Homemade Candles

Candles are great. They make a home warm and inviting; the smell, the glow. We always have two going at opposite ends of our house. I'm a fan of candles that smell of baked goods. Don't get me wrong, I love a house filled with the smell of ACTUAL baked goods, but I can't make pies and cupcakes 24/7. A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to start making soap from scratch. When I started researching soap making suppliers, I noticed many of them also sold candle making supplies. A light bulb when off - why hadn't I thought to make homemade candles, too? So I purchased the supplies I needed for homemade soap (which I'll attempt in a few days), as well as everything I needed to start making homemade candles. They're SO easy, anyone can do it! You can build up your own candle stockpile in your favorite scents (that may be difficult to find in store bought candles), or give them as gifts. Homemade gifts are the best to give (and my personal favorite to get)!

Supplies Needed:

1 lb Candle Wax

1 oz. Fragrance Oil

1 16 oz. OR 2 8 oz. Container for the Candle

Wicks

Wax Adhesive 

Double Boiler OR a Pot, Canning Rings, and a metal container preferably with a spout (see below)

Put a dab of Tacky Wax on the bottom of the metal wick base. 

Adhere the wicks to the bottom of your chosen candle containers.

Now to melt the wax. Wax must be melted over indirect heat. If you have a double boiler, use it. If, like me, you don't have a double boiler, canning rings in the bottom of a pot will do just fine. 

Cut the wax up into chunks. The smaller, the quicker it will melt. Melt over medium heat.

Once the candle wax is melted, add the dye. The amount depends on your preferences and the scent you're using. I used Blueberry Flapjacks, and wanted a deeper blue candle so I used around 10 drops of dye. I used a medicine dropper to measure. Lastly, add the scent and immediately pour into candle containers. The longer the scented wax sits in the pot, the more of the scent 'cooks out', resulting in a weaker scented candle.

When pouring the melted wax into the containers, reserve about 1/4 of a cup or so (doesn't have to be exact, just eyeball it). As the wax cools, a reservoir will form around the wick. You'll need to re-melt the reserved wax and top the candles off so the wax will be flat all the way across when you're done. Make sure your wicks stay centered; butter knives worked for me!

Once candles have cooled and are solid (a few hours), clip wicks to 1/4" length. Use right away or store. 

I challenge you NOT to get obsessed with making your own candles. Happy candle making!