Introduction
With the cold weather drawing in, learning to make candles at home is a fun DIY craft project for you and your family. Nothing is better than a cozy fire and the smell of burning candles whilst settling in for an evening of movies or board games. You can buy plenty of good-smelling candles from home stores like T.J. Maxx, but why not give making your own a go?
In this article, I’ll take you through the different types of candles you can make at home. Then, I’ll explain the basic steps that go into making a simple wax candle. This is a fun little DIY project that will make your home smell amazing. Or, you could even use your candles as birthday and Christmas gifts!
Different Types Of Candles
There are a few different types of candles to make at home. Some require more time and supplies than others. Let’s go through the basic types of candles before we get into how to make them.
Pillar And Votive Candles
Pillar candles are extremely basic and can be a simple choice if you want to make candles at home. They are simply free-standing blocks of wax with a wick. You put them on a candle mat or stand to burn them. This technique is often used in molds to pour all sorts of amazing candle shapes. There are plenty of great, basic pillar candles you can buy online.
A votive candle is simple a pillar candle that you put into a container. When inserted, the candle is free-standing. Once you begin to melt it, it fills the shape of the container.
Dipped Candles
Dipped candles are what it says in the name. You dip a wick into a vat of wax repeatedly until it builds up into a candle. This is a very cool technique, as it can be used to create multi-colored and layered designs. It’s a bit of a complex one if you want to make candles at home, though!
Rolled Candles
Next up, rolled candles. These are made with semi-soft sheets of wax that are then rolled into a pillar shape. They are relatively easy to make but take a bit more equipment and preparation than some other types of candles.
Container Candles – The Easiest Candles To Make At Home
Next, container candles are the simplest choice when making candles at home. You just pour your melted wax into a container and let it set. You don’t need any complex equipment or molds to do this. This will be the type of candle I tell you how to make yourself in the next section of this article.
Equipment For Making Candles
There are a few things you’ll need to make candles at home. This is a tutorial for basic container candles. Get the following:
- Cooking pot
- Stove
- Wax
- Wick
- Container
- Fragrance
- Color
- Mixing utensils
The color, fragrance, wick, and also wax types are all up to you. I’ll discuss this in the tutorial steps.
Steps To Make Candles At Home – Container Candles
Now you’ve got an idea of the equipment you’ll need, we can get into how to make candles at home!
1. Choose A Wax, Wick And Container
First, you need to choose the different components of your candles. You can pick between different types of wax, such as paraffin, soy, gel, beeswax, and palm wax. Some are more versatile or better for the environment than others, so do your research first.
You also need to pick a wick type. There are also many types of candlewick, just like candle wax. Check out this guide to the different types of wicks available to help make your choice.
Finally, you need to choose a container to work with. This can be absolutely anything you want. Mason jars, old glassware, and also vintage teacups or pots are great containers for making candles at home. Just make sure it isn’t flammable and hasn’t got any holes for the wax to leak through.
2. Pick Fragrance And Color
Next, you need to pick a fragrance and also color. Whilst you can make completely plain candles, many people prefer them to be a bit more aesthetic and smell nice. You can use essential oils or special candle-making oils to scent your wax. Think about the types of fragrances you like in your home. Spiced, musky, and rich smells are great for Winter candles. Go for fresher, lighter, and more floral scents for the warmer months. Fresh linen and cotton smells are also brilliant year-round options.
Candles look great in plain wax colors, but you might want to add a little something extra to yours for fun. You can also get specific candle dye for this.
3. Set Up Your Wick And Container
Once you’ve picked all the components, you can set up your wick and container. They often come with a stand at the bottom, so it’s very easy to do. Place the wick where you want it to sit in the container. Don’t trim it yet: you’ll do that as the final part of the process of making candles at home. It’s that simple!
4. Heat And Pour The Wax
Put your solid wax into your cooking pot over your stove. Heat the wax until it melts. Add in the color and fragrance you’ve picked. Mix well, but don’t boil.
Once melted, scented, and colored, you can pour the wax into the container with the wick. Let the wax cool completely and then set. Finally, trim the wick down to size. And there you have it: a very easy way to make candles at home!
