{"id":708,"date":"2020-07-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cosyowl.com\/guides\/?p=708"},"modified":"2025-01-14T11:32:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T11:32:55","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-making-a-candle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/a-beginners-guide-to-making-a-candle","title":{"rendered":"A Beginners Guide to Making A Candle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We have launched a brand new \u2018How To\u2019 series in partnership with small <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/how-to-make-a-candle\">candle making<\/a> business Cosy &amp; Country. We\u2019re excited to bring you our first supporting <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/a-guide-to-creating-your-own-soap-products\">guide<\/a> for beginners looking to make their first <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/a-summers-beach-gel-votive-candle\">candle<\/a>. Making your first candle is a fun and enjoyable venture, one that has many people coming back for more with the plethora of beautiful, <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/fragrance-oils-for-candle-making\/all-fragrances\/honey-fragrance-oil\">natural<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/2023-spring-fragrance-oil-trends\">fragrance oils<\/a> and dyes available on our website.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><div class=\"video-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Beginners Guide To Making A Candle\" width=\"1170\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZQk9l2ttcIA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preparation for candle making<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You must first decide what kind of candle wax, dyes and oils you want to use to make your candle. Remember that part of the fun of this is experimenting and trying different combinations. Don\u2019t be afraid to get it wrong, you\u2019ll learn as you go on and our new video with Cosy &amp; Country will stand you in good stead. You may choose to start with smaller moulds or containers when experimenting. You will see from our Candle Wax listing, there are several different types of wax to choose from.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>To measure how much wax you need, fill your container\/mould with water, measure the amount of water and round up to the nearest 10ml. Deduct 20% from that figure and that is the number of grams you need. The reason for this is 1ml of water weighs exactly 1 gram, so they are equal, but wax is slightly less dense than water, so we deduct 20% to get the amount of wax \u2013 For <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/pbf-representative-example\">example<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>495ml of water in the container\/mould \u2013 round up to 500ml. Deduct 20% from that figure (100) giving you 400 \u2013 so you need 400g of wax.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now, prepare the area you will be using to make your candles to ensure that any spills are easily removed. Wax can be a nuisance to remove \u2013 have <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/craft-kits\/candle-making-kits\/soy-wax-mulled-wine-christmas-candle-making-kit\">warm<\/a> water and a rag or paper towels available to wipe away any wax that spills.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Be careful to avoid contact with skin and especially your eyes. In the unlikely event you were to get wax in your eyes, do not try to remove it yourself \u2013 seek medical assistance. Although it can be uncomfortable or even slightly painful getting wax on your skin, it will generally peel away or can be washed off with warm water. Just make sure that the skin does not stay red or in any other way discoloured as this could suggest an allergy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Try to always avoid, allowing wax to be discarded down your sink as this can lead to blockages. Similarly, do not try to wash wax soaked containers or moulds in your dishwasher.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 1 \u2013 Wash and dry your Candle Jars<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>First, <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/glitters\/pure-white-biodegradable\">clean<\/a> your candle glasses thoroughly ensuring that they are all completely dry. This will prevent any potential markings or swirls appearing on the finished candle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 2 \u2013 Preparing and melting the Wax<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Fill a large pot (or saucepan) about halfway with hot water &#8211; making sure there\u2019s enough room for the smaller heat-resistant container holding the wax. Place the solid wax into your container which is then carefully placed into your pot. Make sure the hot water does not go into the container. The water should now be brought to the boil and the wax will start to melt. You can stir the wax with a disposable wooden spatula, but this is not completely necessary. However, having a spatula will be useful when adding wax dye or wax fragrance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Use a wax thermometer to monitor the temperature of the wax. You can use a standard cooking thermometer, but remember it must be cleaned effectively before being reused with food.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/guides\/the-truth-about-paraffin-wax-being-vegan-friendly\">Paraffin wax<\/a> should be melted until it reaches a temperature of approximately 50\u00b0 to 60\u00b0C (122\u00b0 to 140\u00b0F).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Soy wax should be melted until it reaches a temperature of approximately 76\u00b0 to 82\u00b0C (169\u00b0 to 180\u00b0F).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Vegetable wax should be melted until it reaches a temperature of approximately 47\u00b0 to 49\u00b0C (116.6\u00b0 to 120.2\u00b0F).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Gel Wax should be melted until it reaches a temperature of approximately 94\u00b0 to 104\u00b0C (201\u00b0 to 219\u00b0F).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\">\r\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-732\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.04.51-3-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-734\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.06.11-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"734\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 3 \u2013 Adding the Wick<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Using the <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/\">Cosy Owl<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/candle-making-extras\/glue-dots\/?wmc-currency=EUR\">glue dots<\/a>, get the wick as central as possible in the jar. To make sure the wick is located centrally, grab your <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-extras\/wick-centering-tool\/?wmc-currency=EUR\">wick centering tool<\/a>, pop it over the wick and slot your wick into the designated wick centering gap.