Soy Candle Making Supplies
Candle making is a hobby that anyone can try. But like many specialized crafts, there’s more to candle making than meets the eye. For starters, you need to identify the main differences among the candle wax types to better understand the principles of candle making and how you can create the best looking and most fragrant candles. Next, you need to choose the wax that you will use for creating candles. Once you have these things sorted out, you can buy candle making supplies.
If you’re like me, you probably want candles that last longer, are not too expensive to make, give off a heavenly scent and burn cleanly with no sooty emission. For these qualifications, there’s one type of candle that fits the bill… soy candles!
The equipments and techniques for soy candle crafting are the same as those you use for paraffin candle making. We’ll recap the soy candle making supplies you’ll need.
- You will need a double boiler to heat the soy wax.
A double boiler is a cookware with a smaller pot inside a bigger pot. If you don’t have a double boiler, you will need two pots of different sizes. Fill the bigger pot with water and “float” the smaller pot inside it. The water boils around and under the smaller pot. This set up melts and heats the wax inside the smaller pot without burning it. Your wax will melt beautifully and you can leave the heat at low to medium (150 degrees Fahrenheit up to 180 degrees) for more efficient wax melting. Be careful not to go beyond 170 degrees for more than 10 minutes to avoid charring. - Thermometer for measuring the temperature of the wax
Most stores that sell soy candle making supplies also sell thermometers for measuring the temperature inside the double boiler during the melting process. Your soy wax must melt in a consistent manner without clumping to get the ideal texture for your soy candle. Proper melting will only occur if the temperature inside the double boiler is maintained. - Pouring jugs and Wick holders
Prepare the wax for the cooling room. If you’re creating candles inside your kitchen, achieving a stable room temperature should be easy. When you’ve turned off the flame, you can prepare your wax for cooling. Make sure that the soy wax has cooled to about 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit before you transfer into the molds. Pouring the wax at a higher or lower temperature can result in candle cracks of uneven cooling.
Set the wick using the holders and pour the soy candle wax carefully using a special candle-making jug. Move your pouring jug around the container to evenly distribute the wax inside. Let the wax cool naturally, which means you shouldn’t use water or ice to hasten the process. You might need a screen to prevent insects or impurities from coming in contact with the wax or the wick while the candle is cooling. - Medicine droppers, gloves, safety goggles, an apron and other accessories
Some of the supplies you will need to have on hand when crafting soy candles are medicine droppers with gradations and small containers for combining scents and dyes. You will also need gloves to handle the dyes or aromatic oils. Fragrance oils and dyes can stain your hands and clothing so make sure you’re protected by wearing goggles, gloves and a heat-resistant apron. Use the gradations on the medicine dropper to measure the amount of the reagents. These components should be mixed with the wax during the melting process. Putting too much or too little will create a bad color or a too-strong fragrance, so be careful to just add bit by bit until you’re satisfied with the hue and the aroma of your soy candles.
