With Halloween as your inspiration the possibilities for your soy wax candle are endless. From gothic Halloween chic to sinfully spooky, candles take center stage this time of year.
For this project, you’ll need the following materials:
Soy wax Soy wax is a natural wax made from soybeans. Soy wax is eco-friendly, renewable, and it burns slowly.
Candle Vessel Candle vessels (referring to container or jar) need to be thick enough to withstand the heat of a lit flame, and aesthetically pleasing enough to become your project’s focal point.
Spiral Wood Wick Once you have selected your candle vessel, you must select a candle wick. For soy candles, many varieties of wicks will work perfectly. For this candle, we’ve chosen a spiral wick made of wood that will crackle when it is lit.
Fragrance Oil This soy candle was originally made with Sugared Pumpkin Butter fragrance oil, which I assure you is magnificent, but this part of the process is completely up to you. Testing several fragrance oils in your soy candles in different quantities is the best way to know what fragrance you will truly love using in your candles. Explore the Fall Fragrance Oil Set offered by Candlehaven.ca for variety.
Diamond Sparkle Dust You’ll feel like Tinkerbell by adding a pinch of this super light, candle safe sparkle dust to your soy candle. This glittery substance is so light it won’t sink to the bottom of your candle, but instead will cause your wax to melt into a pool of glittery delight.
Birdcage/Lantern Top Get an old birdcage or lantern, and paint it back.
Halloween Flare Go to your local dollar store and stock up on a few decorative pieces of Halloween flare. A crow or two is optional.
Tools of the Trade You’ll want a thermometer, a double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler), wick stickers, and a heat gun.
…And so it begins…
Clean out the Cobwebs
Make sure you clean and dust and debris out of your candle vessel and then completely dry it. Soy wax does NOT mix with water. In fact, soy wax hates water. Once your candle vessel is clean, affix your spiral wick to the bottom of your vessel and secure it in place with an adhesive wick sticker. Note that some people prefer to use glue to affix the wicks. Pick your poison!
Cut it
Using the fill level weight for your vessel, you can determine how much soy wax you will need. If you are using candle fragrance oil you must factor this into your total weight as well. The easiest way to calculate is to download an app called Candle Maker App. If you cannot download the app, refer to the Fragrance Oil Chart on our website.
Boil it Use a double boiler. You cannot put candle wax directly on heat. It can evaporate or cause a fire. Turn the heat to high so that the water boils. The boiling water will melt the wax slowly and evenly. If you do not have a double boiler, you can use a make-shift double boiler, or a melter specifically for wax.
CRITICAL: Use a thermometer to determine the temperature of your wax. Soy wax must be poured at a specific temperature, or your candles won’t turn our well. Don’t guess the pour temperature for soy wax. I cannot state this enough. The soy wax vendor has gone to the trouble to test their product, and they know their optimal pour temperatures. Do not go rogue on this point. READ INSTRUCTIONS.
Find Instructions for 464 Soy Wax in our product list
Add Magic
Add Diamond Sparkle Dust
Just a pinch of this light and fluffy sparkle dust will make your candles sing. Watch as your soy wax turns from ordinary to extraordinary.
Add Fragrance Oil
Read the vendor’s directions to find out how much scent your wax can safely hold without becoming a fire hazard. Stir slowly and evenly for two minutes as this allows the fragrance oil time to bind to the soy wax.
Pour it
Keep a steady hand and pour cautiously as to not splash wax on the side of your vessel. Allow the wax to cool.
Trim it
Once your candle is completely set, use wick trimmers to trim your wick down to ¼ inch (0.64 centimeters). Feel free to hit your candle for a few seconds with a heat gun to clean up the sides of your vessel if you have any splash marks. A heat gun is a candle makers secret weapon, hiding any mistakes made along the way so that your soy wax candles turn out perfect every time. For best results, wait at least 72 hours for your wax to cure before lighting.
Finish it
Place your candle inside your birdcage. Use your Halloween flare, and if you want more, a couple crows to decorate the sides of your cage. Be careful not to place flammable objects close to your candle.
Picture it
Take a picture, and post your Instagram worthy Halloween chic creation, that we’re affectionately calling “Candle Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest"