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Learn to make soy candles in containers, create custom colors and fragrances. Add dried flower petals or spices to your candles and make your own unique design.
Soy wax has many advantages like being eco-friendly, renewable, American grown, sustainable, burns slower and cleaner than traditional paraffin and oil based waxes. It also has no additives or unnatural ingredients. Burning at a cooler temperature than paraffin, soy candles will generally burn 25-50% longer.
IMPORTANT: WAX HAS A FLASH POINT GENERALLY BETWEEN 290F-380F (143C-193C) AND MAY BURST INTO FLAMES ONCE IT REACHES THAT POINT.
Always use a thermometer when melting wax, and be careful when handling the hot wax. Always keep an eye on your candle when it is burning and don’t let it burn for more than 4 hours at a time. Be very cautious when adding dried herbs and flowers to decorate your candle, keep the dried additives away from the wick and flame. Candles in containers may get very hot when lit, place the container on a heat resistant surface. Growandmake.com assumes no responsibility for injury which may result from candle making.
MELTING THE WAX
For stovetop method melt the sox wax in the aluminum pour pot. The pour pot is reusable and can be dedicated to making candles. The pouring spout is perfect for pouring your candles and will minimize errors in the pouring process. The candle making kit includes 4 bags of 8 ounces of wax. A 4 oz jar uses about 3 ounces of wax. A 8 oz jar uses about 6 ounces of wax. Place the wax inside the pour/melting pot, then place pour pot inside a larger pot with a few inches of water to work as a double boiler. Heat the water of the stove to begin melting the wax. Place the thermometer inside the pour pot with the melting wax, and keep a close eye on the temperature of the wax at all times. The temperature of the melted wax should be regulated around 170F (77C) degrees. Once you melt candle wax in the pour pot, it shouldn’t be reused as a food container. The actual heating time can vary, so be sure to keep an eye on your wax so it doesn’t splatter, and don’t leave it unattended.
ADDING COLOR
Once your melted wax is at 170F (77C) degrees you can add your candle dye. One Flutter Dye per pound of wax will give you a medium shade candle, half a Flutter Dye will make your color lighter. Add a little piece of Flutter Dye at a time. Stir the color with the wax for a full two minutes so the color will bond with the wax. To create a sample of the finished color, get a white piece of paper and smear a few drops of colored wax on it. It should cool quickly to reveal the final color that the wax will be when dried. Soy wax dries a few shades lighter and milkier than the color was when wet. Add more dye to the melted wax until desired color is achieved.
CANDLE SCENTS AND FRAGRANCE
We have included drams of candle scents that you can use to scent your candles. To get a true sense of the fragrances included, create some blotters. These are what perfumers use to design scents. Cut three thin strips of paper, dip each strip about a 1/4 inch into the fragrance oil, and wave them under your nose. This way you will get a sense of the top, middle and base notes of each fragrance. This will give you a more accurate idea of how the candle will smell as it burns. If you want to create a blend, wave the strips of the desired smells together. Add at least 10- 15 drops of fragrance oil and stir slowly for one minute, add more or less depending on the scent strength you desire. This will allow the wax, fragrance oil and color to bond together. Remove from heat. If you have scents you prefer to use, be sure you are using fragrance oils designed specifically for candle making. The throw of the scent is the amount of fragrance the candle lets out while it’s lit. Add enough fragrance until it has a level of scent which you feel you can recognize, but is not over-powering. It may take some experimentation. Adding fragrance oil add too high of a temperature may cause it to dissipate in the melted wax.Using too little fragrance oil will lead to a candle with very little scent throw. We recommend adding fragrance oil around 180° which we have found to be a good temperature for it to blend easily.
COOLING THE WAX
After the color and fragrance have been added, let the wax cool to 110F-115F degrees and stir frequently while cooling. Allowing the wax to cool before pouring will help prevent the cracking, flaking and discoloration that is common with soy waxes. It is also a good idea to preheat the containers to about 125 F to avoid the wax pulling away from the container.
POURING CONTAINER CANDLES
While wax is cooling, attach a glue dot to the bottom of each candle wick and center the wick inside the container. Pour wax into the tins as slowly as possible to avoid bubbles. Leave about 1” (2.5cm) at the top of the tin, and reserve some remaining wax to do a second pour. Place the wick bar with the center peak facing up on top of your jar. Pull wick taut and gently press wick into the opening of the wick bar. This will keep the wick straight and centered while the candle is cooling. A clothespin also works well for a wick bar to keep the wick straight.
CURING THE CANDLES
Candles should cool for 24 hours before removing from the wick bar. You will get the best results from your soy wax candles by allowing them to cure for two weeks. Trim wick to 1/4 inches before lighting and do this each time you light it. Never leave a lit candle unattended.
CUSTOMIZING YOUR CANDLES
There are many ways to make your candles unique and customized. One way to customize a candle is to make different scented and colored layers. Melt the wax in small batches and add different colors of dye and fragrance to each batch. Pour wax into the containers one layer at a time and let it cool before adding another layer of wax. The layered candles will work best in a clear glass container or jar.
To make a specific color of wax that isn’t available with the flutter dyes in this kit you can use the colored wax from a crayon. Remove the paper from a crayon and melt it with the wax. Test the color by smearing a few drops of colored wax on a piece of white piece. It should cool quickly to reveal the final color that the wax will be when dried. Add different colors of crayons to make a unique shade.
Try pouring your candles into less conventional containers like tea cups, aluminum cans or salsa jars.
Add 3D shapes by pouring melted wax into a silicone mold like a flower or mini cactus shape. Or get a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and pour a little puddle of colored wax and let it harden. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out a shape from the wax. Poke a hole with a wood skewer in the center of your wax shape and string the wick through it. Add the wax shape on top of a half filled candle and center the wick through it.
ADDING DRIED FLOWERS, BOTANICALS AND DECORATIONS
There are a few ways to incorporate dried flowers and botanicals into your candle. They can be placed inside the candle lining the sides of the glass jar or on a thin layer on top of the candle. To add dried flowers inside the lining of the jar add 1/4 teaspoon of melted soy wax carefully in a line of hot wax inside a mason jar while lying on its side. The wax is going to act like glue holding the flowers in place. Place dried flowers into the wax. Lightly pour a 1⁄2 teaspoon of wax over the flowers to secure them in place. Let the wax cool, then add the wick and fill the jar with warm wax. Works best with a clear jar.
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Another method to decorate with dried flowers and botanicals is to put them on top. Make a candle with a wick and fill the container 3⁄4 way with melted wax. Let the wax harden slightly, then add dried flower petals and botanicals on the edge of the container away from the wick in the center. You can add more melted candle wax on top of the flowers too. Use your favorite crystals or stones to place on top to add some extra magic.
CLEAN UP
For easy cleaning post-candle making, remelt the leftover wax in the pour pot, or on your tools and thermometer. Then, carefully wipe the melted wax off with a paper towel. Rubbing alcohol helps remove residue.
Enjoy your new candles!
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John V. McGlothlin
September 12, 2022
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