How to Make Homemade Soy Candles

I'm not even sure how I stumbled into this, but making my own soy candles has been a very therapeutic endeavor and I'm thinking about making a business out of it. Soybean based wax is really soft, therefore, it is easy to work with and easy to clean up if there are any spills.

I use the double boiler method to melt my wax, but soy wax can also be melted in the microwave, so there is really no need for a double boiler. To begin we will need to have these items on hand.

1. Glass measuring cup. (16 oz. to 32 oz.)
2. 1 lb. (16oz. ) of soy wax
3. a wax thermometer
4. 1 oz. of fragrance oil
5. a glass container
6. Wick and wick tab (or you can glue it with a glue gun).

You can purchase soy wax at any of the online candle supplies places. I get mine from Amazon here. There are also soy wax candle kits that you can purchase which will have instructions in them.

First, you need to measure out the wax flakes into the glass measuring jar. Usually you will need to have approximately 30 to 31oz. to make 16oz. melted. You put it in the Microwave for 5 minutes.

While the wax is melting, you can attach your wick to the center of the jar. You can either use a wick sticker or a drop of glue from a hot glue gun. Typically you will want a wick that is compliant with soy wax, and jar size. I would recommend a cotton coreless wick.

Take the melted wax out of the microwave with pot holders, as the glass will be very hot! Put the thermometer in the wax to make sure it has reached a temperature of at least 140 F.

You can then add your dye, which would be approximately 7-8 drops per pound of wax. (You made add more if you are looking for a darker affect). I don't add any dyes to my candles as I like the natural creamy look. 

Now you need to let the wax sit and cool down to about 100 F and add your fragrance oil. If the fragrance oil is exposed to high heat for too long, you will lose the potency of the fragrance.

Lastly, you want to make sure the wick is going to stay centered and not fall into your melted wax. You can either wrap the wick around a pencil tightly, or use a clothespin. Let your candle cure for 24 hours and you have a wonderful soy candle!

Dont forget to trim your wick to approx. 1/4 inch before lighting. Soy wax burns cooler, so it needs to create the melt pool with a longer wick. You'll need to burn your candle long enough for the melt pool to cover the entire top. Otherwise, your candle won't burn evenly and you'll be left with a bunch of unmelted candle wax when your wick is done.