How to Make Soy Candles
Published Dec 01, 2012•Updated Mar 13, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Making homemade soy candles is one of the easiest crafts projects around, and these little beauties make awesome gifts.
In case you ever wondered what $15 worth of soy wax and 30 minutes in the kitchen will get you…
It all starts with a bag of soy wax.
You would be shocked to know how fast we blow through candles around here. I mean fast. I think it’s the coziness factor.
Thanks to all that candle-burning, my collection was looking pretty haggard
But then (probably thanks to Pinterest), I discovered that making soy candles is super easy.
About a month ago, I had friends over and we experimented with making soy candles in all sorts of sizes and “flavors” (using essential oils).
They all worked great, although they don’t project aroma as much as most commercial candles. (Purchasing special oils designed for candles helps to increase the intensity of the scents.)
(Can you spy the candy corns? We made a fall-themed night of it.)
Paraffin vs. Soy Wax
Making these candles is particularly easy because soy wax is not nearly as sticky as the paraffin used in most commercial candles. Soy wax washes right off of everything. If you google paraffin vs. soy wax, there are lots of people out there who will tell you that soy candles burn cleaner than paraffin, but to me, the biggest advantage is how easy and clean these are to make at home.
The Tools
It doesn’t cost a lot of money to make soy candles. All you need are these totally affordable, basic tools.
I often use mason jars like those linked above (especially if making these for gifts), but any jar will work. Candle wicks (also found on Amazon), a wooden skewer (or pencil), scissors, and double-sided tape (or glue) are also good to have around.
The Steps
First, measure a piece of the wick so that it is about 4 inches longer than your jar is tall. Tie a knot in one end. Secure the knot to the bottom of the jar with a piece of double-sided tape. Use a skewer or pencil to push it down and secure it. I get a bunch of these ready at once, so I can pour the melted wax right in.
(Note: you can also buy fancy wicks with a metal piece for the bottom of the jar
Next, melt the wax. The soy wax comes in these nice white flakes.
Melt the wax in a pan over medium heat or in a microwave-safe container and on high (it only takes 90 seconds in my microwave).
4 cups of soy wax flakes = 2 cups melted wax.
When it’s all nice and melted, let it cool just a bit. Then stir in essential oils (about 4 drops per cup of melted wax) to scent the wax.
Pour the warm wax into the prepared jars, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top.
Twist the wick around a skewer or pencil and set it on top of the jar so the wick stays centered.
When the wax is cool (about an hour), trim the wick so about 1 inch of wick remains.
Pretty, aren’t they?
And even nicer once lit…
Wouldn’t these be nice as Christmas gifts?
More Homemade Gift Ideas
How to Make Soy Candles
Ingredients
- Clean, dry containers (any combination of sizes that will hold approximately 16 fluid oz. of liquid; i.e; two 8-oz. or one 12-oz. jar and one 4-oz. jar)
- Candle wicks (I use these)
- Double-Sided Tape
- 4 cups soy wax flakes (I use these)
- Essential Oils (4 drops per cup of melted wax), optional
Instructions
- Set the glass containers on a clean, dry dishtowel. Cut a piece of wick for each container that is 4 inches longer than the container is tall. Place a small piece of double-sided tape in the bottom center of each container. Tie a knot at the end of each wick. Press the knot firmly into the double-sided tape to lightly secure. Leave the free end of the wick hanging over the side of the container.
- Fill a sauce pan to the top with soy wax flakes. Place the pan over medium heat. As the wax begins to melt, after about 5 minutes, gently stir it until all of the wax becomes smooth and pourable. (Alternatively, melt the wax in the microwave.)
- Remove the wax from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Add essential oils, if using, and stir to combine.
- Pour wax into prepared jars, leaving 1 inch of space at the top of each jar. Center the free end of the wick in the wax. Twist the wick around a pencil or wooden skewer. Let the wax dry for at least an hour. Cut the wick short so that only about 1 inch remains.
