If you’re looking to get into candlemaking, it can be hard to decide where to start. I love soy wax candles and found myself wondering if I could make my own. I also love scented candles, but many store-bought candles are a bit strong for my taste and can give me headaches.
If you are the same or want a new hobby, making soy candles is easy once you get the hang of it. You can make any scent you wish to, or even unscented if you like. Read on to learn how to make a soy candle.
Supplies needed
You will need several supplies and tools.
- Soy Wax
- Containers like jars or tins
- Fragrance Oil
- Digital Scale
- Pouring pitcher or container
- The heat source of your choice
- Thermometer
- Wicks with a tab
- Wick stickers or hot glue
- Something to hold your wick straight like a pencil
- Warning stickers if you intend to give them away or sell them
The Candlemaker’s Store Natural Soy Wax - It has hold up to 15% Fragrance
- Size: 10 lb. Bag
For soy wax, get whatever kind you like or are available in your area. Flake wax is the easiest to use. What wax you use and the container will decide on your wicks, so keep the brand in mind.
Containers can be anything you like, and you can buy specific candle tins or reuse old jars of high-quality glass or containers to hold your candles. Just be sure they can handle the heat.
Get pre-tabbed wicks, so you don’t need to fuss around with adding tabs yourself. The size and number of wicks you need depend on the wax and container you use, and most manufacturers have advice on what size of wicks you need on their website.
You can use essential oils technically, but they won’t give as strong a scent as oil meant for soy wax candles. The amounts and results also vary more widely.
For heat sources, you can use a microwave or a double boiler. If you want to heat your pouring container directly in your double boiler, you can put down a folded kitchen towel to help protect your pouring container.
Thermometers are an essential tool. Any cheap candy thermometer works well, but you can use something with a digital display or the kind that uses infrared to read the surface temperature.
Wick stickers are used to secure the tab to the bottom of your container so the wick doesn’t move when you pour the wax. You can buy these or use hot glue, and you could also use a bit of melted wax to secure them. Just let it cool before you pour your hot wax.
There are unique bars meant to hold your wick in place, but you could use a pencil or something to keep the wick straight. You could even cut a hole in painter’s tape, stick the wick through the hole, and tape it on the container to keep it straight while the wax cools.
Warning stickers with burning instructions are a good idea if you intend to give away your candles or sell them. You don’t need this if the candles are just for yourself.
You can also color your candles if you like. Buy colorants meant for soy wax in this case. You want to stick with color for soy candles, and anything else can be dangerous.
How to Make a Soy Candle
We will assume that you are using the double boiler method to melt your wax. If you are melting in the microwave, use a microwave-safe pouring container.
Step 1. Set up your double boiler
Pour water into your pan and get it heating on medium-high heat.
Step 2. Weigh your wax
Place your pouring container on your scale and hit the button labeled ‘tare’ to zero out the weight. Weigh out your wax. Place the pouring container with wax in the double boiler.
Step 3. Let your wax reach 185 degrees
Keep an eye on your wax as it reaches 185. This is the best time to add your fragrance oil since your oil will incorporate fully with the wax but won’t have any fragrance lost to the heat.
Step 4. Weigh out your fragrance oil
You will need to weigh out your fragrance oil. One ounce will scent 1 pound of wax. Make sure you remember to hit tare, so you aren’t weighing the container for your fragrance oil as well.
Step 5. Add your fragrance to your wax
Add your fragrance oil off the heat once your wax is 185 degrees. Stir gently for 2 minutes to thoroughly mix the scent and wax.
Step 6. Cool your wax
You want your wax to reach 135 degrees before you pour them.
Step 7. Prepare your containers
Make sure your containers are free of dust, then use your wick stickers or hot glue to secure the bottom tab of the wick to the center of your containers. You can also use a small amount of wax.
Step 8. Pour your wax
Once your wax has reached 135, pour it slowly into your containers. You want to avoid creating bubbles since this will make your candles look lumpy.
Step 9. Secure your wick
Use your wick bar, pencil, stick, or whatever you like to hold your wick straight and centered in your wax.
Step 10. Leave to cool
Leave your soy candles to cool for at least overnight, though 24 hours may give you better results. Ensure they are away from drafts and won’t be jostled or moved.
Step 11. Trim your wick
Once your candles are entirely cooled, trim the wick down to about 1/4 inches. Now your candle is ready to burn!
SoyLite Wax Melter for Candles Making - Kit With Wax And 2 Size Wicks
- Capacity: 6 quarts
Commonly asked questions
What is Soy Wax?
Soy wax is a natural wax derived from soybeans. Yes, the same soybeans you eat! Soy wax is environmentally friendly and carries scent very well.
How Much Soy Wax to Make a Candle
For every pound of wax, you should expect to get about 20 ounces of volume. To figure out how much wax to use for the candles, multiply the number of candles by how many ounces of wax each candle will hold and then divide that by 20. For example, suppose you want to make 20 – 4 ounce candles.
The math here is as follows:
20 (containers) x 4 (oz per container) = 80 total ounces / 20 = 4 lbs wax needed.
How to Melt Soy Wax Flakes
You can either melt it in the microwave or a pan. We recommend using a wax melter. In the microwave, heat in short bursts and stir to see if it needs more heat. Keep the heat low, and don’t leave it unattended in a pan. A double boiler is a much safer option. You can use any heat-safe bowl over a pot filled with a small amount of water for this.
What Temperature to Add Fragrance to Soy Wax?
You want your wax to be between 175 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes sure your fragrance is fully integrated into your wax, and make sure you add your fragrance off the heat source.
How Much Fragrance Oil to Add to Soy Wax
You want about 1 ounce by weight of fragrance oil to soy wax. Much more than this, and you start having issues with wicking.
Conclusion
There we go, now you know how to make a soy wax candle. I hope you liked the tutorial and will be making candles soon. I love that I can pick my scents and customize the strength. Wax Candles also make great gifts, and if you love candles, you know how expensive they can get. Making my own is so much cheaper.
If you did try this and have some thoughts or tips, be sure to leave a comment down in the comment section. If you found this helpful, be sure to share this article with your friends and family. Maybe you’ll be gifted some homemade soy wax candles too!
Carole Brooks has been making candles for many years. She loves to create candles of all different types and for all different purposes. Here she shares her experience and knowledge. Carole is a graduate of Texas A&M University.
