Hobby Beginner - Need Candle Making Advice!!

[Craft89]

Hello All! I'm so excited to find this forum.

 

I have some general candle making questions that I hope you can answer for me. I am purely looking to make some of my own good quality candles to give as gifts and not to sell. I've watched several online videos and it would be nice to just get the basics down so I don't spend a small fortune on a craft that turns out a complete bust. I want to use recycled empty Gerber Baby food jars and Oui Yogurt jars to make small candles. I have so many and this might be a great way to repurpose some of them. Of course, I could be wrong about using these jars.

 

1)  Do I need to use a stainless aluminum pouring pot to melt the wax in boiler or is it fine to use a large glass measuring/mixing bowl to melt the wax slowly in the microwave (like old Pampered Chef one that I would only use for candle making not cooking? So that's a two part question really. 

2)  If it's fine to melt the wax in glass in microwave, what's the disadvantages or problems in terms of the final product?

3)  Would the temperature settings be the same to add fragrance and to pour into jars regardless if stainless aluminum pouring pot or large glass mixing bowl method?

4)  If a stainless aluminum pouring pot is really the best way to go, can you recommend a really good one?

5)  Would Natures Garden Joy Wax be a good quality wax for my purpose and would it be safe in the microwave heating on low?

6)  Are recycled Gerber Baby food jars and Oui Yogurt jars good glass jars to use or do I need to be using jars the have the same diameter all the way through it?

7) If I need to be using jars with the same diameter all the way through it, where do you recommend I purchase affordable jars locally and on internet? Located in St. Louis

8)  Wick Size - HELP! I'm looking at the Natures Garden CD5 (2 inch) and CD7 (2.5 inch) wicks but I'm worried they won't be the right size. The Gerber jars inside diameter measure a little over 1.5 inch. The Oui jars measure inside diameter of 2.25 inch. What wick sizes and brand do you recommend I buy?

9) Fragrance - Is there somewhere that I can buy small sample sizes or even have a scent chart sent to me before I committ to buying a regular jar?

10)  What is the easiest and most accurate themometer to use? (I've seen some that are just digital thermometer gun like you get at the hardware store or somewhere.)

 

Thank you so much for you insights and consideration!

 

 

[Belinda]

56 minutes ago, Craft89 said:

Hello All! I'm so excited to find this forum.

 

I have some general candle making questions that I hope you can answer for me. I am purely looking to make some of my own good quality candles to give as gifts and not to sell. I've watched several online videos and it would be nice to just get the basics down so I don't spend a small fortune on a craft that turns out a complete bust. I want to use recycled empty Gerber Baby food jars and Oui Yogurt jars to make small candles. I have so many and this might be a great way to repurpose some of them. Of course, I could be wrong about using these jars.

 

1)  Do I need to use a stainless aluminum pouring pot to melt the wax in boiler or is it fine to use a large glass measuring/mixing bowl to melt the wax slowly in the microwave (like old Pampered Chef one that I would only use for candle making not cooking? So that's a two part question really. 

2)  If it's fine to melt the wax in glass in microwave, what's the disadvantages or problems in terms of the final product?

3)  Would the temperature settings be the same to add fragrance and to pour into jars regardless if stainless aluminum pouring pot or large glass mixing bowl method?

4)  If a stainless aluminum pouring pot is really the best way to go, can you recommend a really good one?

5)  Would Natures Garden Joy Wax be a good quality wax for my purpose and would it be safe in the microwave heating on low?

6)  Are recycled Gerber Baby food jars and Oui Yogurt jars good glass jars to use or do I need to be using jars the have the same diameter all the way through it?

7) If I need to be using jars with the same diameter all the way through it, where do you recommend I purchase affordable jars locally and on internet? Located in St. Louis

😎 Wick Size - HELP! I'm looking at the Natures Garden CD5 (2 inch) and CD7 (2.5 inch) wicks but I'm worried they won't be the right size. The Gerber jars inside diameter measure a little over 1.5 inch. The Oui jars measure inside diameter of 2.25 inch. What wick sizes and brand do you recommend I buy?

