Making Soy Candles for Sale or Pleasure

Soy candles are the new "green" way to enjoy candles and tarts. Are you making container candles? If so, make sure your jars don't "neck down" too greatly. If the hole in top is too small, the candle will not "breathe" properly and snuff itself out. Soy candles burn slower since there is no petroleum products in them and need more oxygen. Our choice at "Mair's Place" is a full soy wax.

We heat the wax in glass mixing bowls with a pouring spout. This also allows you to measure your wax more accurately as the bowl is marked in graduations. First, melt your wax in the bowl. We use a microwave since we use the Pyrex bowls. Heat the wax to approximately 50 degrees over you wax's melting point. your supplier should offer that information. Stir in any additives needed for your use, such as UV stabilizers. We do many outside shows, so this is a "must" for our candles. Next is the dye, especially if you use the dye cubes. We recommend liquid dyes, as they mix more evenly. test your wax until you get the color you desire. Remember, wax is like paint. It chages color as is cools.

The next step is the scent. We use scent oils for a better "scent throw," All scents have a recommended scent mix per pound/ounce of wax. Depending on how pungent you want your candles to be, the closer to full saturation you should add the scent oil. Don't make the mistake of adding too much. If you add more that the highest recommended percentage, the scent will just pool around the wax after it cools. We recommend adding the scent just before your wax reaches pouring temperature, which we suggest is 15-20 degrees above melting point. for example, the wax we use has a melting point of 111 degrees. We pour at 125-130 degrees.

I am assuming you already know how to place your wicks. For those that do not, pre-tabbed wicks (wicks already having a metal tab installed) are the easiest to use. A dot of glue from a hot glue gun on the bottom and place in the middle of the jar. a couple of popsicle sticks are great for pushing down to seat the tab and have another use as well. Rather than purchasing the expensive wicking tools, a hole can be drilled through the center of the sticks and the wick run through the hole. then the wick can set on top of the jar to center it for the pour.

Be sure and match your wick to the wax and container. The bigger the container, the hotter the wick, sometimes even requiring multiple wicks. we have used as many as three wicks in some containers. Your supplier can help you with the selection of your wick.