Self Made Craft

Learning how to make candles from scratch can be very rewarding and a lot of fun! When you finish your first candle project, you'll wonder why you waited so long to explore this wonderful craft. Below are a few tips to help make your candle making projects a success.

The first step in any candle making project is setting up the workstation properly. Like a good cook, you should have everything you need at your finger tips before you begin. As a precaution (and a time-saver when cleaning up), I like to use waxed paper to cover my entire countertop where I'll be working. This will protect your work surface and will help catch spilled wax for later use. You might consider multiple layers of paper if your countertop is made of wood or stone that could absorb melted wax. A flat work surface is important, so avoid bulky towels or other materials that can wrinkle. You want your candle wax to be level as your pour it into a mold or container.

Another good tip for preparing your workstation -- cover your stove top and drip pans (under the flame or electric heating element on your stove top) with aluminum foil. This may sound like a lot of trouble, but you'll thank yourself when it's time to clean up, especially when you are just starting out and you spill a bit of melted wax on your stove. Clean up is easy!

Next, assemble all of the items you plan to use during your candle making project, such as containers, molds, wicks, fragrances, and dyes. All of these items should be within your reach and near your heat source before melting the wax. There are several ways to melt wax, but I recommend using a double boiler and a melting pot.

No need to buy a 'double boiler' set. Just use two pots, one slightly smaller than the other, and place one inside the other. The larger pot holds the water that warms the smaller pot containing the wax. I like using my older pots for melting wax. Yard sales are a great place to find pots for this purpose. These will become your 'candle making' pots.

The melting pot can be found at your craft store, or you can use any small pot as long as it has a handle that doesn't get hot (like a wooden handle) and a spout for easy pouring.

If you don't use all of the melted wax, just pour it into a pan lined with waxed paper and let it cool. The hardened wax will release easily from the waxed paper and can be stored for later use... and no clean up! A helpful hint for you beginners-- don't let any melted wax go down your sink drain. That's an expensive plumbing bill.

And it goes without saying, always be safe when working with melted wax. A fire extinguisher should be close by, and keeping baking soda near the workstation is highly recommended. You should never pour water on a wax fire. Either use a fire extinguisher or pour baking soda on the flame. A pot of melted wax should never be left unattended, and the temperature of the wax should be closely monitored. The temperature of the wax should never exceed 275°F.

Children often enjoy watching and participating in candle making projects. Just make sure they are at a safe distance from the workstation when wax is being poured. And the same goes for curious pets. With careful preparation and a little practice, you'll have many successful candle making projects.

Click here to learn more about setting up your first candle making project, as well as many more tips and guidelines on how to make candles at home.