Have you ever tried making fancy ones, that maybe have drippings down the side or anything like that. I guess you could only do that if they were pillar candles or votives not in a jar?
Hi Diane – I haven’t tried that, but I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a shot. Making pillar candles though is a bit more complicated, and I have yet to try it with soy wax.
Diane yes it is possible to do the layers if your referring to like a cafe mocha – you would do brown hues with a white or creamy colored top on it. You would have to do smaller batches and depending on your scent of choice you would need to add color and scent each layer letting it cool completely before adding the next layer. You don’t have to wit for a pillar candle project to do layers glass containers work great to
Can’t wait to start them as well, I can never have enough candles around the house, they are so calming and smell great.
Is there a specific type of glue to use for the wicks that is safe to burn?
Thank you so much for this post I love learning stuff like this I am going to try this!!!!
LV IT!!!
I LOVE Soy candles. I am a crafter / interior decorator and just moved into a new retail space. I would really like to make a bunch of soy candles to sell in the new shop. This looks so easy I am going to start making them ASAP! Thanks for the How-To!
Lisa – great idea! I highly recommend making them for your shop. I make them all the time now for my home, but you could easily do many at a time!
Hi whats the burn time of these candles ? I’m wanting to make some in little liquor glasses for table decorations for my daughters wedding. Tea lights have a 7 hour burn time , I wonder how this recipe compares ? Thanks .
Hi Gretchen. The burn time certainly varies based on the size of the candle. From what I have read from people who have done a side-by-side comparison, the soy candles burn longer. This would make sense to me because they burn at a lower temperature so the wax melts more slowly (the wax never gets hot enough to burn you like traditional candles). Anectodally, I would certainly say that it’s true – the soy candles seem to burn for a very long time.
Gorgeous! I should check out the craft stores here and see if I can find any soy wax. I’m burning through a bonkers amount of tea lights right now (over 100 per week – it’s freaking dark and cold here!) and it would be fun to try something home made. Thanks for posting the ‘recipe’!
Is there a way to make the candles colored?
Hi Jo Jo! You can, but you have to use coloring that is specifically made for candles – they sell it at craft stores.
You can also use crayola crayons 🙂
Actually, crayons aren’t a good idea. They’re made with pigment and tend to clog your wick, which often results in either a prematurely doused flame or a candle that doesn’t want to burn at all.
Actually you really don’t want to use crayons either because not only do crayons ave a bad pigment they tend to ball back up in the candle and leave a beautiful candle looking pretty ghetto. Go to the craft store and buy the coloring designed specifically for soy candles otherwise you may end up with an unhappy finish to your candle
@Stephanie, What exactly do you mean by “leave a beautiful candle looking pretty ghetto”??
Crayons block the wick when burning, don’t use them for candles.
You just reminding me that I got a bag of wax for Christmas last year and never used it. It’s not soy but I’ll use it up and then get onto the soy. I’ve heard that the fumes are better for you (sounds wrong but you know what I mean) than parrafin. What beautiful little presents!
The paraffin wax is actually very full of toxins and chemicals and “bottom of the oil barrel” junk. I unfortunately have some Yankee Candles still which contain paraffin wax and I have not burned them since burning my new soy candle creations. It is very simple to make, and if you go to a hobby store that carries it, you might want to pick up a book on soy candle making for beginners, it will explain all the nasty crap thats in the other type of wax and will make you forever change to soy. I will be buying a very large case of soy wax here soon from amazon, as i intend to begin building my stock and selling them (at least attempting to.) if they dont sell, I have a bunch of awesome candles for my self!!! <3 Good luck on your candle making! Hope you have as much fun as i do, just an FYI – make sure you cool the candles EXTREMELY slow. Like place, like a paper reem box over them. It will promote slow cooling for best results on visual for the candles!!
awesome…im so trying this….
xoxo from Trinidad