Candle making is more than just melting the wax, adding fragrance and color and pouring the mixture into a container with a wick. That is why this job is more of a science than a craft. As with any science, candle making requires research, candle lab tests, and experiments that can be costly and time-consuming. Whether you are making candles to sell or give away, you must take it seriously. It may take months to come up with a candle with a wonderful fragrance and is properly made. Here is a guide to help you get started:

Educate Yourself

You need to be informed about the basics of candle making to make the process easier. You can get information on the candle making craft online. Do your research on the supplies you will need and visit suppliers’ websites that cater to candle makers and hobbyists. Aside from giving you information on different candle making components, these websites offer some tutorials. When doing your research, learn about waxes, additives, wicks, containers and molds, fragrance oils and dyes, curing times, proper testing, as well as troubleshooting.

Purchase Supplies in Small Quantities

It is best to buy supplies for making candles in small quantities for testing purposes. A lot of suppliers and craft stores sell starter kits you may find useful if you are a little overwhelmed about what to purchase. These kits can include pouring pots, glue dots, wick bars, and detailed instructions on how to make the candle.  In terms of wax, experts recommend narrowing down your choices based on local suppliers. This way, if you decide to continue making candles after making a few ones, you can easily order the wax from a local supplier. Bigger batches of wax can cause the shipping cost to increase. Finding a local supplier can save you money in the long run.

Test the Candles and Keep Notes

The ingredients and containers you will need for making candles don’t all work together the same way. For instance, some fragrance oils won’t’ work for soy wax and some wicks will not work well with some containers. You need to test the candles to eliminate these issues. Make sure to keep notes while testing the candles. When testing your candles, you need to be organized and patient. Don’t give up when you don’t get the results you desire. But, if you want to take the burden off your shoulder, consider sending your candles to a testing laboratory.