9) Fragrance - Is there somewhere that I can buy small sample sizes or even have a scent chart sent to me before I committ to buying a regular jar?

10)  What is the easiest and most accurate themometer to use? (I've seen some that are just digital thermometer gun like you get at the hardware store or somewhere.)

 

Thank you so much for you insights and consideration!

 

 

I'm not a very experienced candle maker but maybe I can help you a little bit. There will be some with many years of experience that will chime in and help you more but here's my answer to some of your questions.

 

I would get a presto pot from Walmart to heat my wax in to start out unless you have a double boiler. That's what a lot of us small time people use. It's not recommended to heat wax in the microwave even though I have done it a few times but I really don't recommend it, especially since you're new to the whole wax thing.

 

As far as a pour pitcher, I've used those and a large glass measuring cup to pour wax with and I like the measuring cup better. It's heavy duty and it just seems easier to me. The wax seems to be easier to guide when I pour out of it. It could just be me though.

 

I think personally I would buy a candle making kit from Lone Star or some place like that to get started. That's just my personal opinion. I started making wax melts and not candles and have been making them for several years but now am branching out to candles and that's the only reason I didn't buy a candle kit. I already had tons of wax and fragrances and things like that. If I was just getting started fooling with wax I would buy a kit. 

 

Aztec sells 5 sample size bottles for $5. They have some good oils. Most all of your suppliers offer one ounce bottles so you shouldn't have a problem finding some to try out. If you buy a kit it seems the ones I've seen had oils already in them and also jars, wicks, wax etc.

 

If you're going to buy jars and looking for inexpensive ones then check out canning jars from Walmart or Target or some place like that. I would think a baby food jar would be really small but I guess it would be a good starting place but I would personally start with an 8 ounce mason or jelly jar. Just my preference and opinion.

 

I'm not sure about the easiest and most accurate thermometer to use. Mine is a cheap one I got off of Amazon and seems to work fine. 

 

Joy wax will work fine I'm sure if that's the type of wax you're wanting to use. It has some good reviews and it's not all soy. 

 

A lot of us get jars from the suppliers we're buying our wax and fragrance oils from but you can also buy jars from Fillmore Container. 

 

I use 12 ounce mason jars and 8 ounce mason and also some apothecary jars and they're pretty much the same diameter all the way down. Not very much variation. I'm not sure if that's the best ones to use but those are the ones that I like the look of. 

 

Wick size will depend on the diameter of the jar and the FO. Some have to be wicked up or down. I use zincs and find that a 51-32-18 has worked well in the jars I'm using for the fragrances I've tested so far. I can't help with any other wick because I'm using all zinc. 

 

I hope I haven't confused you even more. There will be others that will chime in and give you better advice.

[Candybee]

My advice if you are just doing this for a hobby is to buy a candle making kit from one of the suppliers listed state suppliers list. The kit should have all you need and honestly can save you a bundle of money. Once you have some practice making candles with the kit you can determine if you wish to persue the hobby further. Candlemaking is an expensive hobby and there is no way to get around that.

[Craft89]

Belinda, thank you! So much good information for me to consider. Just wonderful of you to share.

 

I like the idea of trying a Lone Star kit. I don't actually want to fragrance the candles unless it's something for winter so I could perhaps buy a small fragrance bottle from the same site I think I might like instead of what comes in the kit. Unless there would be an issue with substituting scents?

 

Thank you for the reccomendation of a Presto pot if I decide to really start making candles more often. I really want to find a use to recycle the glass Oui Yogurt jars but maybe because the diameter is not the same throughout, using them for candle making is not a good idea. It's this little kind of detail that it is very hard to get answers to in the candle making videos.

 

About three years ago, I started pressing flowers and making pressed floral art. I found about 99% of what is on the Internet is absolute rubbish. I'm still perfecting my craft but having great success through my own in depth analysis as I go through the process.

 

 

[Craft89]

I do have two more questions:

 

1) Do I need to heat the candle jars before pouring the wax into them? If so, how? To what temperature? And how do I measure the temperature of the jars?

2) Should I pour the wax at the center point of the jar or closer to the side?

 

Thank you!

[Candybee]

12 hours ago, Craft89 said:

I do have two more questions:

 

1) Do I need to heat the candle jars before pouring the wax into them? If so, how? To what temperature? And how do I measure the temperature of the jars?

2) Should I pour the wax at the center point of the jar or closer to the side?

 

Thank you!

 

Heating the jars is a matter of preference and not required. Most candlemakers do not heat their jars.

 

I only heat my jars during the cold winter months when my house is cooler. I use palm wax and to get the full crystal pattern I need to make sure the glassware is not cold in the bottom. I use a heat gun and do a quick heating inside each glass just before I pour.

 

For soy candle makers you may need a different method. Some heat their jars in the oven while some use a heat gun like myself. Often it is in the winter and not year round. Others never heat their jars. You will need to try both ways to see what works for you. This being summer you should not need to heat your jar anyway.

 

Second, how you pour the wax into the jar is not important. The important part of pouring wax is the right temp of the wax. You will need to follow the heating and pouring temp directions of the wax manufacturer.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Candybee

[Craft89]

Candybee - Thank you so much!

[coconut]

@craft89, the best thing you can do is sit down and read the old posts on craftserver. I know you can go outside the forum, do a google search and the word craftserver and then your search term. This brings up old topics going back many years. Almost any question has been answered before and some you have not thought of yet. Good luck to you and be safe.

[TallTayl]

So many answers to your questions Depend on your chosen wax and containers.

 

i second what coconut wrote. Grab a big cup of whatever you like to drink and Read through the forums to decide what you want to make. Every wax has a different set of requirements and rules to learn.
 

for equipment I recommend a good aluminum pour pot versus glass. Aluminum pots can take a beating, and you can heat gun to clean or rewarm contents. 
 

also would recommend a presto pot or similar to heat the wax,  microwaves leave hot/cold spots.

 

a good thermometer is a lifesaver.  The infrared point and shoot kind is good as long as you stir well before taking the temp. 

[Craft89]

Checking back in. I made my first small batch of candles today from a candle making  kit. They are still setting up so I will test burn them over the next couple of weeks and let you know.

 

Again, I used a starter kit with paraphin wax. I did warm the jars in the oven at 170 degrees (lowest setting on my oven) and turned the oven off about halfway through melting the wax. Left the jars in the warm oven until wicking. I also left 2 jars to pour cold to test that against heating jars. 

 

Initial Problems:

 

1) The double broiler method was fine but I think it is worth investing in a Presto Roast Pot to melt the wax. The way I lean over the stove in my tight space, realized I might burn myself on the broiler. Oven mitts were a bit combersume but not impossible. Holidays are coming up. I'm sure one of those will go on sale somewhere. In the meantime, I'll stick with the double broiler.

 

2) Candy thermometor was okay for the first round, but I want to invest in a digital thermometor going forward. Anyone have any suggestions as to which brand from the hardware store?

 

3) Might be beneficial to make a paper template to find the center of the jars. Eyeballing it wasn't very effective (at least not without my reading glasses!). The kit came with stickers to adhere the wicks but I think a tiny hit with a hot glue gun or some kind of high heat glue might be very effective and will try that next time. Any suggestions?

 

4) The wicks that came in the kit were terrible. Like I got the rejects or something. Some were bent, detached from metal base, etc. I have other wicks I bought from a different company when I test a different wax which I will try then.

 

5) Wick Clip. Don't know if it was the wicks or the clips but the clips cut many of the wicks off whenever I tried to attach them. And it was hard to get a firm straight pull of the wick with them too in order to get a clean straight wick line. I think I need to find something else inexpensive to hold the wicks while the wax sets. Any suggestions?

