How to make a natural candle (not only) from soy wax? A step-by-step guide for complete beginners

Today we will make a candle from vegetable wax step by step. So that you can enjoy production without any hiccups and confusion, even without any other experience.

Making your own candles is like anything new. The beginnings are the hardest, there is possibly too much information everywhere, and in most instructions it is already assumed that you have some kind of perspective in the candle world.

We won't lie to ourselves, the results can be uncertain, and sometimes it doesn't work the first time. Especially when it comes to making candles, don't let failure discourage you, even experienced candlemakers often fail. Sometimes we feel that the candles are alive and, depending on their mood, they decide for themselves whether they feel like spreading joy or rather give their makers a melancholic mood. But joy always outweighs that sadness. Therefore, if it doesn't work out, don't hang your head and remember that the candle can always be simply slipped back into the water bath, melted and the wax and wick can be used again (and better).

You can make a homemade candle with a handful of tools and equipment, but the basis is mainly theoretical preparation - before you start creating in practice, spend a few minutes acquiring certain know-how. In the beginning, it is always better to choose candles that are minimalistic, in containers, without decoration and perhaps even without fragrance. In addition, each component in the candle will affect its burning. Therefore, first familiarize yourself with how wax behaves and how to work with it, and only when you are confident in kramfleks, start more sophisticated candle creations.

Let's start with a container candle, i.e. in a container, for which you need: wax, a wick and a wick, and the container, i.e. the container.

What to buy?

The first step is to decide which candle you want to make, how big and with what kind of wick. Candle guides will help you with the choice and good selection - definitely do not skip them and, especially if it is your first candle creation, reach for the recommended combinations of containers and wicks.

This article will be essential for you:

The Big Guide to Candle Making - How to Combine Waxes, Wicks and Wraps? - Ekokoza.cz

If you need a little more help choosing the type of wick and the type of wax, read these articles as well:

Guide to natural waxes - types of waxes and how to use them - Ekokoza.cz

Which wick to choose when making or buying natural candles? Wood vs. Cotton - Ekokoza.cz

Before starting the production itself, read the entire instruction according to which you will produce. Then adjust the place and space where you will produce. Remember that you will be working with hot wax, which is greasy. It is therefore reasonable to always cover the surface with newspaper, paper or other material, which you will not be sorry for possible spillage.

Prepare all the tools and ingredients (below) and let's go!

What is needed for that?

- Hot plate, stove, hob

- A pot of water

- A container for melting wax in a water bath that fits comfortably in a pot of water (a kettle or other heat-resistant container with a handle and a spout or a spout for convenient pouring of wax is ideal)

- Wax (soy or other vegetable) - how to choose?

- Wicks with wicks (chosen according to the diameter of the candle container) - how to choose?

- Candle container - how to choose?

- Any fragrance (if you want a scented candle) - how to choose?

- Skewers for mixing wax

- Pegs for fixing the wick

- Glue or hot melt gun

How to do it?

A wick and a wick

You should already know from the candlestick guide that you choose the wick according to the diameter of the container. A well-chosen type and size of the wick will ensure that the candle does not form a tunnel = deposits of undissolved wax will not remain on the sides of the container, or that the candle will not burn too quickly.

During production, the length of the wick should be about 2cm longer than the height of the container, so that the wick is easy to work with during production and can be comfortably secured in the center of the candle.

If you are working with a wick without a wick, first attach the wick to the wick (using an awl or snap). When the wick is connected to the mold, place the wick exactly in the center of the container. After centering the plates with the wick, you can (recommended) glue them to the bottom of the glass with a hot melt gun or glue so that the plate does not move. At the top of the glass, secure the wick in the center with a peg (or skewers, chopsticks or a wick holder).

Wax - how much to melt and how to pour it

We will dissolve the wax in a water bath. Pour about 3cm of water into the pot, then heat the pot with the water on the stove or stove so that the water is hot.

Measure out the required amount of wax into the jar or container in which the wax will actually melt. Wax in its solid state is usually in the form of flakes, berries or small sticks. They lose volume after heating. But you can easily find out how much solid wax you will need - take the chosen candle container and fill it once completely and once halfway with wax berries (it is better to do this before attaching the wick to the container - not only for this reason, it is always wise to read "the entire assignment" even before solving the task. :)

Place this amount in the wax melting container in the water bath and let it dissolve. When melting the wax with the sticks, you can gently stir, or rather move, the wax, but never whip the wax - try to avoid the formation of air bubbles.

If you are wondering how much wax comes out in grams, unfortunately it is not easy to determine. The differences are in the types of wax, the height of filling the containers with wax, the amount of fragrance and colors, whether you will decorate the candle, the type of wick...

