Name: How to Make Soy Candles: A Beginner's Guide
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How to Make Soy Candles: A Beginner's Guide

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;Skip to contentLearn how to make soy candles with this simple step-by-step tutorial. These natural handmade candles make perfect gifts!Natural soy candles are the perfect handmade gifts! But when I first started researching natural candles, I quickly learned that candle-making is a little trickier than I had imagined.What’s more, every guide and tutorial I found recommended weighing out the wax and fragrance oils, using a double-boiler, etc. I never found the ultra-simple guide I was looking for, so I’m writing it myself.If you want to make soy wax melts, check out this tutorial. Wax melts are also a great way to use up any extra scented wax left over after you pour your candles!This guide is a quick-start soy candle tutorial. If you’re looking for more information about the different varieties of candle wax, fragrance oils, wax dye, wick types, etc., you’ll find answers to all your questions in this post:How to Make Candles: A Beginner’s GuideA. Organix Soy Wax Flakes (10 lbs) + 150 cotton wicks + 3 wick holdersB. Brajttt Favor Jars with Cork Lids (30)– these come with cute tags too!C. Glotoch 10oz. Mason Jars with Lids (12 pack)D. Digital Instant-Read ThermometerE. Pyrex Glass Measuring CupsF. Natural Wood Candle Wicks with Stands (60)With these natural soy wax flakes, I found that about 4 cups will melt down to about 2 cups.Use a microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Heat the wax, starting with one-minute increments. Stir it thoroughly each time. After two one-minute sessions in the microwave, cut the time down to 30 seconds.If you plan to add fragrance oil to your candles, you’ll want to heat your soy wax to approximately 175 degrees. If your wax gets too hot, you can either wait for it to cool, or stir in a small handful of wax flakes. This folding digital meat thermometer makes it easy to check the temperature.If you want to add color to your soy candles, this is the time to sprinkle in some wax colorant. Note: Most of the candles pictured in this tutorial don’t have color added.My favorite wax dye from Amazon comes in little chips that make it very easy to control the amount of dye you’re adding.Sprinkle in a few wax chips. They should begin to melt/dissolve immediately. Then stir them in until there are no specks of color left.If you still have specks of wax dye after a minute or so, pop the wax back into the microwave for 30 seconds and stir again. If you do this, just be sure your wax is back down in the 175-185 degree range when you add your fragrance oil in the next step.One more note about wax dye: Soy wax is opaque in its solid state, so the color will look much lighter once the wax has cooled.Add about 3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) of fragrance oil to 2 cups of melted wax. Stir it thoroughly with a fork, and continue to stir for about 2 minutes to ensure everything is well-incorporated.Notice how you can see the oil, still not fully incorporated in the picture below? You’ll want to keep stirring until the wax looks clear again. It may take a few minutes.Now let the soy wax cool until it starts to look cloudy. While you wait, you can prep your containers and wicks.For the cotton wicks, use a hot glue gun to add a dot of glue to the bottom of the wick and attach it to the bottom center of the container.Use a wick holder to hold the wick in place. The wick will soften and bend once you add hot wax to the container, so it’s important to secure it. These handy metal wick holders came with the wax I bought on Amazon.Once the wax has begun to cool and it’s starting to look a little cloudy, it’s time to pour your candles. If you pour the wax when it’s too hot, it can separate from the sides of your container. This isn’t a huge deal, but it will look better if you let it cool.Carefully pour the wax into the jars, about 1/4 inch from where you want the top to be. You’ll do a second pour after it cools to fill it the rest of the way and add any decoration to the top.Let the candles cool completely. This will take a few hours, depending on the size of your jars.You may notice that the tops of the candles have some holes and uneven spots, but don’t worry. We’re going to do a second pour after this one cools and hardens, so save a little bit of scented wax in your measuring cup.Pop your wax back into the microwave for 30 seconds, or until it’s just melted. Then carefully pour just enough wax to cover the top of the existing candle and fill in any holes.Now you can sprinkle on a few dried flowers, bits of orange peel, cloves, or whatever you like. It’s important to make sure they are small, since they will burn. I also recommend keeping them as far as possible from the wick.Use scissors to trim the wick. The wood wicks are very thin, so any scissors should work.Scented candles need to cure for a minimum of three days in order to give off maximum scent when you burn them (known as “hot throw” in the candle making world).The ideal cure time for natural waxes like soy and beeswax is more like 2-3 weeks. But I’m not an especially patient girl. It’s also important to keep them covered, which is why I chose glass containers with lids for my DIY candles.You will come across a lot of complicated explanations of how to calculate the exact amount of fragrance oil to add based on a particular variety of wax’ “fragrance load”. But it gets complicated, requires weighing different ingredients, etc. So I put together this chart to help you determine the correct amount of oil