Candle Making Equipment For Beginners: Complete Guide

Candle Making Equipment

Candle making can be a fun hobby, side hustle, or a good business. However, to get started you need some equipment. You do not have to have candle making equipment to make all types of candles, but if you do have some equipment it can make your life a lot easier.

Candle making equipment is important if you are going to be selling your candles because not only will it help you increase your candle production, it will help you keep a consistent product.

Must-Have Candle Making Equipment for Beginners

There are a couple of different pieces of equipment that you have to have in order to make your own candles at home. You may already have some of these things, but others you will have to buy either online or at your local craft store.

Pouring Pot:

A pouring pot is by far one of the most important things that you need to get if you are interested in making your own candles. A pouring pot is usually made of heavy-duty aluminum, which means that it can hold up to the heat required to melt the wax. It also has a spout that allows you to precisely pour the melted wax into your containers and/or molds.

Check the latest price for this pouring pot on Amazon

Scales:

Making a candle requires more precise measurements than you may originally think, hence why you need to invest in a candle-making scale. Most scales will allow you to measure in ounces, pounds, and grams. You will use your scale to measure out wax, fragrance, and other additives to make sure you get the results that you want.

Check the latest price for this digital scale on Amazon

Glass Thermometer:

When you are making a candle, it is important that you do not overheat the wax. There will also be certain temperature ranges that work best for adding dye and fragrances in addition to pouring it out. A glass thermometer is really important for all of these things. You will be able to stick it in and monitor the temperature throughout the entire process.

Check the latest price for this glass thermometer on Amazon

Heat Source/Double Boiler:

In order to melt the wax, you are going to need a heat source. The most common and often considered the best heat source for melting candle wax is what is called a double boiler. A double boiler is when you place a pot/container of wax into a separate container of boiling water. This method of heating allows the wax to heat slowly (so you can monitor the temperature) and evenly.

Check the latest price for a double boiler on Amazon

Optional Candle Making Equipment For Beginners

If you have a little bit more money to spend or find that you really love to make candles, you may want to invest in some additional pieces of equipment. Some of these are just more specific or better versions of what is described in the previous section.

Presto Pot:

A Presto Pot is another option for heating up your candle wax evenly and slowly. You can often melt more wax in a Presto Pot than you can in a typical double boiler, which makes it a great option for people who are interested in making lots of candles either to give away as gifts or to sell. Some Presto Pots even have a spout that can allow you to put the wax into your pour pot easily.

Check the latest price for a Presto Pot for candle making on Amazon

Jewelers Scale:

A jewelry scale is just a special type of scale. It tends to be a little bit more expensive, but it can also be more accurate than other scales. In fact, in order to be considered a jewelry scale, it has to have at least 0.1-gram readability. This can be helpful if you are adding small amounts of certain additives or making small candles. This specific kind of scale is not necessary but can be beneficial.

Check the latest price for a jewelers scale on Amazon

Heat Gun:

There are a couple of reasons why you may want a heat gun when you are making candles. First, if you are pouring the hot wax into a glass container, you can use the heat gun to heat up the container. With less of a temperature difference between the wax and the container, you are less likely to deal with cracking. You can also use a heat gun to melt and smooth the top of the candle to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

Check the latest price on a crafting heat gun from Amazon

Must-Have Candle Making Material For Beginners

Of course, in order to make candles, you are going to need certain materials. You may have some things, like containers, around your house, but others you will have to buy. You can find most of these things at a craft store, or you can look online at sites such as Amazon.

Containers:

Containers are really important because this is what you are going to put the wax/candle actually in. While there are a lot of options out there when it comes to containers, there are some materials that are better than others. Ceramic bowls/jars and well-sealed tin cans make great containers. You can use clear-glass, but that is sometimes known to crack. If you are using glass, it is recommended that you use a heat gun to decrease the temperature difference first.

Check the latest price of 8 oz candle tins on Amazon

Wax:

In order to make candles, you need to buy plenty of a plain wax known as paraffin or straight wax. Straight wax does not have any additives in it, and it is also the least-expensive version of candle wax. You can use this wax to make a wide variety of candles, from container candles to pillar candles to tea lights.