 

6) Fragrance. Okay, I ordered a handleful of sample ones that came with high customer ratings. Holy Moly. If I openned the fragrance and it was offensive, I decided to throw it out. Figured it might be like wine. If you don't like how it tastes to drink it, it's not going to taste any better if you cook with it. I don't like that there isn't a scratch and sniff scent chart that you can smell before ordering scents. Just throwing darts mainly.
 

7) Some warning labels came with the candle kit which I can apply to the bottom of the jars if I decide to give any as gifts. I think I will forgo actual stickers to label the scents, etc. For gifts, it will be easier and cheaper for me to just make a gift tag and write it on there.

 

Will let you know how they burn, etc.  Thank you for everyone's suggestions!

 

 

[coconut]

I would not give any of your candles as gifts until you have tested for a while. You don't want your friends to burn down their homes and sue you, do you?

[birdcharm]

I think that's great advice!  It's not uncommon for new hobbyists to want to create gifts, but I do feel that it's important to get a fair amount of experience behind you first, with lots of personal testing.

[coconut]

If you want to do gifts, try water options like melts or potpourri... Something without an open flame.

[coconut]

Teehee not water, safer is what I meant.

[Pam W]

On 9/3/2020 at 5:45 PM, Craft89 said:

About three years ago, I started pressing flowers and making pressed floral art. I found about 99% of what is on the Internet is absolute rubbish. I'm still perfecting my craft but having great success through my own in depth analysis as I go through the process.

 

 

Hey, if you want to learn from an expert I'd suggest that you search out posts made by Donita...this lady was an inspiration to me.......her work is so far beyond beautiful and her past posts and pic are available thru a simple search.  I would give my right arm to have Donita's skill

.

If you are into pressed flowers and how to use them in candle making, then you need to research the posts/pic posted by Donita.  Donita hasn't been around for a while but her beautiful works of art can be viewed in the library.........this lady is a God send to those of us wanting to make a beautiful candle.

[birdcharm]

6 hours ago, coconut said:

Teehee not water, safer is what I meant.

 

At first I thought you may have meant something like floating candles ... that's a fairly safe one for beginners!

[birdcharm]

On 10/10/2020 at 5:51 PM, Craft89 said:

... I opened the fragrance and it was offensive, I decided to throw it out ...

 

That can happen sometimes, where you just wonder what they were thinking when they mixed it!  I recently ordered something that was supposed to be a forest type of scent and I swear every time I opened the cap, it made me think of a kitty litter box!  I worked with it though, poured it into something that I knew would simply swallow it up, and it did.  You have to remember though that these chemicals are toxic in the natural environment so they should be disposed of with care, some recycling centers accept household chemicals.  I guess this is one reason why I have some old bottles of f/o that have lost potency that just keep hanging around!

[karinz40]

I have 3 cats and know that scent.  Have to clean daily.

[Marisa11]

17 hours ago, karinz40 said:

I have 3 cats and know that scent.  Have to clean daily.

 I also have 2. As well as 4 dogs. Its a never ending poo factory at our house. Sheesh!

[BusyBee]

On 10/10/2020 at 3:51 PM, Craft89 said:

Checking back in. I made my first small batch of candles today from a candle making  kit. They are still setting up so I will test burn them over the next couple of weeks and let you know.

 

Again, I used a starter kit with paraphin wax. I did warm the jars in the oven at 170 degrees (lowest setting on my oven) and turned the oven off about halfway through melting the wax. Left the jars in the warm oven until wicking. I also left 2 jars to pour cold to test that against heating jars. 

 

Initial Problems:

 

1) The double broiler method was fine but I think it is worth investing in a Presto Roast Pot to melt the wax. The way I lean over the stove in my tight space, realized I might burn myself on the broiler. Oven mitts were a bit combersume but not impossible. Holidays are coming up. I'm sure one of those will go on sale somewhere. In the meantime, I'll stick with the double broiler.

 

2) Candy thermometor was okay for the first round, but I want to invest in a digital thermometor going forward. Anyone have any suggestions as to which brand from the hardware store?

