Making Perfect “Scents”

Written by Tom Xavier

Who says you have to spend upwards of 10 bucks for a nicely-colored, scented candle?

So, class, today’s topic is: how to make candles at home. it’s easier than you realize.

Candles are a source of light that can delight the senses and set the mood for a relaxing evening. The best part of home candle making is that for the cost of one or two CDs, you can make your own supply of candles to last you through many a romantic night or allow you to give multiple decorative gifts.

You will need two pots because you should never melt wax over direct heat. Just like grease, wax of any kind has a low flash point (a point where it will burst into flames)!

Whether you are making special colored candles for a particular holiday, preparing a gift for a friend, or stocking up for a disaster (kidding), having a solid idea about what colors and scents you want to use for your candle making will help you create a game plan (and a shopping list).

When you’re ready to go, take the larger pot and fill it 3/4 full with water. Put this pot over high heat until it boils, then turn the heat down to a setting between low and medium.

Next, take the second pot, the wax pouring pot, and set it on top of the first. This creates a double boiler and gives you a source of heat to melt your wax, but insulates your wax against that evil flash point.

Tip: Never leave melting wax unattended. It may seem to take a long time to get the wax to go from solid to liquid, but once it has liquefied, the temperature will rise sharply. The flash point of wax is typically above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, but never let it go over 200 degrees. The best temperature is 160.

GET POURING! Here’s what you’ll need to start

• Candle wax (with additives)
• Dyes
• Scented oil (optional)
• Glass containers with lids or candle molds
• Wicks (pre-tabbed)
• Wooden skewers or clothespins
• Cooking thermometer
• Hot glue gun/glue
• Wax pouring container (melting pot)
• A single pot big enough to hold the melting pot

Fill this top pot with the proper amount of wax for the size and number of candles you are preparing.

While the wax is melting, you can prepare your containers. Use a hot glue gun to attach the pre-tabbed wicks to the bottom of your glass or ceramic containers. Tie the wick to a wooden skewer (or clothespin) and rest outside the mouth of the container to keep the wick straight during pouring.

Once the wax is ready (remember, 160 degrees) add in your scents and dyes. There are guides for how much to add on the backs of these products, but it is up to your own nose. Still, ten drop of any fragrance is generally enough. If you want scented oil ideas, cinnamon or baked apple would be nice in the kitchen and rose or lavender are best for the bathroom or a guest room.

When you’re ready to pour, keep in mind that wax splashes, so pour carefully. If it is a container with a lid, remember to fill it only to a level that will leave enough room for the lid to properly fit back on the finished candle.

Note: Save about 20 percent of the wax in the pouring pitcher for the next step. Do NOT return it to the heat source.

Allow the wax to completely cool before proceeding. This will typically be six or more hours. Slow cooling generally provides the best results when it comes to container candles.

Once your candle has completely cooled, you might notice that the wax has sunken a bit in the middle.

With the wax that you saved from the previous step, melt it back down and bring it to a temperature of 185 degrees F. You bring it to a higher temperature for the second pour because it increases the adhesion between layers of wax.

Once the candle has cooled completely, you can trim the wick. From there, you can either wrap and start gifting or enjoy these homemade candles yourself!

Wax Facts

Per pound of wax, you will get about 20 ounces of volume. To find how much wax you will need, multiply the number of candles you are making by the amount of wax each container will hold, and then divide that by 20. For example, if you want to make 30 8-ounce candles: 30 (containers) x 8 (ounces per container) = 240 total ounces/20 = 12 pounds of wax needed.

candles©istockphoto.com/pixelfit/gigishots

Article appeared in our 28-4 Issue - October 2011