How to Make Soy Candles
Inexpensive and surprisingly easy, this "recipe" for soy candles can be easily multiplied to make many candles at once. These make great gifts.
Servings: 1 16oz. candle, or smaller candles to equal abmout 16oz.
Cost: $5.00
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.
Notes
Soy wax has a much lower melting point than parafin, and comes out easily in hot water and soap. It will wash easily out of pots and pans and out of most fabrics when put through a regular wash cycle. To be safe, I use older dishtowels for this project, but I've never had the wax damage the towels or my cooking tools.