Candles have been used in homes for centuries all around the globe. Before electricity, candles were essential to heat homes on winter nights and in the evenings. Nowadays, candles are more popular than ever and are an essential household item that can be used to decorate your home for practical and even fun purposes.
What are the benefits of lighting candles in your house? Here are some:
Preparation
Preparing your space is important before you start making candles. It can be messy and time-consuming. It is important to have a flat surface that you can work on. It may take longer than you expect.
Measure how much wax is needed. We used 160g to fill this 20cl glass.
TIP: Fill your container with water, pour it into a measuring cup and measure how much water is left in the container. You will have approximately the same amount of wax as your container, but you’ll need to subtract 20%.
Melting the wax
Now, pour your measured wax into a large saucepan. Your wax should be heated to 70°C. Stir the mixture gently. Nitrify the wax to 80 degrees Celsius. Melting takes only 10 to 15 minutes. In this case, we used a glass bowl to place in a pan of water that was half full.
Take your glasses everywhere with you
While the wax melts, wash your candle glasses in hot soapy water. Stick your candle safety label to the underside of your glasses. Make sure they are placed on a flat surface.
Make sure to prepare the wicks
Attach the Stick Ums to the bottom end of the wick and then place it in the middle.
Alternatively, you could attach your wick using wax for candle making. Dip the sustainer in the melting wax, -and then place the supporter in the center of your glass. Allow the wax to set the structure.
Color Adding
After your wax reaches 70°C open your bag of candle color and pour it into the molten wax. Stir until the color dissolves and then spread it evenly. Use 0.2% dye. A 10 g bag will color 5 kg of paraffin. Vegetable waxes may need a higher loading. You can use liquid candle dye to achieve your desired color.
Adding fragrance
Once the dye has been completely dissolved, turn off the heat and check the temperature now and again until it reaches 65°C. When the wax reaches 65°C, crack opens your perfume bottle and pours it in. Gently stir the wax while pouring the fragrance. You can use up to 10% fragrance oil, so 500ml will scent 5 kg of wax.
Pouring
Now that all ingredients are well-combined and the temperature of your wax is 65degC, you can pour the wax. Take the molten wax from the container and pour it into a pouring bowl. Slowly pour the wax into your candle glasses leaving 1 cm between the top and the bottom. If you need to, you can place your wick in the middle of the candle glass and move it towards the sides. You should pour your wax slowly into your glasses to avoid creating air bubbles. If you have any remaining wax, pour it back into the heating container. You might need it later.
Setting
Use a wick centering tool to make sure your wicks are straight and horizontal. While wax shrinks naturally as it cools, this can cause a sinkhole in the middle of your candle. Don’t panic! Let the candles cool at room temperature until they reach a point that is still warm, but not hardened. This should take approximately 20-30 minutes.
Re-pour (Optional)
Do not panic if you find that your candle wax has sunk or dipped on the surfaces. To heat the wax to 65°C, melt it and then pour into a container. Pour the wax into your sinkholes until you have a smooth, flat surface. To achieve a flat finish surface, you may need to repeat the process two or three times.
Take out the wick
Allow your candles to dry overnight. Now, trim the wick so that it measures approximately. Your candle is now ready for the light. Congratulations, you have made your first candle.
This guide to candle making is meant as a guide for beginners in container candle making. Variations in waxes or fragrances can have an impact on the final product. Some candles might not work well for others.