number2of7

Well, now that you MADE me read these....what exactly do you do with these creations? Do they just sit out like an air freshener or what?

I don't even know what aroma beads and scented rocks are.....at this point, I probably don't want or need to know. My brain is already suffering from information overload....I can't stop reading posts here!!!

Excellent! Thank you so much!!!

Well, good....now that we have that established, what size and type of wick should I use? Just a reminder, I'll be using KY Perfect Blend....

Just great! Now I could kill my "wanna be a candlemaker" identity!! Guess I'll just store them away until I get better at this. Luckily, some of the jars mixed in were 12 oz wide mouth mason jars. Are these also too big to start out with? thanks for your honest replies....

I think I've lost my mind! (is that normal here?) My original plan was to just make tarts and wickless candles, but I hit the yard sales yesterday and when I got back home, there were four boxes of 32 oz mason jars in my jeep....guess that means my "wanna be a candlemaker" identity took over when I wasn't looking and bought them. Now that I'm stuck with the jars, guess I'll have to venture into a pile of wicks after all. I have ordered some KY Perfect Blend container wax that should be arriving in a few days. I currently have no wicks, but this is where you guys come in.... The jars are just the standard 32 oz (no wide mouth). Would like to know what size and type of wick you recommend for these? Also, should these be double wicked? I hope these jars aren't too big for a beginner....:undecided Any recommendations, tips, or advice is welcome.....thank you!!

I love to keep busy and learn new things! A few years ago, I dipped into the world of gardening....it turns out that I have dirt in my blood! About a month ago, I walked in to Yankee Candle (is that a bad word here?) for the first time. I took one look at their prices and just got ticked off. I mean, how rude! I guess if I were desperate, I could sell one of my children to afford one of their candles.... Anway, it was then that I decided that candlemaking could become my new hobby to learn....who knows, I thought maybe I had wax in my blood too! Yeah, right! After just a few weeks of reading numerous posts on this board....all I can say is WOW!! I had no idea that so much went into making candles! I just assumed that there was one type of wax, one type of wick, etc....well, wouldn't that just be a perfect world? Exactly how many types of wicks and wax are there, and where do you guys find the patience to try every one of them? I just have to say that I really admire you all! Talk about determination.... Just wanted you all to know that I have gained a total respect for all candlemakers....just wish me luck as I attempt to venture into your world! And thank you to those who have helped me so far!!

Hmmmmm....the recommendation was to pour between 150-155. Is it okay to pour cooler than what is recommended?? Obviously it is since you do it, but is it okay to pour other waxes cooler if this happens or just this one type?

I have no idea how many watts the warmer is. I bought it from Michaels. Is 165 considered a low melt point wax? Cuz that's the recommendation on the parasoy wax that I used.

I let the tarts cure for 3 days, and I used 1oz of FO ppw. The tarts are 1oz each.

I'm using the same wax for my tarts. I filled the liners up to the top, but they still shrunk overnight. The only reason I didn't like it is because although the wax settled some, it left some in the ridges of the liner. So, when I peeled off the liner, I had little pointy bits of wax sticking up. For my personal use, not a problem, but should I ever decide to sell them, I just wanted to know how to correct it. I did just leave them sitting out on the table. Should I have placed them in a box, covered them, or something?

I apparently don't know the trick do doing a search to find what I'm looking for. I end up with tons of posts that will happen to just have the word I'm looking for, but it won't be in the context that I need it in. So, here's what I need answered....I am looking for answers on how and when to do a repour. Since I'm only attempting to make tarts and container candles, I would be grateful for an explanation of those two. I have made one batch of tarts. I used foil liners that I ordered from KY Candle Supply. I poured them to the top and the next morning...well, you know how it goes...they had sunk. But, since they were just for my use, I didn't worry about it. I will be attempting container candles as soon as my wax arrives. What is the proper way to repour these two types of candles? Thank you!

Bump! Anyone???

I agree! Although I'm new here and to candlemaking, I've ordered my wax from KY twice...they use UPS shipping and only charge the exact amount. For my 5lbs of wax, FO, dye, and molds, the shipping was only $7.80.

