There is no single hard and fast rule for making candles. Whether you want to reuse the old broken candles or get going with new wax. However, following the right procedure for melting candle wax with different heat sources is imperative. If you know how to melt candle wax skillfully, you can prepare beautiful handmade scented candles from the left-out candle wax for gifting as well.
Making DIY candles at home is one of the best ideas to channelize your energy into something creative. And once you get started with it, you’ll understand the science behind this. Afterward, it’ll become an easy-peasy task for you and you will be picking your favorite scents to combine with your preferable wax.
Candle-making requires patience and proper techniques. However, it also requires certain precautions that must be considered beforehand. So let’s discuss them first.
Safety Measures
First of all, let’s begin with some safety measures that are necessary before you start to read how to make wax for candles:
- Wear safety gloves, oven mitts, or kitchen towels for handling hot utensils.
- Don’t melt the candle wax directly on heat.
- Keep children and pets out of reach of wax melt substances.
- Wear glasses or safety goggles to avoid any dash of melted wax, oil, or dye color coming in contact with your eyes.
- Keep a fire extinguisher (not water) available in case of any mishappening.
- Keep a check on the temperature of your wax using the thermometer and ensure it doesn’t exceed beyond 200℉/93℃, otherwise, it can get ignited.
Equipments Needed
- Any wax of your choice
- Infrared/Food Thermometer
- Candle Containers
- Wax Dye Color/Chips- as prescribed on the bottle/packet
- Fragrance Oil- add fragrance load of 10% of wax melt liquid
- Heat-resistant Glass Stirring Rod/Spatula/Wooden Stick/Spoon for stirring
- Weighing Scales
- Pouring Cup
- Candle Wicks
- Scissors
- Wick Bars/Ice Cream Sticks
- Newspaper
How To Melt Candle Wax?
Melting candle wax requires one to be familiar with certain aspects like the melting point. The table below provides details for the same for different candle wax:
| S. NO. | TYPE OF WAX | MELTING POINT |
| 1 | Beeswax | 144-147℉/62-64℃ |
| 2 | Paraffin Wax | 115-142℉/46-61℃ |
| 3 | Coconut Wax | 124-127℉/51-53℃ |
| 4 | Soy Wax | 113-131℉/45-55℃ |
| 5 | Carnauba Wax/ Palm Wax | 180-187℉/82-86℃ |
| 6 | Gel Wax | 180℉/82℃ |
Now it is up to you which one you want to pick. Read further to know how to melt candle wax at home and discover when you should add essential oils and color dye to it.
Pro Tip: Start with doing preparations for pouring candle wax. Sounds strange? It’ll help you be prepared in advance for pouring your candle once it attains its required melting point. Just ensure they’re covered whilst you melt the wax.
1. Double Boiler Method
Using the double boiler method is the most appropriate and safe way on how to make candle wax without a warmer:
- Take a large saucepan, fill it 1 or 2 inches with water, and put it on a gas stove (or induction stove). Wait until the water starts boiling.
- Now take a heat-resistant pan but smaller bottom size than the previous one so it can sit on the water pan. As the heated pan’s temperature shoots up, the heat will melt the wax.
- Keeping the flame medium-high, add the wax and crayon shaving/color dye (if using any) into this pan. Make sure you keep stirring the wax with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant glass stirrer rod or spatula so that there aren’t any large chunks in the liquid. If working with very small quantities of wax, a melting spoon is recommended for stirring because it will eliminate the risk of getting the wax stuck on it.
- Now turn off the gas, and check the wax temperature before adding a dash of fragrance oil or scent of your choice. You can monitor the temperature with a thermometer (refer to the table above for the melting point of different candles). Stir it gently.
NOTE: The usually recommended temperature for adding for color is 70℃/150℉ and for oil/scents is between 180-185℉ (82-85℃). Remember that, overheating the wax after this point can result in discoloration. Stir the mixture gently so that the mixture turns as needed.
2. In Microwave
This is one of the simplest methods if you want to know how to make wax for candles at home.
- Take a large microwave-safe container or bowl and put the solid wax (and crayon shavings/color dye) into it.
- Now put the container in the microwave, and set the temperature depending on the type of candle you’re using.
- Set the timer to 30-60 seconds. Repeat the process and give the melted wax a nice stir every time you take it out. Continue until the wax is completely melted.
