Allison with East Creek Candle Co shares a recap with us and some pointers when making your own candles:
Did you know: there is really no need to buy expensive candle making equipment when you’re first starting out? Most of what you need (besides the oil and wax) can be found in your very own kitchen!
We learned 2 things about soy wax:
1. It has a memory pool, which is why it’s important for the first burn to keep your candle lit for about 2 hours until the wax melts to the sides of the jar. That way every burn after that will be even all the way down the sides of the jar.
2. Soy is biodegradable, renewable and clean burning making it an excellent wax for the first time candle makers.
We also learned some basic candle care:
1. Trim wicks before every single burn because you never want your flame to be super long and releasing smoke. If it does happen, blow it out, trim your wick and relight it.
2. If it’s a cotton wick you can simply pinch off the excess wick and throw it away.
3. After making your candles, don’t forget to wait 24 hours to trim the wicks and 4 days before burning so it can adequately cure.
Helpful equipment in candle making: Large glass pyrex pouring container for melting the wax, a smaller glass container for measuring fragrance oil, a spoon for mixing the oil and wax, kitchen scale for weighing all ingredients, thermometer to test the temperature of the wax, paper straw and hot glue gun or foam sticker to place on the wick, canning jars or whatever you’re using as your container and then of course the wax, wick and fragrance oil.
Keep in mind that it’s important to buy your wax and oils from a reputable source online, so you know you are getting high quality ingredient. A few websites that I personally use for supplies: Flaming Candle Company and Candle Science. I would also encourage you to look for a wax that is 100% soy based (Golden Wax, Nature Wax, and Eco Soya). Be sure to read the reviews about fragrance oils before buying to see what others are saying.
Candle making is fun, rewarding and super easy for a first timer! I hope you feel empowered to make that leap and buy your own supplies to try it at home! HAPPY CANDLE MAKING FRIENDS!