How to Make Molded Candles

Guide Note: Many people enjoy the ambience created by a beautiful pillar candle or several votives, but not everyone knows that making your own candles is not as hard as it seems. How to Make Molded Candles will take you through the process of making your own, beautiful, molded candles so you can satisfy your crafty urges and beautify your home at the same time.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Step 1: Assemble Your Equipment
• Step 2: Prepare the Mold
• Step 3: Melt the Wax
• Step 4: Pour the Wax
• Step 5: Add the Wick
• Step 6: Allow Candle to Cool
• Step 7: Poke Relief Holes
• Step 8: Re-Pour the Wax
• Step 9: Allow Candle to Cool Again
• Step 10: Remove Candle from Mold
• Step 11: Trim the Wick
• Conclusion
• Resources

• by Liz Casler

Introduction

Creative Commons photo by Bob Milsom

• If you like candles and are even a little bit crafty, chances are that you've given a thought to making your own at home. Not only do candles provide soothing natural light to your living spaces, they can also be attractive additions to the decor of your home. Molded candles can come in many shapes and sizes. Votive and pillar candles are two of the most popular types. Molds allow you to create free-standing candles to set on candle holders. While molded candles are harder to make than rolled, gel, or container candles, the end product is worth the effort. And while molded candles may seem exotic, with a few ingredients and a little bit of information, you can be making your own in no time.

Step 1: Assemble Your Equipment

• It's best to get all of your materials together before you begin to melt your wax. You can order almost anything you'll need at Peak Candle Supplies or by going to a local store that sells candle-making supplies. If the mold you purchase comes with instructions, be sure to check them to see if any special equipment needed.
  

  Wick (Creative Commons photo by Marieke Kuijjer)
  1. Wicks -- The candle’s wick delivers wax (fuel) to the flame. It must deliver the right amount of melted wax for the candle to burn well. Therefore, wick choice is very important. The type you’ll need will depend on the other materials that you’re using. Glory Bee Foods, Inc. has a wick chart to help you determine what size wick to use.
     1. Flat wicks are the most common wicks, and are used in taper and pillar candles. They tend to self-trim and are composed of flat plaited or knitted fibers.
     2. Square wicks are also used in taper and pillar candles. They’re good for beeswax candles, and to prevent fragrances and colorants from clogging the wick.
     3. Cored wicks have a core substance in the middle of the wick to help hold it upright. They’re used in jar, pillar, votive, and devotional candles.
     4. Other wicks are designed for special types of candles.
  2. Wax -- The wax you use will depend on what type of candle you want to make. There’s no particular wax that is best for candles, but some waxes work better than others for certain kinds of candles. No matter what kind of wax you decide on, make sure to get a high quality product.
     1. Paraffin is the most commonly used wax. It’s inexpensive, and comes in varieties with different melt points.
     2. Beeswax burns more slowly than many other waxes, and smells sweet naturally. If you’re using a mold, though, it can stick, since it doesn’t shrink much as it cools.
     3. Soy Bean Wax sticks well to the inside of containers, but still slides out of molds fairly easily. You’ll need a larger wick if you use soy.
  3. Thermometer -- Candle wax must be heated to specific temperatures.
  4. Wick Tabs -- For candle molds that don't have a wick hole, you’ll either need pre-tabbed wicks, or you’ll have to attach tabs to the wicks yourself.
  5. Mold
  6. Double boiler (or other system for heating wax indirectly)
  7. Wick bar (for certain molds)
  8. Wick screw (for certain molds)
  9. Mold sealer or masking tape (for certain molds)
  10. Silicone spray
  11. Stick
  12. Container of cold water (only needed if you use a cold water bath to speed the cooling of your candles)
  13. Mold weight (only needed if you use a cold water bath to speed the cooling of your candles)

Optional Additions

• 1. Fragrance -- Scented candles account for about 75% of candles sold in the U.S. If you decide to put fragrance in your own candles, you must know how much to add, or they will not burn properly.
  2. Colorant -- Both dyes and pigments are used to create colored candles. Dyes burn well and are used to color candle wax all the way through. Pigments don’t burn well, so are usually used just on the outer edges of candles.

Step 2: Prepare the Mold

Candle Mold (Creative Commons photo by Zenobia Joy)

• Some candle molds have a small hole for the wick and you’ll need to thread it. For these molds, your wicks won’t need tabs. Spraying the inside of any mold so it won’t stick is always a good idea.
  1. Pull the wick all the way through the center of the mold.
  2. Secure it at the other end with your wick bar.
  3. Use the wick screw to tighten the wick and secure it where you inserted it.
  4. Prevent the hole from leaking by sealing it with the mold sealer or masking tape.
  5. Spray the inside of the mold with silicone spray.

