How to Make Basic Poured Candles

The advent of mass-­produced candles and the invention of electricity have made the art of candle-making less common in most households. But commercially made candles don't always have the lovely shapes or colors that you can achieve when making candles at home. Luckily, the candle-making process is relatively straightforward—the tools and methods of home candle-making are almost as simple today as they were thousands of years ago. Here, you'll learn how to make poured candles using melted wax.

Tools and Materials

Make sure you have these tools and materials on hand when making candles.

Wax

Good quality wax will burn cleanly and slowly. Wax is typically sold in blocks for poured candles and in sheets for rolled and cut candles. Common waxes include:

• Beeswax: Beeswax is often used for rolled and cut candles and has a gorgeous pale golden color and a faint honey scent.
• Soy wax: Soy wax is made from soybeans and is a great natural option.
• Paraffin wax: Petroleum-­based paraffin wax is the affordable option and is typically sold in bead pellets.

Wicks

You'll also need a wick to burn. Your candle mold should come with instructions as to which type of wick to use, but generally, thinner wicks are for small candles, and thicker wicks are for larger candles. (If a wick is too thin, the flame will be small and may be snuffed out while burning. If a wick is too thick, the flame will melt the wax too quickly.) Common wicks include:

• Flat-braided cotton: A good all-purpose wick, flat-braided cotton should work for most candle-making projects.
• Square-­braided cotton: Square-braided is a sturdier option that works well for larger candles.
• Cored: Usually with a zinc core, cored wicks are stiffer and great for votive and container candles.

Molds

Molds are what give your candles their shape. Simple shapes like rounds, ovals, squares, and stars are often made of metal. More intricate molds may be made of plastic or flexible rubber.

Skewers

A skewer, pencil, or stick is needed to place across the opening of the mold. The wick is tied to the skewer so that it remains taut when the wax is poured. Additionally, a skewer is used to release any air bubbles that form during the candle-making process.

Bucket

Once the wax is melted and poured into the mold, you will need a bucket, pot, sink, or bath filled with cold water to place the mold into. This helps the wax cool down quicker.

Essential Oils

Adding fragrance to handmade candles is not necessary, but if you wish to make scented candles, use natural essential oils or fragrance oils intended for candle-making, as some oils are flammable. Natural essential oils are extracted from the bark, berries, roots, or seeds of a plant. Fragrance oils (usually mixed with synthetic oils) can be made to mimic the scents of essential oils.

Dye

If you want your candles to have color, dye is another essential material. Dyes used to tint melted wax come in several forms, including blocks, cakes, chips, flakes, and liquids.

How to Make Basic Poured Candles

Follow these steps to make basic poured candles.

1. Coat the interior of the mold with mold-release spray or nonstick cooking spray.
2. Fix a length of wick to the bottom of the mold according to its instructions (wick putty can be used here to keep the wax from leaking out; strong tape also works).
3. Turn the mold over. Place a pencil, skewer, or stick across the opening of the mold. Pull the wick up the center of the mold and tie it to the stick so that it will remain taut once the wax has been poured.
4. Melt wax in the microwave at 30-second intervals until fully liquified.
5. Optional: Add your dye and essential oils to the melted wax to give it color and fragrance.
6. Pour melted wax into the prepared mold until it is about 1 1/2 inches below the rim.
7. Using pot holders, place the filled mold in a cold-­water bath—a bucket works fine. (This will cool the wax more quickly, but it is an optional step.) Let the mold sit for about 30 minutes.
8. As air bubbles rise to the top, a small well will form around the wick. Insert a long, thin instrument, such as a wooden skewer, into the well to allow air bubbles to escape, then fill the well 3/4 full with more melted wax.
9. Repeat the process again after 45 minutes, then remove the mold from the water bath. Allow the mold to cool and harden completely (up to 24 hours).
10. Remove the putty from the bottom to release the wick.
11. Working from the other end, gently pull the candle from the mold.
12. The end that was at the base of the mold will be the top of the candle. Trim that wick to 1/4 inch and the wick at the other end (which was attached to the pencil) so it's flush with the candle.