It’s amazing to think there was a time when candles weren’t just used to fill your room with a lovely aroma, but were actually quite necessary to light your home once the sun went down. The art of candle making was a quintessential part of our homesteading past for this very reason. These days, making candles may not hold the same necessity, but is still a creative way to produce a useful and therapeutic tool. The ingredients and instructions below are meant to make a 100% organic candle, but the process can work for a wide range of ingredients.
Before getting started, you’ll need to assemble your supplies:
- Organic Soy Wax
- Container for Candle OR Candle Mold
- Natural Fiber Wick (Use a metal base if making a container candle)
- Clothespin or Pencil (for wick placement)
- Double Boiler (Small saucepan and pouring pot)
- Wax Thermometer
- Essential Oil for Aroma (Optional)
- Natural Dye for Color (Optional)
- Embellishments (Optional)
I’ve added a few notes on the supplies listed above to further clarify each item and provide alternative options:
Wax
Though there are many options to use for wax, I like using soy wax over paraffin wax because 100% vegan and easy to produce. It also has a nice, clean, white color making it a great canvas. Other wax options include beeswax, paraffin and gel wax. Using a different wax shouldn’t change the process or other ingredients. The amount of wax you will need is completely dependent on the size of container you use. Ill talk about containers below.
Natural Fiber Wick
These can be found at any hobby store. Though some synthetic options exist, I like using natural fiber to keep in line with our organic candle. You also have the option to use wood wicks, which look like thin flat reeds. They provide a great amount of light along with a nice crackling sound. It’s like having an indoor campfire.
Candle Container or Mold
The fun thing about making candles is you can make them out of so many things! Of course, you want to make sure your container can handle the heat of the candle (don’t use very thin glass or cheap plastic), but there are so many different options! Sometimes I like to just wander around Goodwill looking at different glasses/pottery for sale. Candle molds are also easy to find at hobby stores or online. Generally, they sit upside down and provide a hole in the bottom for the wick to go through. You can spray them first to make the candle pop out more easily, but I honestly don’t think that’s necessary. I find candles pop out just fine on their own.
Double Boiler
This may seem intimidating but it’s really quite simple. That said, just know that once you use an item for candle making, it is now ONLY to be used for candles because it’s exceedingly difficult to completely remove wax from a surface. I have a small saucepan and pouring pot that are dedicated to nothing but candles and other wax products like salves. Saucepans are obviously easy to find, but pouring pots can be found at hobby stores or online. To use a double boiler, fill the saucepan about ¼ of the way full with water. Then place the pouring pot into the center of the saucepan. This will create a ring of water around the pouring pot. Then turn on the stove to medium/low heat and allow the water to simmer. You want to make sure that the water does not come up to the top of the saucepan when it starts to simmer. If it does, reduce the heat or pour out a bit of the water.
Wax Thermometer
This is especially important!! Why? Because if you add your dyes and scents to the wax at too high a temperature, it will burn them off, leaving your candle with no smell or pretty color. You can use any type of cooking thermometer for this. I prefer a digital readout to ensure I know exactly the temp of the wax. As mentioned before, once you use a thermometer for melted wax, it is now ONLY used for wax.
Aroma/Color/Embellishments
I put these together because they are all optional. You can find plenty of different options for these items at a hobby store, or get creative and use different things from around your house.
–Aroma: I love using essential oils for the candle’s aroma because I can create my own unique blends of naturally derived scents. You could also use up old perfume or cologne, or purchase scents specifically made for candle making.
–Color: There are plenty of candle dyes available, but you can create color through items like processed flower petals or old makeup. Sometimes adding no dye at all looks good too.
–Embellishment: This is a physical item that is added to the candle to enhance its appearance. For example, you can add shells to the bottom of your glass container before adding blue, gel wax to make your candle look like the ocean, or add dried, crushed rose petals to the top rim of your candle to make it look a luxurious spa candle. Get creative!
Process
Phew, I know that was a lot of information, but it will come together quite beautifully.
- Heat your double boiler on the stove to medium/low heat and add your desired amount of wax. It will take a couple minutes for the wax to melt completely. You can stir the wax around with a wooden stick (chopsticks or clean twigs from outside will do) or just swirl the pouring pot with your hand (my preferred method).
2. Using your thermometer, heat the wax until it hits about 150 degrees. This will ensure that the wax has melted and mixed thoroughly before moving onto the next step.
3. Once your wax has hit 150 degrees, give it a good stir or swirl, and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Monitor the wax until it has cooled to 130 degrees, then add your fragrance and color dye. The amount added will completely depend on how strong you want the aroma and color. You can always add more, so start conservatively and continue to add little by little. Whatever the melted wax smells like is how your candle will smell while it’s burning.
5. When you’re happy with your wax, very slowly pour it into your container. You have the option to add the wick to the container first, but it never stays exactly in place, so I tend to just add after I’ve poured the wax. Use your clothespin to secure the wick in the middle of the candle, with the metal base of the wick resting on the bottom of the container.
6. If using a candle mold, you absolutely need to put the wick into your mold before pouring your wax. Make sure the wick comes well through the opening at the bottom, and up through the hole in the top. You can wrap the wick at the top around a pencil or chopstick to hold it in the center of your candle.
7. If you’re adding embellishments to the top of your container candle, wait until the wax is cool enough to see a light ring of hardened wax around the perimeter. You can then slowly drop your embellishments into place. They might sink slightly but should stay close to the surface. If they drop well below the surface, wait another minute or two before adding more. Avoid messing with the embellishments once you’ve placed them, it could disturb the wax finished surface.
8. Allow at least 4 hours for the candle to fully harden before cutting the wick or using the candle.
9. When ready, cut the wick off at about 1 cm above the surface of the wax.
You’re done! Enjoy your organic homemade candle!
