How to Make Soy Candles
Make DIY soy candles in ramekin containers with soy wax, a natural wick, and a beautiful fragrance. This project creates four 4 oz (100 g) ramekin candles, but you can scale the recipe up. You can also use larger ramekins, but make sure that the diameter matches the wick you use. The wicks in this recipe are for container candles 2.6-2.75" (66-70 mm) in diameter.
Servings 4 candles
Cost $15
Equipment
- 4 ramekins (small) glass or ceramic - 4 oz (100 ml)
- 4 wick stickers or mounting putty
- 4 sets of wooden chopsticks unbroken
- heat-proof pouring jug stainless steel, Pyrex, plastic
- jug with spout optional
Ingredients
- 397 g soy wax (for container candles) 14 oz / Info above on waxes
- 39 g candle fragrance oil 1.38 oz / See info above on fragrance oils
Instructions
- Pre-measure the ingredients using a kitchen scale. Measure the fragrance oil into a glass or ceramic dish and the soy wax into a small stainless steel pan.
- Prep the containers by sticking the bottom of the metal sustainer (also called a tab) of the wick to the center of each. Use a wick sticker, hot glue gun, or a small amount of white mounting putty.
- Secure the wicks upright using chopsticks or a candle wick centering tool. Set the containers on a piece of paper to catch any wax drips.
- Place the soy wax in a stainless steel pan and melt it over indirect heat. To do this, float the pan in another pan filled with simmering water. Melt the wax until fully liquid, and then place the pan on a potholder.
- Take the melted wax's temperature. When it has cooled to 180-185°F (82-85°C)*, stir in the fragrance oil. Stir with the spoon for thirty seconds to fully incorporate it. Leave the scented wax to cool, and in the meantime, clean off everything that came into contact with the fragrance oil with paper towels and dispose of it*.
- Let the wax cool to 135°F (57°C)*, then pour it into the ramekins. With small batches (such as four candles), it's relatively easy to pour directly from the pan that you melted the wax in. For larger batches, use a jug with a long pouring spout.
- Once filled, leave the candles to harden undisturbed for at least twelve hours. Afterward, you can gently remove the chopsticks and trim the wicks down to 1/4" (6 mm)*.
- Leave the candles someplace out of direct sunlight and room temperature for 7-10 days to cure. After this period, you can use the candles and expect good results.
Notes
* If you do not mix the fragrance at this temperature range, the quality of the throw (the scent the candle gives) can be affected.
*Most fragrance oils, and essential oils for that matter, will kill aquatic life and should not be introduced to water systems. That means that we should not put them down the drain. Once you wipe the dishes that held them clean with a paper towel, you can wash them normally.
* If you don't pour your candles at this temperature range, the final surface of the candle will likely be uneven, pitted, and unattractive. If this happens anyway, you may be able to even out the surface with a heat gun.
*The wicks that I recommend are self-trimming after their first cut, meaning that they'll burn down as the candle burns. Other wicks will need trimming to 1/4" again before each burn.