Have you ever seen beautiful jar candles at the store and wished you could make your own? Well, guess what? You can! Making container candles is a fun and easy way to create personalized candles that fill your home with amazing scents and cozy vibes. Plus, it’s a great project to do with friends or family for a fun afternoon.
Supplies Needed to Make a Candle at Home
To be able to make a candle, you obviously need candle supplies.
- Wax: Soy wax flakes or bricks are a great choice for beginners.
- Wicks: Choose a wick size that fits your container.
- Candle Containers: Upcycled jars, mugs, or tins can work perfectly! Just make sure they are heat-resistant glass or metal.
- Fragrance Oil: Pick your favorite scent to add a delightful touch.
- Candle Dye (optional): Create colorful candles with liquid candle dye.
- Double Boiler: A pot and a smaller heat-resistant container to melt the wax safely.
- Thermometer: To keep an eye on the wax temperature.
- Skewers or clothespins: To hold the wick in place.
- Double-sided sticker:Â To place under the wick.
- Pouring pitcher: To melt and hold the hot wax.
- Pipette: To pull up the oils.
- Digital Scale: The measure all the way,
- Silicon Mold: Used to hold the fragrance oils
Now Let’s Make the Candle
- Measure and Melt the Wax
- Prep Your Container
- Attach the Wick
- Add Color and Fragrance
- Pour the Wax
- Let it Cool and Cure
- Trim the Wick and Enjoy
Get the Free Candle Making Booklet
Fill in this small form, and get access to our FREE candle making booklet, made by TheCandleStart and the candle makers at WickMagic.
Measure and Melt the Wax
There is a nice trick that you can do to find out exactly how much wax you will need inside your jar. Fill your candle jar with water, and then measure the amount. Multiple this number by 0.8 or 80%, and this is how much wax you will need. The reason behind this is that wax is less dense than water, and hence this formula. So for example, if you need 100g of water, all you have to do is multiply that by 0.8 and you will end up with 80g of wax.
Place this amount of wax in a pouring pitcher, and in a pot of boiling water so we can melt it using a double boiler. Place the thermometer inside the wax, and let’s move to step two while the wax starts melting.
Prep Your Container
After completing step one, it is time to prep our container. Let’s dry off the jar with a dry tablecloth, and get rid of any water or dust that is left on the sides of the vessel. This will ensure a clean candle with no particles inside.
Attach the Wick
Grab an optimal-sized wick and a double-sided sticker. Place the sticker under the wick, and then try to place your wick as close to the center of the jar as possible. Failure to do so will make your candle burn unevenly, and you will end up with what we call, a tunneled candle. Make sure it is set correctly by pushing hard on it once before checking back on the wax.
Add Color and Fragrance
Once your wax reaches the optimal temperature, which is anywhere between 70 and 85 degrees Celcius, it is time to put in our oils and dyes (if any). Take the wax off the heat, and let it cool until it gets to the temperature that you want it, and then we will add the colors and fragrance oils.
As a rule of thumb, always place anywhere between 6 and 12% oil, depending on the wax you are using. Check the recommended instructions in the wax leaflet, and you should be able to take it from there. Let’s say we end up using 7% oil, so we will multiply our 80g of wax by 7%, and we need 5.6 grams of fragrance.
Pour the oil into your hot wax, and stir using a spatula for 2 minutes straight to allow the fragrance molecules and the wax to bond together.
Pour the Wax
Gently pour the wax in your jar, without disturbing the wick. It is recommended to do it in a nice and slow pour to avoid any air bubbles that will be an issue after your candle has completely cooled.
Let it Cool and Cure
Let your candle cool for 24 to 48 hours, and then we need to place it in a dry place with a consistent temperature to cure. The curing process allows the candle and the oils to get to know each other more, and the wax to actually set even harder, which will result in a longer burn time. Curing time depends on the type of wax you are using, for example, soy wax can need anywhere between 7 to 14 days, whereas coconut could use between 14 to 21 days.
Trim the Wick and Enjoy
After curing, you can trim your wick using a wick trimmer, and enjoy it. Make sure to follow the candle care guidelines like not lighting it near pets or kids, keeping the candle away from flammable objects like curtains, and trimming the wick to a quarter inch.
Safety Tips for Candle Making
- Always keep an adult around when working with hot wax.
- Never leave melted wax unattended.
- Never pour wax into a hot container or directly on the counter.
- Let the candle cool completely before lighting it.
- Trim the wick before each use.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended.
With these simple steps and safety precautions, you’re all set to create your own unique container candles! They make fantastic gifts or personalized touches to your home decor. So get creative, have fun, and light up your world with your handmade candles!