Check the latest price for soy wax on Amazon

Fragrance Oil:

When making candles, you need fragrance oil in order to get the great smell that candles are known for. The kind/scent of fragrance oil you get is really up to you and your preferences. You can also feel free to mix fragrances to make your own scent.

Check the latest fragrance oil price on Amazon

Wicks:

A wick is another really important part of a candle. There are a variety of different options for what you can use. The most common type of wick is made from spun cotton yarn. However, there are other options, such as wooden wicks, that have their own unique aesthetic and can even sound different when burning.

Check the latest price on these candle wicks at Amazon

Wick Tabs:

Wick tabs are an important part of making candles. Adding it to your wick is what will prevent the wick from falling over as the candle starts to near the end. Without it, you will not be able to burn all of the wax.

Check the latest price on wick tabs and wick stickers on Amazon

Wick Holders:

A wick holder is important when you are pouring the wax. You need the wick to stay standing up while you pour the wax and then as the wax cools and solidifies. Hence, you should buy some wick holders. Without it, you would have to hold the wick yourself, which could be dangerous and tiring.

Check the latest price for wick bars on Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Don’t My Candles Smell Strong?

Candles might not smell strong enough if you didn’t use enough fragrance oil, adding the oil in while the wax is too hot, the candle wick is not large enough, or whenever the candle was not allowed to cure completely.

There are a couple of different reasons that your candle may not be smelling all that strong when you are burning it. First, you may simply not be adding enough fragrance for the amount of wax you are using. This is the simplest answer, but you may want to consider some of the following possibilities too because fragrance oil can be expensive.

You may also be adding in the oil when the wax is too hot. If the wax is hotter than 185 degrees Fahrenheit when you are adding the oils, they are likely burning off as you mix them in. This means that there is significantly less oil actually in your candle than you put in the wax.

You may also be burning the candle before it cures completely, which could prevent it from having a strong scent.

How Do I Make My Candles Smell Stronger?

Make your candle smell stronger by making sure you use the maximum fragrance load, you use good quality fragrance oil, you allow your candles to cure for at least a week and you are using the right size wick to wax ratio.

There are a couple of things that you can do if your candle is not smelling as strong as you want it to. The first thing you should do is try adding your fragrance at a slightly lower temperature to ensure that the fragrance oil is not burning off when you add it to the wax. Generally speaking, you should add the fragrance when the wax is 185 degrees (you can use your glass thermometer to tell), and you should make sure to gently stir it throughout all of the melted wax.

You should also make sure that you measure your fragrance oils by weight, not with a cup or spoon. This is why you need to invest in some kind of scale if you are making candles. There are lots of guides online for how much fragrance you should add to your candle. The standard is 0.5 ounces of fragrance per pound of wax.

If all else fails, just add some more fragrance oil to your next batch. You may find that you just like a stronger smelling candle than other people. Some people double or even triple scent their candles. Just make sure that the wax you are using can hold that much fragrance before you add it.

Is Making Candles Cheaper Than Buying Candles?

It is cheaper to make candles than it is to buy them if you are a regular and avid candle user. You can save between $5 to $15 per candle by making them yourself rather than buying them. Once you have some candle making equipment, you can make a dozen candles for the price of a few boutique candles.

If you are just starting out, only invest in what you need and know you will use. Once you decide if candle-making is for you, you can consider investing in some of the more expensive candle-making equipment and materials.

Conclusion

In conclusion, making candles can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. It just depends on what you have and what you are willing to do to make your candles.

However, if you are producing candles to sell you should use good candle making equipment. You want your information to be as accurate as possible.

If your temperatures and measurements are not accurate you will get an inconsistent product. So keep that in mind before you decide to level up your candle making efforts.

Carl Adamson

Hi, I'm Carl Adamson, one of the founders here at Candleers. A few years ago I got really into the art and craft of candle making, initially with soy wax container candles. My friends started asking me to make candles for them and pretty soon it turned into a nice side-business. I started this website as a way to document what I've learned over the past few years and hopefully help others in the process. I still love candle making but I'm learning that what I enjoy even more is the business side of things - and for this reason I've started consulting others on how to start and grow their own candle-making businesses and side-hustles.

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