer will be fine.
9. MOLD RELEASE: You’ll need this to ensure that you can safely remove the hard wax from your mold without damaging your candle. Silicone spray, peanut oil or cooking spray oil will all work.
10. PENCILS/DOWELS: You’ll need one of these for each candle you’re constructing as a wick holder.
11. WOODEN SPOON: For stirring wax.
12. WICK CUTTER: Scissors work great.

Once you have your supplies in order, create a working space that will allow you to heat and transport warm or hot wax without too much difficulty. It’s good to clear off a fairly large amount of counter or table space so that your containers and candles can sit freely, without fear of tipping or being knocked over.