Well, now I'm getting a little confused. :undecided I realize that I'm supposed to use jars that are designed for candlemaking, but someone had to be the first to test a mason jar out....after all, they weren't "designed" for candlemaking; they just happen to work because someone tried it. I just want to try things, but want to be safe too. Again, I'm not going to be selling these, nor will they be wicked. I'm just wanting some different styles of jars for myself. So, I'm not worried about testing right now....just don't want them to crack and break. Now, the votive holders that I bought aren't the tight fitting kind....they're the one that are similar to what the Glade candles are in. Would these be okay on a warmer?

Modge podge....will definitely pick some up!! Thanks for the tip! You guys are awesome!!

I ordered some of the colored flakes from Ky Candle Wax Supply. I made my first batch of tarts and just sort of threw some in there since there were no directions. The color came out great, but my scent isn't lasting more than about 2 hours. I used their wax specifically designed for tarts (Parasoy, I think), and followed their recommended suggestion for melting and pouring temps. Could I have possible used too much dye? I think I remember reading about adding too much color can prevent scent throw. For those of you who use this type of dye, is there a specific amount I should be using?

Thanks Top and others! With all the reading I've been doing, I've decided not to try the whole wicking thing just yet. I personally like the way my candle warmer throws the scent better in some of the wicked handmade candles that I've bought. Go figure! Right now, I just want to try some wickless candles to put on my warmer. I went to Old Time Pottery today and bought half a dozen random glass & tin containers that they had. My wax should arrive in a few days, so I'm hoping all goes well. I'll definitely be on the lookout for mason jars and other obvious suitable containers while at the yard sales, but with so many "cute" options of glass out there, I just wanted to know what to be on the lookout for. For now, my candlemaking is strictly for my own personal use, and perhaps for my family. I'm just tired of spending $30 plus dollars for candles when I could make them myself and have something to be proud of. Glad you guys are here to help....a few years back, I got into gardening, and if it weren't for the message boards, I wouldn't have the beautiful yard that I do full of gorgeous flowers! Now, I hope to have a house full of yummy smelling candles that you'll be able to smell from your house!

I did read that link before posting, but the article still didn't really specify what to look for when choosing a glass container. So, basically, I'm just supposed to "try" a container to see if it will crack and expose my surfaces to hot melting wax? Wonderful....:undecided Will definitely check then for cracks, etc. as suggested.

When choosing glass container/jars for candle making, how do I know if it's the right kind of glass? I plan to shop at yard sales and thrift stores for various containers, but wanted to know if ALL glass works or if there's something I need to be looking for. I bought two pretty glass containers at the Dollar store the other day. They are designed to hold a votive for burning, but I was thinking of just pouring my wax into them and having wickless candles to put on my burner. Would this work? I just didn't want to assume that all glass was designed to work with hot wax. I was afraid that some would shatter or something and figured that you guys would be the people to ask. Thanks for your help! The inexperienced brand new candle person

And that's why I love this board and all the people here....no waiting an eternity for an answer. Post a question, go to bed, wake up, and poof...there's my answer. Thanks guys! And for the record, I think "candlestuff" should be added to Webster's Dictionary!! It's a great word!

Hello all, I have spent the past two weeks doing nothing but reading all of your posts! I'm brand new at candlemaking and have found some very helpful hints and have been taking notes. This part of me is the smart one. Now, let me introduce you to the dumb one. I have posted on other forums with no luck, but you guys seem to be the bomb diggity! I just can't seem to find the answer to a basic question: How do you measure wax? Especially for small projects.... Let's say that I want to make one wickless candle in an 8 oz jar just to test. How do I know how much wax to melt? My very first project a week ago was a batch of tarts. Since no one on the other forums would answer my question, I simply weighed one pound of wax on my digital scale. I ended up with 20 tarts....didn't really want that many to start with since I'm in the testing stage right now, but got them nonetheless. I just need some basic guidelines so I can feel less like an idiot. This is probably just basic math, but my brain farts just keep piling up. Thanks for anyone who can help me! Amber