The Complete Guide to Candle Making

All right all of you out there. How many feel a tinge of guilt when you throw out the wax left over from the pillar candle you just finished burning? Do you lament the fact that you bought a dollar store candle, which refused to burn correctly? Don’t you wish that you knew of a way to reuse the wax to make your own hand-made candles? Well, look no further! Here’s the method I use that is the simplest as well as most cost-efficient way that I know.

First, collect the materials:

1. A 24 oz. coffee can, pinched in order to form a spout.
2. Wax. I buy inexpensive canning wax from my local grocery store. It burns just as well as the more expensive wax you find in the craft stores. You will need this to supplement your wax leftovers, unless you have a lot of leftovers.
3. For the scent, you have some choices: you can use pre-scented wax found in the craft stores, essential oils, or, if the wax you are recycling still has a lot of scent, you can just use that.
4. Wick can be found at a very inexpensive price at craft stores if you buy the long lengths.
5. If desired, you can also purchase wick anchors. These are what keep the wick standing up when the candle is almost burnt.
6. For color, you can buy pre-colored wax at the craft store, or you can use either your child’s crayons, or the wax candle you are recycling.
7. The mold that you pour the wax into can be one you buy at the craft store, or almost any plastic container you find around the house. I find that yogurt and cottage cheese containers work well; just make sure that the opening is larger that the base.
8. Some more odds and ends you will need are: a pencil, bamboo skewer or awl, and a pocketknife.

Now, all you do is place your wax leftovers in the coffee can along with the wax you bought and begin to melt it. To melt the wax, I place the coffee can filled with wax on the lowest flame possible. There will be some smoking at first as it begins to melt. This is normal. As soon as some wax melts, it will stop. Some people do say to place the coffee can in a pot of water, as a safety measure. If you feel more comfortable with this, feel free to do it. However, as I keep it under constant watch, and with a very low flame, I have never found a reason to do this.

The time it takes to melt will vary; depending on the amount of wax you are melting. As soon as it is completely melted, remove the can from the fire. You may now add the fragrance and color, if desired. Also, if you were melting a dollar store candle whole, you may now try to fish out the wick. I use two bamboo skewers in a kind of chopstick fashion.

Now would also be a good time to prepare the wick. Unwrap the wick so that it is in one long, straight length. Slowly ease it into the melted wax so that it is entirely covered except for the end you are holding. Carefully pull it out of the wax, pinching it through your thumb and forefinger as you go to wipe off the excess wax. It will now be much easier to handle and stay straight when you pour the wax in the mold.

While the wax is cooling, you may prepare the mold. If you are using a bought mold, follow the package directions for that particular mold. If you are using a container from around the house, all you need to do is attach the wick to the wick anchor and tie the wick to the pencil in such a way so that the wick is standing straight up and not sagging when the pencil is spanned across the top of the container.

To tell whether the wax is ready to pour, tilt the coffee can slightly. If it leaves a film of wax on the side of the can, it is ready to pour.

Slowly pour the wax into your mold. Leave enough wax in the can to “top off” the candle as it is cooling. As the candle cools, it will shrink somewhat. In order to keep the sides from shrinking inwards, poke a hole in the top of the candle with your bamboo skewer. This will relieve some of the pressure.

After about an hour, you will notice the top of the candle (where you poked the hole), start to be drawn into the center of the candle. This is when you will “top off” the candle. You may have to do this a couple of times, depending on the candle. When you pour more wax into the mold (to cover the hole), do not let any of the wax touch the edges of the mold, as it could seep in-between the candle and mold, making it harder to pop the candle out later.

The candle does take about six hours at room temperature to cool down. If you want to hurry the process along, feel free to place the candle in the refrigerator or freezer (but not too long). The candle is ready when it pops out easily. Just trim the wick and there you have your candle! If you have used a mold, you may notice seam lines on the candle. These can easily be removed by scraping them off with a pocketknife. When you are all done making your candles for the day, just leave any remaining wax in the can for the next time you make candles.

Now I will tell you of some of the special effects I produce in my candles:

• For a cracked appearance, leave the candle in the freezer for a couple of hours. When you pull it out of the freezer, it will crack as it starts to warm up.
• For a distressed look, let the wax form a thin film on the surface before you pour it into the mold. The appearance is quite primitive and rugged.
• A ‘glowing’ candle is made by taking some of the plain white wax and breaking it into cubes. Place these cubes in the mold so that they are touching the sides of the mold. Pour the wax as usual and cool. When you pop it out, you will see the white wax cubes. When the candle is lit, these cubes will appear to glow.
• A chunk candle is made in the same way as the ‘glowing’ candle, but instead of the plain white wax, use your candle leftovers. This is a great method to use when you only have a few scraps.
• You may also want to try adding glitter to the wax at the same time you add the scent and color.

I hope this article has taken some of the mystery out of candle making. It really is a very simple and rewarding craft. There is no end to the experimenting that can be done. Each candle you make will have its own unique, wonderful look, ready to be shared with a friend, or enjoyed in your own home.

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