In general, but not precisely, we can say that you will need about 80-90 grams of wax for a 100ml candle.

The temperature to which you heat the wax and pour the wax into the candles is also a very important factor. Each wax has a slightly different melting point and suitable pouring temperature. In general, however, we can again state that no soy wax (even mixed with other waxes) and rapeseed wax should be heated to a temperature higher than 90 degrees, then the color and structure may change. Palm wax can withstand a higher temperature.

Never pour wax into cold containers. The closer the temperature of the container and the temperature of the wax, the better the result. It is therefore wise to preheat the containers (in the oven or on the heater), especially on cold days.

Pour the wax into the (preheated) containers very slowly and calmly, again so that as little air as possible enters the wax.

Wax cooling

No wax likes big changes in temperature. Therefore, do not speed up the cooling and solidification of the wax in any way. Although we completely understand that you are looking forward to the candle and want to light it as soon as possible, resist the urge to put the candle in the refrigerator or perhaps behind the window on the windowsill so that it hardens as quickly as possible.

On the contrary, it is desirable here to slow down the cooling, therefore, especially in winter, gently wrap each candle in a towel (each separately) so that it cools down a little in the pleasant warmth. Also, allow enough space for the solidifying candles - don't stack them too close to each other so they don't heat each other up in some places. The wax needs to set evenly.

Trimming the wick

The next day (or when the wax is completely cold and hard) trim the wick to the appropriate length. We like to use nail clippers for this. They also handle wooden wicks well. Trim classic cotton wicks to about 0.5cm above the surface of the candle, wooden wicks to about 0.2cm above the surface of the candle.

Lighting and extinguishing the candle

You will surely be able to easily set fire to cotton wicks straight away, with wooden wicks it can be a bit more complicated - so if you use them, definitely also take a look at this article: Why wooden wicks don't burn and how to fix it - Guide to wooden wicks - Ekokoza.cz

Let the lighted candle burn long enough, especially for the first time, i.e. until the wax melts from edge to edge of the container. If you blow out the candle early, it can be assumed that the candle will create a crater around the wick when it burns again. And with further burning, the crater gets bigger. And with the next one again... Layers of hard wax will remain around the edges of the candle and only part of the wax in the middle will melt. Especially during the first lighting (but ideally during the following ones as well), give the candle enough time to create an even solid pond over its entire surface so that the wax is dissolved even around the edges of the container.

The candle usually needs about 2 hours for this, but of course it depends on its size. So burn with thought. :)

After the first use of the candle, the formation of a solid pond is not so important, but if you want to enjoy your candle as much as possible, pay attention to the correct burning time each time, so that the wax can "refresh" its memory. This will prevent cratering and the lid will burn beautifully, smell beautiful, look beautiful and do other beautiful things!

It is a good idea to put out the candle with a fire extinguisher or with a lid (only in the case of non-flammable material!). Smoke is not healthy, even when we use pure natural waxes. After extinguishing the candle, be sure to ventilate the room so that you do not inhale the fumes unnecessarily.

What if I want to use scents and colors?

If you want scented candles, you first need to calculate the amount of fragrance you will use. The amount of fragrance should not be higher than 10% of the total weight of the wax, it is ideal to stay in the range of 4-10% and of course it is true that significant heavy scents can tolerate a lower concentration, light delicate scents need to be used more. And how to calculate it?

Simply. You use, for example, 100 grams of wax on your candle and you want to add 5 scents. So the calculation will be: 100 x 0.05 = 5. So you add 5 grams of essential oil, essential oil or fragrance.

Scents are added to the heated wax removed from the stove (so that the scent does not evaporate unnecessarily in a hot environment). After adding the scent to the wax, it is very important to stir the wax for at least 2 minutes with a stick, so that the substances are properly mixed and the wax molecules combine with the scents. Again, don't beat and don't hurry, only then pour slowly. Making candles is really a wonderful exercise in patience. :)

There is no need to weigh or count the amount of paint. You will be working with very small quantities. Candle colors are really only "at the tip of a knife" in the wax - chip off a piece of the color with a knife and mix the color in the wax. Keep in mind that the color of the melted wax is much more saturated than what the color of the hardened candle will be.

Before you start creating, we will throw in one more useful article, in which you will find a lot of tips and tricks that will make production easier and prevent many failures in advance. It's this one: Making candles from soy wax - the most common problems and their solutions! - Ekokoza.cz . Read it even if you use a different wax. :)

And that's it, you're equipped, ready. Now all you have to do is get down to it.

Enjoy making!