3. Electric Wax Melting Pot
An electric wax melting pot or wax melter is very handy equipment and appropriate when you need to transform large amounts of solid wax into liquid form. Most electric wax melters come with a spout mouth that makes it hassle-free to transfer any amount of wax you need as per the container/mold size. With an electric wax melter by your side, you can simply follow these steps:
- Put the wax into the pouring pitcher.
- Next, plug in the wax melter and adjust the temperature as per the type of wax you are using.
- Then drop in a few drops of oil fragrances and/or dye when the wax gets melted color as per your choice.
4. On Stove
This method is only recommended if you need to melt extremely little quantity of wax:
- There are special stoves that come for melting little quantities of candle wax with a tiny melting spoon.
- Put the wax shaves or a small/tiny piece of wax (in addition with crayon shaving/color dye) in the melting spoon.
- Place the melting spoon over the burner and stir the wax with a toothpick to avoid lumps.
5. Heat Gun/Hair Dryer
This method is not quite exactly for melting wax but rather for giving the final touches to the designed candle. For instance, if you want to fix candle edges or for refining wax melts. Here is the procedure for how to melt candle wax using a hair dryer or heat gun:
- Place the candle wax on a heat-resistant bowl and hold the heat gun or hair dryer at least 5 to 6 inches away from it.
- Afterward, blow the heat on the wax and stir continuously with a toothpick to avoid lumps.
Pouring The Wax
Now to pour the wax you must have a decent space or workstation. Also, it’s better to lay down some old newspapers for hassle-free after cleaning.
- Place your container on the newspaper.
- Then set the wick inside the container. If your wick has a sticker at its bottom end, this task is super-duper easy. Otherwise, use wick bars or simply make a hole in the center of an ice cream stick, pass the wick through that hole and place it over the containers. For small-sized containers, apply some glue at the end of the wick and secure it at the bottom. It’s fine if your wick is too lengthy at this point because it’ll get trimmed later.
- Before pouring the wax solution ensure it is at the required temperature. Usually, all candles get poured after reaching the temperature of 130-135℉ (54-57℃).
- Give your wax solution a nice stir before finally pouring it into a silicone tray/mold.
- Pour the solution into the containers one at a time. Don’t overfill the containers.
- If your candle wick is swinging after pouring, secure it between two pencils or ice-cream sticks.
Set The Wax
It is important to let the wax set completely before you use the candle or pack it up:
- Let the wax sit in the mold for at least 24 hours and then pop them out. However, the recommended time to leave wax to set and cool down can go up to 1-2 weeks.
- Once the wax is set, hold the wick between your index finger and thumb. With scissors in another hand, cut the extra wick ensuring it has the optimum size. The ideal wick size depends on what kind of candle you’re making tart, votive, pillar, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
#1. What Is The Ideal Cure Time For Candle Wax?
Ideal cure time for candle wax can vary based on the type of wax you’re using, quantity, and quality of wax, scents, oils, etc. Nevertheless, it is believed that wax melts should be left undisturbed to set for 1-2 weeks ideally or at least a couple of hours.
#2. How To Melt Candle Wax In Jars?
To melt candle wax directly in a glass jar, use the double boiler method. But ensure not to let any water drop enter inside the jar. For safety concerns, it is even better to boil water, take it off the heat source, and then place the jar inside. Constantly monitor the temperature of the wax as it melts and ensure it doesn’t exceed the melting point.
#3. How To Use Remaining Candle Wax After Pouring?
If there is any wax left after pouring, reheat the pouring jar/container using the double boiler method and use it to make scented wax melts.
#4. What Is The Ideal Wick Size?
It depends on what kind of candle you’re making (tart, votive container, etc.). Furthermore, the diameter of your container also matters. You’ll find wick size charts based on different series online. The right wick size can be found only after following trial and error methods because the size of wick from a particular series can vary to the same size number in another wick series.
#5. When Should I Add Fragrance Oil To Candle Wax?
Adding fragrance oil at the right temperature is required for proper binding of the scent and wax. The ideal temperature for adding fragrance oil is between 180-185℉ (82-85℃) and remember to turn off the heat source beforehand.
Wrapping Up
The procedure for how to make candle wax is just like a child trying to draw at first. You’ll be able to achieve the perfect DIY candle after a few attempts, but ensure to do everything with utmost safety. What needs to be taken care of well while making wax melts is the melting point and pouring point of the wax. This helps you get the perfect candle that stays for longer.