Tips on How to Make Your Own Soy Candles
The first step in making soy candles is gathering your materials and deciding how many you would like to make. Each soy votive will require 2 ounces of soy wax. Gather your soy wax, melting pot, containers, wicks, dye, and fragrance, and prepare your working area.
Start by melting the soy wax in the pot, and add the dye once the temperature is between 170 and 180 degrees add your dye and fragrance. Stir the soy wax to make sure the dye and fragrance blends properly with the substance, giving you an even color and scent. Use a flat bottomed wire whisk for stirring if possible, as it works well with this solution. For candles that will be in direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting, add U.V. inhibitors with the fragrance and dye.
When adding dye to the soy wax, it is important to make sure you do not use anything other than candle dye, as crayons, paint, food coloring and other items may clog the wick, damage it, and keep it from burning.
Once you have reached your desired color and fragrance, slowly pour your soy votive candles. Heat up your mold or container slightly, as pouring the wax into a cold container will produce unwanted lines in the finished product.
After the wax is poured you can now prepare to add the wick, however do not do it right away. Allow the wax to cool slightly before adding the wick. Straighten the wick, and once the soy wax has developed a thin skin across the diameter of your candle mold you can insert the wick into the candle. Hold the wick at the very tip and carefully push the wick through the soft top layer of skin. If you notice a circle in the middle of the candle where you pushed the wick it needs to be fixed before it hardens. The best way to fix it is to wave a flame over the top of the candle very quickly.
You can choose to use a mini butane torch or propane torch to quickly touch the flame to the wax and smooth it out again. Doing this will cover up the imperfection in the candle
caused when you centered the wick in it.The important concept to remember is to move the flame across the soy wax to re-melt it, back and forth quickly, so that you do not catch the fire to the wick and burn it.
Once everything is in place, you are nearly finished. Wait until the candle is cooled and set, making sure not to touch, move or bump it for approximately five hours. When ready, carefully pull it out of the mold and you will now have a beautiful soy candle.
Start by melting the soy wax in the pot, and add the dye once the temperature is between 170 and 180 degrees add your dye and fragrance. Stir the soy wax to make sure the dye and fragrance blends properly with the substance, giving you an even color and scent. Use a flat bottomed wire whisk for stirring if possible, as it works well with this solution. For candles that will be in direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting, add U.V. inhibitors with the fragrance and dye.
When adding dye to the soy wax, it is important to make sure you do not use anything other than candle dye, as crayons, paint, food coloring and other items may clog the wick, damage it, and keep it from burning.
Once you have reached your desired color and fragrance, slowly pour your soy votive candles. Heat up your mold or container slightly, as pouring the wax into a cold container will produce unwanted lines in the finished product.
After the wax is poured you can now prepare to add the wick, however do not do it right away. Allow the wax to cool slightly before adding the wick. Straighten the wick, and once the soy wax has developed a thin skin across the diameter of your candle mold you can insert the wick into the candle. Hold the wick at the very tip and carefully push the wick through the soft top layer of skin. If you notice a circle in the middle of the candle where you pushed the wick it needs to be fixed before it hardens. The best way to fix it is to wave a flame over the top of the candle very quickly.
You can choose to use a mini butane torch or propane torch to quickly touch the flame to the wax and smooth it out again. Doing this will cover up the imperfection in the candle
caused when you centered the wick in it.The important concept to remember is to move the flame across the soy wax to re-melt it, back and forth quickly, so that you do not catch the fire to the wick and burn it.
Once everything is in place, you are nearly finished. Wait until the candle is cooled and set, making sure not to touch, move or bump it for approximately five hours. When ready, carefully pull it out of the mold and you will now have a beautiful soy candle.