Making Soy Candles

Candlemaking can be an art and a science. Most importantly it is a fun hobby that can become very addictive (you have been warned!!)

Now before you go rushing out to buy your fist kit, please do bear in mind that it isn't as easy as it sounds. Now don't panic you don't need a degree or anything but so many people think that after making them for a week or so they are ready to start selling them at their local craft fair.

This is a common mistake that many 'newbies' make. It takes many, many months of R&D and, more importantly, testing before you can start selling to the general public. It is very important that your candles are of good quality and SAFE. Your candles must burn properly unless you want a liability case brought to court. Imagine what this reputation would do to your brand new business, just because you did not take the time to research and test your products thoroughly beforehand.

It is easy to get very excited about any new venture, I know, I remember my first time making candles. Believe me when I say it pays to be patient and waiting to ensure you perfect one product instead of rushing headlong bringing out dozen of different ranges within a month of starting and getting everything wrong.

So, you've decided to make yourself some soy candles. Congratulations and welcome to the addictive world of candlemaking. I say addictive because once you start, you won't be able to stop.

As you'll be a complete beginner you'll find it's easier to purchase a soy candlemaking kit. There are lots of candlemaking suppliers who sell starter kits. These are ideal as they come complete with wax, wicks, moulds/containers and your choice of fragrance oil. They should also come with complete instructions on how to make your candle. I have listed some US and UK suppliers below. If you live elsewhere, then a search on the web will probably yield many more suppliers.

You will also need some basic equipment.
2 old saucepans to use as a double boiler for melting your wax.
A thermometer ( a candy one is ideal)for checking temperature of your melting wax.
Pouring jug (metal or glass).
Wooden skewers or chopsticks for stirring.
Glue dots for sticking your tabbed wicks in containers.
Heat gun or hairdryer.
Old Newspapers to cover your work tops.

Now all you have to do is wait for your postie to turn up with your parcel so you can get cracking.

So, why should you purchase The Easy Way to Making Soy Candles?
There are plenty of books out there if you want to learn how to make gel and paraffin candles, but none on how to make soy candles. Learn the ins and outs from a true professional candle maker of 10 years.

Not only will you learn how to make some great smelling soy candles but if you purchase this book you will also receive 4 FREE bonus reports.

Bonus 1 - FREE scent mixing guide
Bonus 2 - FREE candle test sheet template
Bonus 3 - FREE guide on how to price your soy candles
Bonus 4 - FREE list of manufacturers

Best of all you have a 60 day money back guarantee. If it's not for you, then you will receive a 100% no quibble full refund.

This is an instant download so there is no waiting for the mail man. Click Here to receive your copy NOW.

Well, now that your very first kit has arrived, you're probably itching to get started. You should read any instructions carefully before commencing.

If you didn't receive any instructions or maybe you just purchased the items separately, then you will need some simple guidance.

In my previous post "What do I need to make soy candles?" I made a small list of basic equipment needed. As a refresher here is the list again.

2 old saucepans to use as a double boiler for melting your wax.
A thermometer ( a candy one is ideal)for checking temperature of your melting wax.
Digital Scales.
Pouring jug (metal or glass).
Wooden skewers or chopsticks for stirring.
Glue dots for sticking your tabbed wicks in containers.
Heat gun or hairdryer.
Old Newspapers to cover your work tops.

OK. Let's get down to business. Use 2 old saucepans as a double boiler. For anybody who is unfamiliar with this method, this entails a large pan roughly 1/3rd filled with water. In the smaller pan, place your soy wax. This can be in pellet form but is more commonly flaked. Place the smaller pan in the larger one. The water should reach halfway up the smaller pan. You may have to adjust the water level accordingly. If there is too much water, then once it starts to boil it may splash into the smaller pan contaminating the wax.

Place your "double boiler" on the stove over a medium heat. The soy wax will slowly melt into a liquid state. While waiting for the wax to melt, place some newspapers on your pouring area. This will help save your worktops, handy if you're a messy worker. The nice thing about soy wax wax, however, is that any spills are easily cleaned up with some hot soapy water.

