Candle Making

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We finally made some candles last weekend! I've been meaning to post on this one for quite awhile, but I kept delaying making the candles. I got everything I needed at the very beginning of October but it took me until Thanksgiving to actually do it. I am HORRIBLE at starting projects, but once I get going I do finish!

So, candles! Have you ever made any at home before? I learned a lot when I started thinking about making mine.

First, types of wax.

Paraffin -- It's the most common and cheapest, but it leaves a lot sooty residue in your home, because it's petroleum based.

Beeswax -- This is better because it's natural wax, but it's expensive, naturally honey-colored, and typically not used for container or scented candles. I wanted both.

Bayberry -- This is the most expensive wax, made from the bayberry bush. It comes naturally dark greenish colored and scented. This didn't suit my purposes.

Soy wax -- This is the newest and cleanest-burning wax. It takes scent well, and color too if you choose. This is the wax I used. It really wasn't too expensive, either!

I wanted to make container candles, so I had to select my containers. I chose 8-oz. mason jars. I'd recommend choosing a wide-mouth variety. I meant to, and mine are sort of wide, but the jars themselves stand up taller than they are wide, and I wish they didn't. I probably also should have gone for 16-oz. jars instead. I wasn't paying much attention and I thought the "big" mason jars were 16 oz. instead of 32-oz. so I picked ones that were smaller than I meant. But, they work just fine.

I chose wicks that said "for container candles," and wicks are marked as to what they should be used for -- what type of wax, what type of container or mold, etc. So, just look at the wax you purchase and decide which wicks will work best. You need some tacky wax to adhere the wick to the bottom of your candle jar, too. So, to sum it up, you need:

*Some type of wax
*Glass containers with lids
*Wicks
*Tacky wax (to adhere wicks)
*Scent (fragrance oil or essential oil)

You can also opt for food coloring if you'd like colored candles; this wasn't important to me so I didn't try.

Before we get to how-to, let's talk scent. Personally, I only use essential oils. They're a lot more expensive, but you don't need nearly as much. One source I found said you need as much as 1 oz. of fragrance oil to 8 oz. of wax, while you need only 1/8 oz. essential oil to 8 oz. of wax. Fragrance oils are also synthetic and typically petroleum-based, and I didn't want that. Plus, the whole reason I decided to make candles was for therapeutic reasons. I figured if I could mix in the oils I wanted (like eucalyptus, which helps congestion), then I could light the candles to make us feel better. So, essential oils were definitely my choice.

The wax I chose said I could microwave it to melt, but I didn't feel like I'd have enough control over it this way. I chose to use a double boiler on the stove (bottom pan filled with water) to melt the wax:

[Picture of wax melting in double boiler]

It took 1 - 2 cups of loosely packed wax pieces to fill each 8 oz. candle. When the wax was completely melted, I poured it into the jars, which were prepared with the wicks stuck to the bottom. Then, I added 20 - 30 drops of essential oils, depending on how strong each was. I stirred gently with the wick. These will be fairly mildly-scented candles, I think; I probably could have used more.

We use a clothespin to hold each wick in the center while the candles dried, like this:

[Picture of the clothespins on top of the jars]

When the was was mostly cool, I used a toothpick to poke holes in the top, to see if there were any air bubbles or open spots. In some candles, there were. For these, we melted more wax and poured it into the holes.

Now our candles are done!

[Picture of finished candles]

Here are the scent combinations I used:

*Peppermint (calming, relaxing, anti-nausea)
*Peppermint-lemon (calming, relaxing, anti-nausea)
*Eucalyptus-lavender (relaxing, eases stuffiness)
*Lavender-lemon (fresh, relaxing)
*Lavender (relaxing)
*Clove (helps headaches)

I have several more essential oils coming soon, and I'll try more scents, and play with the amount of scent. But, that's the basic procedure for container candles!

EDIT: Thanks to "Anonymous" for reminding me to add some more information here. I was able to buy most of these supplies at Joann Fabrics and Crafts (wax, wicks), jars at Meijer, and I ordered the essential oils online through my coops. I imagine any craft store would have the wax and wicks, any general store would have mason jars, and any health food store should have essential oils (but they'll be a LOT more expensive).

Some general do's and don't's:

DO:
Use a double boiler for melting your wax
Keep young children away from this process!
Use pot holders if you have to move your glass jars soon after filling
Pour your wax carefully and leave 1/2" of space at the top of the jar
Check your candles when they're firm but still warm to see if they will need extra filling
Start with LESS fragrance (20 - 30 drops of essential oil) and add more to later candles if necessary (some wax simply can't handle large amounts of fragrance)
Read the instructions that come with the wax you choose thoroughly before beginning

DON'T:
Melt your wax directly on the stove -- it could burn!
Overheat your wax (there should be a temperature on the box of wax, but once it's fully melted it's done, don't let it sit)
Let your hands touch the hot wax, especially while pouring (you can adjust the wick once the wax is poured, you don't need to hold it in place)
Trim the wicks until the wax is completely cooled
Add too much fragrance (more than 1/8 oz. per 8 oz. of wax, or whatever it says on your wax container) at once, or your candles may not set

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask!

Have you ever made candles? If so, how did you do it? Are you interested in candles or other crafts? If you are interested in other crafts, please post which ones!