Making candles can be a daunting process at first but once you have the basic equipment it can make such a difference. While not everything in this post is required to make candles, it does help to ensure little error in the process. The wax, wick, scent and color are considered materials therefore will not be addressed in this post. Below is a list of the best materials for candle making and a brief description of each.
- Aluminum Melting Pot – They generally hold around 4 lbs. of wax, however, I would not recommend filling it more then half way. The more wax in the melting pot the harder it will be to pour into the jar without spilling. This pot is great for adding your color and scent into then just mixing it all together. The melting pot can also be put in a double boiler in order to melt the wax in it.
- Wax Melter – While a wax melter is not required, double boiling will work as well. The melter makes the process much quicker and efficient. Wax melters range from holding 8 lbs. of wax to several hundred pounds. You can easily scoop the melted wax out of here into a melting pot to measure the amount of wax and then add your scent and color.
- Wick Clip – A metal or wooden wick clip is a great tool to help the wick stay centered as the candle dries. Depending on the specific wick clip it can attach to the jar then wick so they stay centered even if bumped.
- Scale – A digital scale is often overlooked but in reality can be one of your best tools. The amount of scent added to your wax should ALWAYS be weighed! Too much or too little scent can have drastic effects on your candle, potentially even dangerous when over scented. Each scent weighs differently so measuring the volume will not suffice.
- Thermometer – There are glass candy thermometers or digital infrared thermometers that work great! Generally waxes have a range of temperatures they should be poured at. It is important to monitor the temperature as the wax melts making sure it doesn’t get too hot. Over heating your wax can create it to burn and therefore it will not be usable. Pouring at the incorrect temperature can cause the candle to sick and other unflattering side effects.
- Wick Trimmer – A wick trimmer is used to properly cut your wick to size without having it be too short and can easily fit into tigher jars.
- Wick Tape – When making container candles wick tap is great to stick on the bottom of the wick then press it to the bottom of the jar. The helps to keep the wick in place while you are pouring and during the cooling process.
- Burning Instruction Label – While this may fit more into the materials end of candle making. It is so important to have burning instructions on the bottom of your candle. This can help protect you from potential lawsuit and helps teach the safe way to burn a candle.
Again the equipment above is not required to make candles,however, it is highly suggested in order to create candles safe and efficiently.