Tips for Better Candle Making

Candle making is such a creative hobby. Your products can be used in your own home or they can be used to supply a little hobby/business.
The hobby is not expensive to set up, and the candle's wax is not really that expensive either. Using good quality fragrances is a little more expensive but they are concentrated and they do have have a much better throw. If you are making candles to sell, then it is definitely recommend you use the better quality fragrance because you will be looking for repeat business.

Work space
Make sure that your work area is clean at all times and avoid clutter. You must have plenty of bench space available. Make sure all your candle making needs are handy.

Prepare your molds
Do this step before you start melting your wax. Make sure the molds are clean with wicks in place, and ready for warming before you pour. Warm molds will prevent you from having 'pour marks' down the side of your molds. Glass molds definitely must be heated before being poured into. Put them into a cold oven and bring the temperature up to 150 degrees before using them.

Second pour of wax.
To prevent a drop in the top of your finished candles you will need to top up your candles (a second pour), when your wax in the mold is cool to touch. Heat the wax (making sure to give it a couple of minutes good stirring) to approximately 10 degrees hotter than your first pour, then top up your candles. If you do this and your candles were left to get cool enough the top should remain nice and flat after the second pour. If you do a second pour when the original wax is still too warm the completed candle will have a nipple effect on the top.

It is important when using colored wax, that the second pour is done with some of the original wax ,or the color may not match.

Wicks
It is possible to buy pre-tabbed and pre-waxed wicks, but it is up to you what you use. Wicks are a very important part of candle making because of the burn factor. You will need to research this, especially if you are making more novelty candles. You will get plenty of help from a good supplier.