\u00a0If you decide not to use <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/tools-equipment\/glue-dots-pack-of-100\">glue dots<\/a>, fix the wick to a metal tab which can then either be placed into the container\/mould and held there with a spatula as the melted wax is poured or alternatively can be pushed down to the base of the container\/mould with the spatula after the wax has been added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>As an alternative to these methods, use some a small amount of Blu Tack under the metal tab and stick it to the bottom of the container\/mould.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-733\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.06.35-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 4 \u2013 Adding Your Dye and Fragrance Oil<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You will now want to add your dye to the melted wax. The more dye you add, the stronger the final colour of the candle will be. As you place the dye into the container, you will immediately get an idea of the colour \u2013 add a little at a time until you get the colour you want. Make sure all of your shards have melted before you start adding any <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/fragrance-oils-for-candle-making\/premium-fragrance-oils\/cosy-owl-premium-1-million-type-fragrance-oil\">fragrance oil<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now include your full fragrance oil and stir this gently, you want to avoid air pockets &#8211; treat this part like baking! Make sure you keep stirring gently so the fragrance oil is all the way through the wax. Be careful not to make the scent overly powerful at first or it can be quite overwhelming when permeating into the room.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Don\u2019t forget, you can mix different dyes and fragrances together with the candle wax if you are feeling particularly adventurous. Don\u2019t worry about getting it wrong \u2013 it is all part of the fun of experimenting and creating your own <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/fragrance-oils-for-candle-making\/all-fragrances\/alien-type-fragrance-oil\">unique<\/a> candle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\r\n<ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\">\r\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-723\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.08.18-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\">\r\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-725\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.09.10-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 5 \u2013 Pouring the Wax<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Once you have done this, grab some kitchen roll (to keep the wax from spilling onto the sides of your jars!) and begin pouring your wax carefully into your jars. Only pour partially the way up, as you\u2019ll need that extra room at the top.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-724\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.10.04-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 6 \u2013 Check your Candles\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Half an hour later, you will check how the candles are setting and then reheat your remaining wax and fill in any potential holes that have appeared on the top of the candle. Once you have topped up your candle with the remaining wax, it\u2019s best to leave the candle for 24 hours.<br \/><br \/>Soy wax candles generally take the least amount of time &#8211; around 5 hours to <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/glitters\/lake-blue-biodegradable\">cool<\/a> and solidify. Vegetable wax candles slightly longer \u2013 around 7 hours, while Paraffin wax candles take the longest time.\u00a0You can always decorate your candle before allowing it to set for 24 hours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-735\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.10.48-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 7 \u2013 Trim the Wick<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Remove your wick centering tool and grab some scissors or wick trimming tool and trim the wick to about 5mm. Using longer wicks will create a larger flame initially, but most of the time, any excess will simply burn away.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-727\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-09-at-11.12.40-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enjoying your Candle<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Turn the lights down, sit back, put your favourite music on and enjoy the tranquil aesthetic and aroma of your creation. Put any modesty aside and make sure everyone around you appreciates your talent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-736\" src=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-07-08-at-15.34.27-1-1024x574.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"384\" height=\"216\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Disclaimer &#8211; It\u2019s recommended that flowers are only used on <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-supplies\/glitters\/heart-candle-glitter\">decorative<\/a> candles as they can pose a hazard.<\/p>\r\n<p>Find our candle making beginners kits <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/candle-making-kits\/?wmc-currency=EUR\">here.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For any advice or to talk through your project with one of our advisors, please do not hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/contact-us\">contact us<\/a> at The Cosy Owl on <strong>01376 560 348<\/strong>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have launched a brand new \u2018How To\u2019 series in partnership with small candle making business Cosy &amp; Country. We\u2019re excited to bring you our first supporting guide for beginners looking to make their first candle. Making your first candle is a fun and enjoyable venture, one that has many people coming back for more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":44789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[674],"tags":[326,327,328],"class_list":["post-708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-candle-making","tag-candle-making","tag-how-to","tag-video"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cosyowl.com\/en_ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}