How to Make a Winter Scented Soy Candle

"Using just a few candle making supplies and 5 simple steps, you will have your very own handmade soy candle burning in your living room. Step 1: Prepare your workspace Organise a clear space and cover it with an old table cloth or newspaper as you will be pouring melted wax. This will take care to catch any drops of wax as you pour and set the candles. Step 2: Melt the wax It’s now time to measure out and start melting the wax. Wax is less dense than water so you won’t need as much as you think, use the formula below to calculate the amount of wax required. Number of containers x ml of each container x 0.77 For example, if I have two containers that hold 150ml than 2 x 150 x 0.77 = 231g of wax. By using this formula, when you melt and pour the wax, you should have just enough wax to fill each container but still have a small space left from the rim of the container. If you don’t have scales then measure the wax by filling your candle container with unmelted wax twice, this will give you roughly the wax required when melted down. To melt the wax use the double boil method, this is essentially the same technique used to melt chocolate. Simply boil water over the stove in a saucepan and place a heat resistant bowl or jug over the top. Place the melted wax inside the bowl/jug and let it melt, as the steam is heating the second container it will remain under 212 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid over heating the wax. Step 3: Prepare the candles While the wax melts you can prepare your candles for when the wax is ready to be poured. Attach a wick stickum to the base of the container and use this to secure the wick to bottom of the candle to hold it in place. Next place a wick holder over the top of the wick to keep it centred as the candle sets. Step 4: Add the fragrance Once the wax has reached 185 degrees Fahrenheit it is ready to be poured, however first we must add the key ingredient, the fragrance. Transfer the wax to a pouring jug and then add the desired fragrance oil to the melted wax, stirring thoroughly to mix them together. As I was making a winter scented soy candle for Christmas, I added a Christmas Cedar fragrance. Soy candles can hold approximately 6-10% fragrance oil, be sure to add no more than 10%. You can use the formula below to calculate this. Melted Soy Wax (mls) x 0.10 = fragrance oil Using the example above we are using 231g of wax which is approximately 256mls when melted. 256ml x 0.10 = 25mls of fragrance oil Step 5: Pour the candle and let the candle set Once the fragrance has been added to the melted soy wax it is ready for pouring. To avoid any bubbles or cracks in the candle, let the wax cool further to a 140 degrees Fahrenheit before pouring it into your candle vessel. Leave the candle in a cool dry environment to set, also ensure each wick is centred as pouring can sometimes push the wick out of alignment. Now wait for the candles to set. In 24 hours you will have a beautiful winter scented soy candle ready to enjoy."

Materials List

• A container that can withstand heat (e.g. glass, metal)
• Soy Wax
• Wicks (cotton or wood)
• Wick stickums
• Fragrance oil
• Stove top
• Pot
• Pyrex Jug
• Thermometer