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Learn how to make candles with our easy to follow 10-step guide. Discover tips, and essential supplies for creating candles, perfect for an online store.
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If you’re launching a candle-making business, choosing what types of candles to craft and sell is an exciting part of the process. With a wide array of fragrances, waxes, and decorative elements like pressed flowers to explore, this creative journey can be both thoughtful and energizing.
Creating candles at home can be relatively straightforward, provided you plan carefully and use the right tools. Your candle-loving friends will likely appreciate these handmade additions to their home décor.
Your venture could evolve into a profitable side hustle or small business. Entrepreneurs of all ages have built successful candle-making enterprises—take nine-year-old Lily Harper, for example, who manages the candle company Lily Lou’s Aromas with her mom’s support.
Ahead, you’ll discover the essential materials you need to make and sell candles, along with our comprehensive 10-step candle-making tutorial to help you get started.
Before you start selling your creations online, here’s an overview of the supplies you’ll need to craft homemade container candles.
Candle wax is typically available as shavings or flakes, which you can purchase in bulk online or from local craft stores. Some popular types of wax for home candle-making are:
Wicks are usually made of paper, cotton, zinc, or wood. Thin wicks suit most candles but may extinguish easily in larger ones. Thick wicks, with their larger flames, melt wax faster and are better suited for larger candles. Consider investing in a wick trimmer for precise cutting.
Common wick types for candle-making include:
If you’re not using a container for your candle, molds help shape it to stand on its own. You can find affordable, reusable molds on platforms like Amazon.
A skewer keeps the wick upright while the surrounding wax solidifies. You can substitute this with tape or adhesive putty if you’re on a budget.
Enhance your homemade candles with color by adding candle-specific dye. Using non-candle dyes may alter your wax composition and affect the solidifying process.
Scented candles derive their aroma from essential oils or fragrance oils added to melted wax during production. The amount of fragrance oil and wax type determine the scent intensity. Waxes with a higher melting point (like beeswax) emit less scent than those with lower melting points (like paraffin).
Double boilers evenly distribute stovetop heat for controlled warming—ideal for melting wax. You can use a store-bought double boiler or create one by placing a metal bowl atop a pot containing a small amount of water.
Use a candy thermometer, digital infrared thermometer, or deep-fry thermometer to monitor your wax temperature.
A heat-resistant spatula ensures even wax melting during the candle-making process.
Mason jars, glass containers, or even tin cans make excellent candle vessels. Remember, larger containers yield bigger candles with longer burn times.
The Gill brothers founded their own candle business, Frères Branchiaux.
🏬 Success story: A family candle business helmed by three kidpreneurs
Three young brothers seeking to earn money for college—and Nerf Blasters—turned their hand-poured candle business into more than just a side project.
Creating candles at home is simpler than you might think. With a few specialized items, some planning, and a little time, you can craft beautiful, fragrant candles. Follow this step-by-step guide to start your candle-making journey.
Choose your candle containers: votive holders, specific candle jars from craft stores or candle-making wholesalers, empty Mason jars, or even tin cans work well. Select a vessel that you like, as most poured candles can’t be transferred once set.
Ensure your containers are clean and dry, and place them on a flat surface. Keep your wicks, fragrance oils, and wick holders (like Popsicle sticks or chopsticks) within easy reach.
Use your candle containers as measuring tools. Fill them with wax flakes or shavings, remembering that melted wax takes up less space. A good rule of thumb is to use about two containers’ worth of flakes per candle.
Pour your measured wax into your double boiler and warm it slowly until completely melted. Stir carefully with a spatula, catching any bits that rise up the pot’s edges.
Different waxes have different melting points:
Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
For scented candles, it’s time to get creative. If using candle-specific fragrance oils, follow the package instructions. For essential oils, add 30 to 40 drops per eight-ounce candle. Add oils slowly and stir thoroughly.
Center one wick in each container. Secure it to the bottom with a drop of melted wax or glue. Ensure the wick is centered for an even burn.
Before pouring the wax, place two Popsicle sticks (or chopsticks, pencils) across the jar’s top, sandwiching the wick between them. This keeps the wick upright as the wax hardens.
Carefully fill each container to just below the rim, pouring slowly to minimize air bubbles.
Wipe up any wax drips with paper towels while still warm. For hardened wax spills, use hot water to clean surfaces.
Curing times vary by wax type:
Once dry, remove the wick holders and trim the wick. If you notice pockmarks or indentations from air bubbles, warm a little more wax and add a thin layer on top for a smooth finish.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Homemade candles make great gifts and online store items, and are a cost-effective way to achieve a beautifully lit, aromatherapy-infused atmosphere in your home.
Paraffin wax is often considered ideal for candles due to its affordability and excellent fragrance-holding capacity, resulting in long-lasting, beautifully scented candles.
Yes, making your own candles is typically more cost-effective. While high-end store-bought candles can cost more than $100 for an eight-ounce pour, a pound of soy wax flakes (enough for three eight-ounce candles) usually costs between $2 and $10. Many fragrance oils also retail for less than $10, making DIY candles significantly more economical.
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