Candle Making: Tools of the Trade

Today we will be going over the tools every candle maker needs in order to get started making candles. If you’ve always wanted to get started in the wonderful world of candle making, then get out your notebook and jot this stuff down.

After you have your materials gathered, we will go through how to use them with a basic candle making tutorial!

Supplies Checklist:

• Melting System – This is also known as a “double boiler”. There are several options here for varying budgets.
  • A manufactured double boiler.
  • Put together your own double boiler using a steamer pot and a melting pot.
  • Buy a pouring pot and put it into a deep pot or saucepan that you already have.
  • Use two saucepans, one inside the other.
  • Use a coffee can inside of a saucepan.
• Thermometer – Next you will need a special thermometer for measuring the temperature of the wax. The thermometer you buy needs to cover a scale of 100-350 degrees Fahrenheit (38-177 degrees Celsius).
• Scale – You need a precise scale that you’ll be able to accurately measure how much wax you will need.
• Pouring System – If you are using one of the melting systems above that incorporate the melting/pouring pot, then you can use that for this purpose as well. Otherwise, you will need a ladle or something else that you will be able to move the wax from the pot to the container.
• Wax – Of course you will need this! Did you even doubt? There are many types of wax and for the seasoned candle maker there is a clear difference. But for getting started, you can probably stick with the standard Paraffin. If you are making a candle in a container, use a container paraffin wax, and if you are making any other kind of candle use a semi-refined paraffin wax. There is also soy, gel, beeswax, and others; as well as a wide variety of types within each.
• Wicks – Another crucial ingredient to a candle. There are many types of wicks and the main factor when your just starting out is the size of the wick. For example, you should use a tealight wick when making tealights, and a votive wick when making votives.
• Coloring – Next you will need to add some color and life to your candles. There are several different choices here, including the following.
  • Block Dyes – The cheapest option and probably the best for beginners.
  • Color Chips – Another fairly cheap option, also good for starting out.
  • Liquid Dyes – Gives off a much deeper color but is more expensive than block dyes. Okay to start out with, but it will take some getting used to in order to get the right color/shade.
• Molds – If you want to make anything but container candles, you will most likely need some molds. These come in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes. They also come in metal (the most durable option), plastic, rubber, latex, and glass. While metal molds are the most expensive, they will last a long time and stand up to many, many batches of candles.
• Additives – There are a very wide variety of different additives to make your candles shinier, more colorful, burn longer, etc. It’s probably best to start out without these to get the hang of the actual candle making process.
• Fragrances – Make your candles smell pretty! There are so many pre-made fragrances out there that will give your candle just the right scent.
• Mold Release – This is used to spray inside the mold for easy release of the candle. I personally just use cooking spray and it works just fine.
• Heat Gun/Blow Torch – Can be used to cover up and correct mistakes, preheat metal molds, give a shiny finish, get rid of bubbles in gel candles, etc. The ultimate tool to make your candles look absolutely professional.
• Wick Pins – Mostly used in votive and tealight molds, these are placed in the candle wax when the wax is still hot and this leaves a hole in the candle to put the wick through.
• Wick Holder Bar – Used to hold wicks that aren’t pre-tabbed in place until the wax dries.
• Water Bath – A bucket of cool water to place a freshly poured candle into. This will simply make the candle cool quicker and give it a shiny finish.

With the above tools, you will be able to get started with candle making! When you have all your tools, check out my Candle Making 101 tutorial for beginners.

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