How to Pour Wax in Candle Making

You can make candles by several methogs, including dipping or pouring. Poured candles are generally either mold candles or container candles. Container candles are perhaps the easiest to make and are a good starting point for beginners.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Double boiler
• Candle wax
• Prepared wick
• Candle mold or heat proof container
• Scissors
• Fragrance for a scented candle
• Wick clip
• Stirring stick
• Thermometer
• Color dye chips for colored candles

1. Melt wax in a double boiler. The wax should heat to between 165 and 200 degrees F depending on the type of wax used. Refer to the manufacturer's recommendations on this point.
2. Stir in the fragrance and color dye chips if desired using the wooden stir stick.
3. Pour melted wax into the container. Hold the wick steady in the center and allow the container to fill with melted wax around it.
4. Lay a wick clip or the stir stick across the top of the container and rest the wick against it. This will help hold the wick in place while the wax cools.
5. Check the position of the wick periodically while the wax cools. The wick might shift position slightly during cooling. If it does, move it gently back to center.
6. Make the second pour when the wax has cooled completely, in about 2 hours. Melt the leftover wax mixture again, heating it to about 5 to 10 degrees F hotter than the wax for the first pour. Pour it into the container on top of the cooled candle to fill in where the wax shrunk when it cooled.
7. Cool the completed candle for about 2 hours, and then it will be ready to burn.

Tips & Warnings

• A wooden chopstick works well for a stirring stick.
• Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the melting wax.
• Prepare the wick by dipping in briefly in melted wax to coat and allowing it to dry. The thin coat of wax will make the wick stiff and it will stand more easily in the cooling candle.
• Wax shrinks when it cools, so the first pour will leave a well around the wick. Heating the wax for the second pour to 5 to 10 F degrees hotter than the first pour will melt the top of the cooled wax in the container and minimize the appearance of a seam where the second pour went in.