How to Make Flameless Soybean Candles

Use wax made from soybeans to create flameless candles.

Make flameless soybean candles to decorate areas where regular candles are not ideal. Around children, pets or in high traffic areas candles become a hazard. However, flameless candles help you to enjoy the atmosphere candles create without worrying about open flames. Use different dyes and fragrances for different rooms or use different sized molds to make a large grouping of candles. Using soy wax for your candle makes cleaning up spills simple with soap and water.

Things You'll Need

• Hurricane candle mold
• Mold release
• Cooking pot
• Wax pouring pot
• Soy pillar wax
• Candle thermometer
• Wax dye (optional)
• Metal spoon
• Fragrance oil
• Paring knife
• Battery-operated tea light

Instructions

Preparing the Mold

1. Spray the inside of the mold and insert with mold release. This helps the candle not to stick to the mold's walls.

2. Fill a dish tub or sink with cool water to have ready after pouring the wax. This water will help to cool the wax more quickly.

3. Pour cool water in the cooking pot until the water is two inches deep. Set the pouring pot into the water. There should be room between the pots for the water to create a double boiler that prevents the wax from burning.

Preparing the Wax

1. Add the soy pillar wax to the pouring pot and heat on high to 190 degrees. Remove from heat immediately upon reaching the temperature.

2. Stir the wax dye into the melted wax with a metal spoon. The dye manufacturer determines the amount of dye; for example, wax dye chips use a ratio of one dye chip per pound of wax.

3. Add the fragrance oil at a ratio of one-ounce fragrance oil to one-pound wax. Stir until mixed.

Pouring the Candle

1. Pour the wax into the mold up to a 1/2-inch from the top of the mold.

2. Set the mold into the cooling water until a 3/8-inch thick candle wall forms. It may be necessary to hold the mold down during the cooling if the mold floats in the water. Cut into and remove the skin formed over the candle's center and within the insert.

3. Pour the melted wax from the candle into the pouring pot. This will leave you a hollow candle. Let it finish hardening and cooling, which varies on room temperature and size of the mold.

4. Remove the insert carefully and turn the mold over to let the candle slide out.

5. Insert the battery-operated tea light into the flameless soybean candle. The light will glow and illuminate the candle's wall.

Tips & Warnings

• Insert items such as seashells, pebbles and other objects between the outer mold wall and the insert.

• Turn the candle into an electric by cutting the bottom out with the paring knife and inserting an electric candle lamp.

• Use a regular candle mold that is at least five inches in diameter. Allow to cool until a wall 3/4 inches thick forms and cut a circle over the surface to remove the skin. Pour the remaining melted wax out.

• Be careful while pouring wax to prevent burns.

References

• Bitter Creek: How to Use Hurricane Molds
• Bitter Creek: How to Make Electric Grubby Candles