Step 3: Melt the Wax

• Once you've got everything else ready, you can prepare the wax for your candle.
  1. Melt your wax over low heat.
  2. Introduce any additives into your wax, such as color or fragrance, once it has reached the correct pouring temperature. Add any dye last.

Step 4: Pour the Wax

• Your mold should always be at room temperature or warmer when you pour your wax.
  1. Pour your wax when it reaches the correct temperature:
     1. Beeswax: between 150° and 170° Fahrenheit.
     2. Paraffin: between 190° and 200°
     3. Soy: between 155° and 165°
     4. Crystallizing: between 160° and 180°
     5. Gel: between 185° and 203°
  2. Save some of your wax for a second pour. The larger your mold, the more wax you'll need to reserve.

Step 5: Add the Wick

• If you’re making molded candles without a wick hole, such as votives, you should add the tabbed wick shortly after you pour the wax for the first time.
  1. Insert the wick when the wax begins to congeal. The tab should stick to the bottom.
  2. Straighten the wick whenever you need to as the candle cools.

Step 6: Allow Candle to Cool

• You can either allow the candle to cool on its own, or use a cold water bath to speed up the process. If you’re using the water method, make sure that the bath is large enough to contain the full height of the candle. Don’t allow water to get into the mold.
  1. Allow the candle to cool for about 30 seconds so that any air bubbles can rise to the top before immersing the mold in the water bath.
  2. Attach a weight to the bottom of the mold to make sure that the candle doesn’t float up or tip.
  3. Lower the mold into the cold water bath.

Step 7: Poke Relief Holes

• Relief holes help to prevent air bubbles from forming in the candle and will help them maintain their intended form. If you’re using a cold water bath to cool your candle, the holes should be poked after about 45 minutes. Otherwise, wait for the candle’s surface to solidify somewhat.
  1. Poke a long, narrow stick into the candle in its mold.
  2. Space several relief holes evenly around the wick of the candle.
  3. Don’t poke the stick all the way to the bottom.

Step 8: Re-Pour the Wax

• Most waxes contract as they cool, leaving a well or air pockets in the candle. For this reason, you'll need to add more wax after the candle has begun to cool.
  1. Reheat your wax to 5-10° hotter than the original pouring temperature.
  2. Pour your wax into the space left by the shrinking of the wax. If you’ve made relief holes, pour the wax into them. You may need to repeat this process several times, until you no longer have a well in the candle.

Step 9: Allow Candle to Cool Again

• Once you’ve done your re-pour, you must allow the candle to cool completely through. The amount of time this takes will depend on the size of the candle and the type of wax you used.

Step 10: Remove Candle from Mold

• If you used silicone spray to prep your mold, the candle should slide out easily. Dents in a mold make it harder to extract the candle.
  1. Take off the mold sealer and wick screw, if you used them.
  2. Remove the wick bar.
  3. Tap the mold and the candle should fall free.
  4. Don’t dent the mold trying to get the candle out. If absolutely necessary, pouring hot water over the mold will loosen the wax, but may also damage the candle.

Step 11: Trim the Wick

• Your wick needs to be the correct length to burn properly. If it's too short, it will drown in the pool of wax that forms as the candle burns. If it's too long, it will smoke and oxygen won't feed the flame properly.
  1. The bottom of the candle is the end the wick rod was attached to. Trim the wick down to the wax at this end.
  2. Trim the business end of your wick (the end you light) to within 1/4-1/2 inch from the wax.

Conclusion

• Candles make a beautiful accent for your home, and homemade candles make especially good gifts for friends and family. As your candle-making prowess grows, branch out and experiment with other types of candles, such as dipped tapers.

Enjoy your candle! (Creative Commons photo by Carsten Tolkmit)

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Resources for How to Make Molded Candles

• Bear Creek Candle Company: Wick Trimmers and Dippers
• CandleTech.com: Getting Started with Making Pillar Candles
• CandleTech.com: How to Make Votive Candles
• CandleMakerSupplies.com: Making Candles in a Metal Mold
• CandleMakerSupplies.com: Making Glass Container Candles
• CandleMakerSupplies.com: Melting Wax
• CandleMakerSupplies.com: Types of Wax
• CandleMakerSupplies.com: Wick Chart
• General Wax: Frequently Asked Questions
• National Candle Association: Colorants
• National Candle Association: Fragrance
• National Candle Association: Wax
• National Candle Association: Wicks
• Peak Candle Supplies

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