 

3) Might be beneficial to make a paper template to find the center of the jars. Eyeballing it wasn't very effective (at least not without my reading glasses!). The kit came with stickers to adhere the wicks but I think a tiny hit with a hot glue gun or some kind of high heat glue might be very effective and will try that next time. Any suggestions?

 

4) The wicks that came in the kit were terrible. Like I got the rejects or something. Some were bent, detached from metal base, etc. I have other wicks I bought from a different company when I test a different wax which I will try then.

 

5) Wick Clip. Don't know if it was the wicks or the clips but the clips cut many of the wicks off whenever I tried to attach them. And it was hard to get a firm straight pull of the wick with them too in order to get a clean straight wick line. I think I need to find something else inexpensive to hold the wicks while the wax sets. Any suggestions?

 

6) Fragrance. Okay, I ordered a handleful of sample ones that came with high customer ratings. Holy Moly. If I openned the fragrance and it was offensive, I decided to throw it out. Figured it might be like wine. If you don't like how it tastes to drink it, it's not going to taste any better if you cook with it. I don't like that there isn't a scratch and sniff scent chart that you can smell before ordering scents. Just throwing darts mainly.
 

7) Some warning labels came with the candle kit which I can apply to the bottom of the jars if I decide to give any as gifts. I think I will forgo actual stickers to label the scents, etc. For gifts, it will be easier and cheaper for me to just make a gift tag and write it on there.

 

Will let you know how they burn, etc.  Thank you for everyone's suggestions!

 

 

 

2)  Any Non-contact infrared thermometer should work well.  No need to look for certain brand.  Walmart has variety choices including good price on Presto Pots.

3)  I use this to mark center of containers.  It should be self explanatory looking at pictures.  *There are other ways to do it for clear glass.

 

 

5)  If you try to install by hand, then wick can break off from wick tab.  Try to use this as pictures show.  Blank of Bic ball point pen works best as wick installing holder.

 

 

7)  All scented oils do not smell pleasant.  It is very potent and smell is unpleasant in oil form.  It need to be made into a product to produce wanted beautiful scent.  You will be able to tell by smelling it in the future as your experience grows.

 

Have fun!

[Craft89]

Pam - Thank you for the reference to Donita and pressed flowers. I'll research her posts this weekend. I am huge into pressing flowers and designing pressed floral art. Not sure I would feel comfortable joining that love with candle making. But I am very interested to read Donita's posts!

 

BusyBee - I bought an infrared thermonmeter at Lowes. Haven't unpackaged it yet but assuming it will be fine. I like your template idea for marking the center of the vessel. The wick clip issue that I had was with the metal wick clips that go on top of the jars to hold the wick center. The wick clips cut off several of the wicks rather than clipped them in place. Maybe I used to much pressure or something. They were a nightmare. I also wondered if because it was a starter kit if they enclosed defective ones. The metal lids included for the jars arrived all scratched. I just won't be ordering supplies from this company again. 

 

Burned the first candle half way and so far so good. Have some volunteer testers who have assured me their renter's insurance is up-to-date! 

[BusyBee]

Oops!

 

I did this when I was a beginner.  Laundry clothespins are another alternative for beginners.

[Craft89]

BusyBee - Wow very resourceful. I am wondering about trying the long plastic food clips. 

 

After you melt your wax in Presto pot what are you transferring it to cood to the right temperature for fragrance? Are you just transferring it to your candle making pouring pot or have you found something better for you?

[BusyBee]

8 hours ago, Craft89 said:

BusyBee - Wow very resourceful. I am wondering about trying the long plastic food clips. 

 

After you melt your wax in Presto pot what are you transferring it to cood to the right temperature for fragrance? Are you just transferring it to your candle making pouring pot or have you found something better for you?

I use several pouring pots to mix & pour.  Presto to pouring pot when I was beginner and now wax melting tank to pouring pot.  Next best method will cost around $7,500 for the system (wax melting tank, agitator & dispensing gun system).  Next up system would cost little more than $20,000.  For beginners & hobbyist, Presto to pouring pot should be the best method.

[Craft89]

Thank you!