Once upon a time I had an idea. I decided I would start a candle business, making candles and teaching classes through a local art and craft store. It lasted for about a year and resulted in lots of gifts to give to friends and family. The end.
There's a little more to the story than that but I did decide not become a professional candle maker. (I made more income from teaching candle classes than selling classes. You can read that story here).
Even though my aspirations as the next Yankee Candle Company dissipated, I still continue to make and gift candles. I make chunky candles you don't normally find in stores. It's easy and you can learn too.
Chunky candles have personality. You can blend colors and scents to make a candle just so for a person (or yourself) or to match the decor in your home.
Note: If you've never made candles before, do this: Grab a 40% off coupon from Michaels and buy a kit. The current brand at Michael's is "Art Minds" and they sell a kit for about $29.95. If this is a onetime project, it will be more affordable and less stressful to do it this way.
Note #2: Because I had a candle business, I have several molds, allowing me to batch the process and make several candles instead of one at a time. Even if you don't have multiple molds, consider using mason jars or other clear containers to create multiple candles. The only additional item you will need to buy is a wick with a flat bottom. Like these from Amazon.
Give yourself about a two hour window for this project. Note #3: Wax is flammable. If you allow wax to get above 300F, it can light on fire!
How do I know this? Because I walked away from it, got distracted by a movie and turned around to see my container of wax with flames leaping out of it. I put a lid on it, turned off the heat and all is well. But it gave me a fright and I don't want that to happen to you.
The max temperature the wax should get to is 220F for container candles (candles that are made with molds).
Always use a thermometer for the wax. If one does not come with the kit, a candy thermometer works just perfectly.
Materials
Thermometer
Paraffin wax
Container to melt wax (I use a container from Yaley). Other brands like Art Mind sell a container. And I recently saw wax that can be melted in the microwave. Which would make this endeavor much faster
an old cookie sheet
an old butter knife (that you don't want to use for food anymore).
Colors, Scents (personal preference. Colors are sold in liquid or blocks and sometimes come in packs).
Candle mold or found objects
Wick
Screw and putty
Wooden spoon
Instructions
It may look like a lot of materials, but several are found items around the house. Once you see how it is done, I think you'll find it is pretty straight forward.
- Heat up a chunk of wax over low heat, about one pound. Always use low heat. Always use a thermometer.
- When the wax has melted, add the color. This is the wax for the chunks. The wax should be about 200-220F. Stir the wax so the color distributes evenly. Pour the wax slowly into the cookie sheet. (If the wax is hotter than 220F, turn off the heat and let it sit until it is between 200-220F.)
- If you want another color for the chunks, repeat steps one and two. I typically make my colors for the chunks the day before or early in the morning so there is ample time for the wax to set up. It takes about an hour from pour to cutting it for chunks.
- To make the candle: Put on a pound of wax to heat for the candle. Turn the heat on low. Always use a thermometer.
- While the wax is heating, begin the prep for you candle. Make sure the inside of the mold is clean. Any dirt, scraps or pieces of wax will show up on the outside of your candle if they are left in the mold.
- Cut the wick. It needs to be about two inches longer than the mold. Dip the wick into the melting wax and let it dry, about ten seconds. Then flip it and do it to the other side. This thickens the wick and will help it burn better.
- Put the wick through the candle, leaving about an inch out. Put the screw in the hole and use a small screwdriver to rotate it. Rotate it firmly but not too tight.
8. Wrap the remaining wick around the screw.
9. Cover it with the putty. Note: if you have a mold with edges that leave a lift, you can liberally apply the putty. However, if the mold only has a slight indent, cover with putty but ensure it can still stand straight. If it is lopsided, it will created a lopsided candle.
10. Flip the candle to a standing position. Take the other side of the wick and tie around a pencil or paintbrush and let the pencil sit horizontally on the mold. This ensure the wick doesn't get lost in the candle.
11. If the wax in the cookie sheets is dry, use a butter knife to cut them I push the knife in at a 90 degree angle and apply pressure so the crack goes out like ice breaking on a frozen pond. Then I break all those chunks into smaller chunks. This is up to you! Do you like big chunks or little chunks? Different sizes create different looks for candles.
12. Begin to drop in the chunks around the wick. Don't let the wick veer from the middle! Otherwise the candle will burn in a very funny direction. (sorry, these pictures are not the best! Please leave any questions in the comment section).
13. Fill up the candle with chunks up to the top without letting the chunks extend above the time. Once the wax has heated on the stove, add the color and fragrance and turn off the heat.
Color Note: The wax will harden in a less intense color than what is seen when it is liquid. If you think the color is too bright, it will soften. If you want a bright, bold color, add more dye.
14. Slowly pour in the wax. Tap the candle with the wooden spoon. This will help air bubbles get out.
15. The candles will begin to harden. Trapped air will cause the wax to sink into little holes in the top of the candle. When you see this, heat up the leftover wax and fill the holes. This may have to be done multiple times.
16. The hardening time takes about 90 minutes to 120 minutes. I know they are ready when there is a slight opening between the candle and the mold, when the candle is literally releasing itself from the mold. Sometimes I stick them into the fridge so they hurry up and harden but this can alter the appearance of the candle slightly).
17. Take off the putty, unwind the wick and remove the screw. Turn the candle over and see if it will come out of the mold. Sometimes I squeeze the mold and manipulate it to encourage the candle to come out. If it isn't budging, give it some more time to harden. Once it has released from the mold, trim the wick as short as it will go on the bottom (the part of the wick tied around the pencil) and take about a quarter inch off on the top of the candle.
Aren't these lovely!? You have a unique candle, ready to be wrapped in tissue paper to give as a gift or keep for your home and enjoyment.
You can do many different color designs for multiple styles. Many times I will create colored chunks and add a white to the wax that is the pour over. The hotter the wax, the more it will melt the chunks, creating more of a blended color (but don't let wax exceed 230F).
Making white chunks and pouring colored wax over them works nicely too. You can't ruin these candles. Occasionally I'll get a stinker but it's very rare. The more you play with the wax and the colors, the prettier the candles will get.
While candle making can be a onetime project, I think it is most enjoyed after you've made several and can move through the steps with some fluidity.
What's the cost?
Now that I have my molds and basic supplies, my main supply to replenish is the wax. Every once in a while I need to replenish my wick and colors but this is rare. I use coupons to buy my wax, paying about $12 for 9-10 pounds of wax. Each large candle will use about a pound of wax so my cost now for making candles is $1. Pretty good compared to the price of Yankee Candles.
What questions do you have about making chunky candles ? Leave them in the comment section and I will answer them.
The post How to Make a Chunky Candle for Christmas appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.