If you are making some container candles then you can prepare your containers. Using either glue dots or a hot glue gun, firmly secure your tabbed wick in your chosen container. Make sure that it is properly centred. Votive or tart moulds don't need preparation beforehand.

Once your wax has fully melted you will need to check the temperature. You need to regulate the temperature to roughly 170F (75C). This is the most common temperature to add your fragrance oil.

Take your jug and place it on your scales. Then weigh out your melted wax using a ladle. How much you need is dependent on the size of your container. If you are using a 1lb jam jar then it will hold 8oz of wax quite comfortably. Once you have the wax in your jug it is time to add your fragrance oil. Start using a 6% ratio load. That means for every 1lb of wax you add 1 oz of oil. So, for 8 oz of wax you will need to add 1/2 oz of oil. Using a wooden chopstick or skewer, stir the oil into the wax until it is fully incorporated.

Check the temperature again and let it cool until it gets to about 120F(48C). Give your now scented wax another quick stir then carefully pour into your container. Very gently, straighten up your wick. You can keep it centred by securing the wick between a couple of wooden skewers which have been cut to size to fit over the diameter of your jar, and held together with a couple of elastic bands at each end. This makes an effective wick holder.

Let the candle cool completely until set. You can remove your wick holder. If the surface looks a bit uneven this can be quickly remedied by gently heating the top surface with a hairdryer. Remember to use a slow setting or you'll end up with wax splashing everywhere.

That's it! The hardest part is to patiently wait for your candle to cure. For soy you need about 5 days before you can appreciate the awesome smell. Just remember to trim your wick to 1/4" before lighting and to allow one hour burn for every inch in diameter.

Congratulations on making your very first soy container candle. Now you've been bitten by the bug there'll be no stopping you.

So, you've had your first taste of candlemaking from your beginner's kit. What's next?

Well, if you've been bitten by the bug, you will find that the kits are too restrictive. You want to experiment more. This means larger quantities of wax, different sized wicks, colours, moulds and not forgetting the all important fragrances.

You will need to locate suppliers for all your raw materials. You will find some good suppliers here in this lens. There are others but who to use boils down to a question of price, delivery charges, customer service, etc.

One word of warning though, candlemaking can become addictive and will definitively make a big dent in your finances. Be prepared for your Credit Card to take a severe bashing. I have mentioned this before. However, talk to anybody who makes candles and they will all say that the expense is definitely worth it. We all experience pleasure, and frustration, from working with wax.

You just can't beat the satisfaction of creating a beautifully, handmade candle that will give somebody much joy from burning and enjoying the aroma.

Many people think that you can used crayons to colour candles. Well, I know that as kids many of us who were in the Brownies, Guides or Scouts used this method to colour the candles we made during those crafting sessions, remember? Unfortunately, this is not recommended as crayons contain pigments that will clog up the wick, drown out the flame giving you a poor burning candle.

Instead you should use either solid dyes, available in blocks, chips or flakes, powdered dye or liquid dye. You will need to experiment with ratios as it all depends on the wax and how strong a colour you're looking to achieve. With soy wax, you will find that it is opaque, unlike paraffin which is translucent. Consequently, you will find that you need to use slightly more dye in order to get a deeper colour. The easiest way of checking the intensity of the colour as you're mixing it is to drip a little bit of the melted wax onto a piece of white paper. Once it has dried this should give you an idea of the finished colour.

One thing to bear in mind with soy wax is that a deeply coloured candle is prone to "frosting", because soy wax is a vegetable based wax. Ever noticed how on chocolate you sometimes get that white stuff on it after extreme heat? In chocolate it's called "bloom", in soy candles it's "frosting". Some candle makers embrace this as it gives the candle a somewhat rustic appearance, others don't.

So should you colour your soy candles? Personally, I think it depends on the type of candle. If it is a container candle in a food jar, then the rustic look looks good as a "country-style" candle. If it is in a tumbler, then leaving it uncoloured will make the candle look more "chic" perfect for a more upscale candle. That is one of the beauties about soy wax, you have the choice to either colour or leave it natural.