Candle making is a much loved craft. You can use them in your own home or make giveaway favors for an event. I prepared for this project by gathering a few items:braided wick string, wick tabs, five pounds of unscented soy candle wax (soy burns longer than paraffin), and a small container of fragrance oil formulated to use in candle making:cinnamon Sugar ! I had trouble finding a variety of scents, but came across this one at the local craft store. Hopefully this means my house will smell deliciously of baked goods all winter long.
I didn't buy the pre-tabbed wick sets, the ones that come pre-assembled, because I wasn't exactly sure what size candles I'd like to make. Still, buying the materials separately costs a bit less (only about $8 for 150 tabs of wick and 100 feet of braided rope).
To assemble the wicks, cut lengths of waxed string for the candle. To make candle making easier, cut off a few inches more than necessary so you can trim the wicks to a later point. Secure one end of the wick string at the base of the wick reed and use needle nose pliers to pinch the metal tight.
To melt wax, install a double boiler system on your stove. It is important to observe the temperature of the wax with a thermometer as it rises. You will need to heat it to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the wax is 180 degrees and all the flakes have melted, remove it from the heat, add the fragrance oil (optional) and color (optional, not used in this tutorial), and let it cool to about 125 degrees. Contrary to what you think, the wax will remain completely liquid during this time!
If you add the fragrance oil while the wax is still on the heat, you risk the scent evaporating.
When it reaches 125 degrees, carefully pour the wax into the container(s) of your choice. Allow the wax to sit for a few moments, watch the top and bottom edges begin to solidify around the bowl, and then place them on the assembled wick and reed. I used a toothpick to help push the tab down to the base of the container and center it, and then placed the end of the wick, centered on the candle, over a construction pencil that wasn't likely to curl.
Let the candle solidify for several hours, then trim the wick down to 1/4 inch. Any excess braided rope can be saved for a day when making a shorter sail.
I can report that making a candle this size used about two pounds of wax. I still have three pounds of wax (and plenty of wicks and string from my original $25 investment) to make many more candles.