for your soy candles:These are my favorite inexpensive candle jars and tins, and I’ve organized them by volume.The size and number of wicks should be determined by the width of your candle container. In order to get the most life and enjoyment (burn time and hot throw) from your candle, the goal is for the hot wax pool to fill the entire width of the container, like this:See how the melted wax goes all the way to the edges of these jars? Keep in mind these candles had been burning for at least an hour when I took these photos.I originally tried using a single cotton wick for this size of container, and when the candle burned, it only created a small wax pool in the center.This leaves all the wax around the edges untouched and going to waste.I ended up ordering wood wicks to use with these larger jars, and as you can see above, they are just right. They also give a fancier au natural vibe to the candles. You can also use two or more wicks to get a larger wax pool in a wider candle.Another solution to this problem is to use more than one wick if your candle vessel has a larger diameter (see above). I often use two, or even three cotton wicks to ensure the wax pool fills the container completely.I was originally planning to use essential oils in my all-natural candles. But after some experimenting (read wasting A LOT of expensive essential oils in my first few batches of candles!), I realized that this just doesn’t work. I was bummed to realize this, but still determined to make gorgeous DIY scented candles.If you want to make the most of your essential oils, I recommend diffusing them instead. I also love to use them to make homemade bath salts, room spray, DIY Poo-Pourri (tutorial coming soon!), chapstick, bath bombs, hand lotion, foot scrub, etc.But there is a great alternative. You can get natural plant-derived candle fragrance oils from Makesy. Here’s a list of the best candle fragrance oils I’ve personally tested– and I’ve tried hundreds of different oils from multiple companies- and no one is paying me to say this!If you want to add decoration to your candles, I recommend using very small bits of decorative items, such as tiny dried flowers, fir needles, bits of lemon or orange peel, cloves, etc. You can check out my ultra-simple dried orange peel tutorial here.I added cloves to the top of this Spiced Pear Scented Soy Candle:Remember that whatever you incorporate into your candles will eventually burn, and larger items can be a fire hazard. Not to mention smell bad when they burn, and look ugly!See what happened when I added a bunch of pine needles to this candle? It looked great until I burned it… and then this:I also found that it’s almost impossible to get the larger decorative items to show on the sides of your candle once the soy wax hardens, since it’s opaque. You may have better luck with this using paraffin, since it’s a bit more translucent.I had this fabulous idea to make large candles with dried orange slices around the outside. But it just didn’t really work. See what I mean? You may have better luck with this using paraffin, since it’s a bit more translucent.You can’t even really see the orange slices. I ended up using the dried orange slices to decorate the outsides of the candle jars instead, and I think it looks MUCH better!Printfrom votesThe Best Candle Jars &amp; Tins &amp; Where to Get ThemWhat is the Best Wax for Candles? Soy vs. Beeswax vs. ParaffinHow to Make Wax Melts: Everything You Need to KnowThese super-fun gift wrapping ideas use easy DIY pom poms in place of bows. These are perfect for Christmas gifts, birthdays, baby gifts, and more! Hello! This year, I’m feeding my pompom obsession by using them to wrap Christmas gifts… and these ideas aren’t just for Christmas- they would be great for birthdays, baby showers,…Time for a new home office desk? I’m sharing the best modern cheap desks you can buy online for a stylish and functional home office design. Working from home is all the rage these days. And if it’s time to set up a dedicated home office or distance-learning space, the first thing you’ll need is…Learn how to make scented candles for Fall in any container you choose with this quick and easy tutorial! DIY scented candles are the perfect way to add some cozy Fall cheer to your home! I wanted my candles to be earthy and a little bit rustic, so I headed to Goodwill and looked for…These brilliant home office gift ideas will make her workspace prettier, comfier, and more stylish, and she’s sure to love them! As someone who designs A LOT of home offices, and works from home myself, I decided it was high time I put together a gift guide to make a home office prettier, more functional,…Learn how to make soy wax melts with this easy tutorial! They’re a great way to scent your home and make fabulous gifts too! Soy wax melts are a lovely and mostly natural way to scent your home, and they make amazing homemade gifts too! I like to gift an inexpensive wax warmer (here are…These fun and easy candy cane wax melts are perfect for Christmas! How to Make Candy Cane Wax Melts I’m using soy wax for this project because it’s my favorite go-to wax for both candles and wax melts. You can also use paraffin, but the wax will be a bit more translucent. Here’s a tutorial…Pingback: Quick &amp; Easy Homemade Bath Salts - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Dry Orange Slices - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: Handmade Gifts for Women: Easy, Stylish, &amp; Personal - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: 8 Easy DIY Christmas Gifts! - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: 20 Fun Hobbies for Stay-at-Home Moms to Make MoneyPingback: How to Make Dried Orange Peel - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Citronella Candles - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Scented Candles For Fall - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Soy Wax Melts - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: Easy Orange Clove Soy Wax Melts - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: The Best Wax Melt Molds for Every Occasion - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: DIY Pumpkin Spice Candles - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: DIY Pumpkin Spice Scented Wax Melts - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: Citronella Candles Outdoors Indoor, 13.5oz Large Soy Wax Centranella : Tech Family needsPingback: DIY Christmas Tree Scented Candles - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Candles: A Beginner's Guide - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: how to make soy wax candles at home - DecorStatusPingback: Citronella Candles,12 Pack Citronella Scented Candles Soy Wax Lemong : Tech Family needsPingback: DIY Christmas Ornaments: Gold-Dipped Baubles - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: making scented soy candles at home - DecorStatusPingback: how to make black candles at home - DecorStatusPingback: how to make soy candles at home - DecorStatusPingback: The Best Fragrance Oils for Candles (That Actually Smell Good!) - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: how to make soy candles at home step by step - DecorStatusPingback: how to make soy candles in glass jars - DecorStatusPingback: The Best Wax Melters On A Budget - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: DIY Wax Melts For Summer - Jessica Welling InteriorsThank you for this. I received a soy candle making kit for Christmas and also wasted a lot of essential oils. Good instruction for candle making is really hard to come by. I also tried stepping dried herbs for 45 mins and that didn’t work either. I’m excited to try with the fragrance oils you advertised here 🤞🏽ReplyHi, my soy candles just aren’t throwing scent like I’ve had other soy candles throw. Your article was so helpful and I’ve definitely improved, but what do you think I’m doing wrong? Maybe I should use more oil? I am using the oil brand you recommended too 🙂ReplyPingback: Top 10 How To Make Candles - Thư Viện Hỏi ĐápPingback: The Easiest DIY Room Spray Recipe - Jessica Welling InteriorsI would love for you to tell how many ounces per cup of melted wax or something like that. I am doing the 4 cups of wax (2 cups melted) and I have no idea how many 8 oz candles it will make. Thanks.ReplyPingback: Top 20 making candles for beginners best in 2022 - Top BestPingback: What Is The Best Wax For Candles? Soy vs. Beeswax vs. Paraffin - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Beeswax Candles - Jessica Welling InteriorsI am confused- you said Makesy is the best natural fragrance for the candles, but your picture uses the Plant Guru. Is it still 3 tablespoons of oil for 2 cups melted wax with the Makesy oil? I don’t want to order too much because the 16 ounces of oils is expensive on their site.ReplyPingback: The Best Candle Making Supplies for Beginners - Jessica Welling InteriorsIt’s interesting to know how important the temperatures are when it comes to making infused soy candles. I want to have some soon because I like lighting candles whenever I want to relax. Having different kinds in my home will surely be a good idea.ReplyThank you for this great tutorial on candle making.SWReplyPingback: DIY Poo-Pourri Toilet Spray - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: How to Make Bubble Bath (That Actually Bubbles!) - Jessica Welling InteriorsPingback: 43 Exceptional DIY Soy Candle Ideas That Will Amaze You - BestideadiyPingback: Making Soy Wax Container Candles | My Candle MakingPingback: Soy Candle Making Basics | My Candle MakingHi Jessica! I haven’t started my candle making quite yet, just researching right now. Have you had any problems with frosting on the soy candles? If so, how and we’re you able to fix that?ReplyShana… if you have a small heat gun, just slowly melt the top of the candle with the heat gun. This normally corrects the frosting. You can also use a hairdryer on low heat setting. I’ve found that when I apply heat to the right side of the container, the left side is the first to melt. Just a tip🙂ReplyPingback: Pure Soy Candle Making | My Candle MakingPingback: Creative Soy Candle Making | My Candle MakingPingback: Candle Making Soy | My Candle MakingPingback: How to Make Candles Smell Stronger: 6 Tips For Great Scent Throw - Jessica Welling Interiors&nbsp;Oh Hi! I’m Jess!I’m an interior designer, fearless DIYer, and single mama to two sweet girls and one crazy puppy.I want to inspire and teach you to create a home you love on your budget. And you don’t have to wait for the kids to grow up to do it!All the images in this demo website are from Unsplash.

;Skip to contentLearn how to make soy candles with this simple step-by-step tutorial. These natural handmade candles make perfect gifts!Natural soy candles are the perfect handmade gifts! But when I first started researching natural candles, I quickly learned that candle-making is a little trickier than I had imagined.What’s more, every guide and tutorial I found recommended weighing out the wax and fragrance oils, using a double-boiler, etc. I never found the ultra-simple guide I was looking for, so I’m writing it myself.If you want to make soy wax melts, check out this tutorial. Wax melts...

How to Make Soy Candles: A Beginner's Guide

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