Make Your Own Candles
Practical help and advice on making and selling candles from home
Make your own candles at home. A home candle business is an exciting home income opportunity. Have fun, be creative
and establish a successful home business making candles.
Here are some useful tips for starting a home-based candle business.
Purchasing your candle making equipment and supplies.
To make your own candles you only need limited equipment to start with. A thermometer, a double boiler, a pan to melt the wax in, candle molds
and containers. Candle supplies include wax, stearin, wicks and wick anchors, dye and fragrance additives. When purchasing your candle supplies
consider the following:
- Different types of wax. The most common wax used in making candles
is paraffin wax. This wax can be purchased in craft shops or from online suppliers. Stearin is added to the wax to make
candles firmer and burn brighter. Beeswax is also popular for making candles and can be found in craft shops
and online stores. Price the different waxes and see which best suits your budget. Beeswax is more expensive than paraffin.
- Wicks. Wicks and wick anchors can be purchased or homemade. Make sure you get good quality
wicks as they are probably the most important element of the candle. If your candles don't burn properly they will be useless.
The type of candle wax used, the candle's size, shape, color and fragrance will all impact on the choice of wick. Selecting
the correct wick for your candle is critical to ensuring the candle burns properly and cleanly.
- Candle molds. These can be bought and will probably be your largest initial expense.
Some of the bigger molds can cost up to $20 each. However you can get creative and
use containers you have at home such as milk cartons, cardboard rolls, cans, cups and jars as molds.
- Where to buy your supplies. There are many internet sites offering candle making supplies.
In addition to supplies they often provide good information and advice on how to make your own candles. The most important
thing to remember is to only buy what you need. It is tempting to buy extra supplies that look appealing but are not
necessary. When you first start experimenting with making candles it is advisable to purchase your supplies in smaller
quantities until you know exactly what you need for the type of candles you are going to make and sell. Then
buying in bulk becomes more economical. Don't limit yourself to one supplier. Shop around to find the best offerings.
What type of candles to make.
Look around and see what sort of candles are
offered in your local stores. Find out which candles are popular and sell well. Once you have your equipment you can start
experimenting with different candles until you decide which candles you want to make. Use different dyes and fragrances
until you come up with the candles you would like to sell. Be creative with the design of your candles and try
to come up with something unique. Look in craft books at your local library for good ideas. Remember that you can melt down your failures and try again.
Here are some ideas to make your own candles.
- Container candles. This is a non-flammable container filled with
wax and a wick. The advantages of container candles is that they look attractive, don't drip and they produce a better scent than a free standing candle. Common
containers include jelly jars, various types of glasses, metal containers, flower pots, novelty containers.
- Molded pillar candles. These are one of the most common types of candles to make.
But there are a huge variety of shapes and sizes to choose from and you can really get creative with your candle designs and decorations. Molds
can be purchased in a variety of materials - sheet metal, aluminium, plastic, latex and silicone. Sheet
metal and aluminium molds last a long time with little maintenance.
- Rolled candles. Made with flexible sheets of wax, usually beeswax.
The pliable sheet of wax is simply rolled around the wick.
- Gel candles. Made using a semi-solid gel in a clear
container. Popular to make your own candles as you can embed non-flammable objects and decorations in the gel
candle to create wonderful designs.
- Votive candles. Usually shorter than pillar candles these candles
are placed into a cup or special votive holder to be burned. They are a mixture between a pillar candle and a container candle. The pillar candle is placed into a votive
container and when the candle burns the wax takes on the shape of the votive holder.
- Soy candles. Simply made with soy candle wax which is
hydrogenated soybean oil. Popular for its eco-friendly, natural properties. Soy wax is also cost-effective
and soy candles last longer than paraffin candles.
If you are looking for a good home business idea learning how to make your own candles and selling them might be the right
choice for you. A candle home business can be a fun, rewarding and successful way of making money at home.
Start your own home based candle business and become part of a successful and profitable industry
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