Candle Making Tips & Articles

Preparing Your Candlemaking Area

Extreme care must be taken when you make candles. You will be dealing with boiling water and hot wax, which present potential burn hazards. Melting wax or additives in an improper manner can also present a fire hazard. Spilled liquid wax can create a terrible mess, and is actually more slippery than ice. Dyes and scents can cause permanent stains. It is very important that you exercise caution, and have specially prepared areas for making candles.

You will need to set up three specific areas.

1. Preparation
2. Melting
3. Pouring/Cooling

Most likely you will be making your candles in your kitchen. A kitchen is suitable for candlemaking because you will need your stove for the Melting area, and there is usually ample counter space to serve as the Preparation and the Pouring/Cooling areas.

PREPARATION:
This is where you will need to get things set up before you start making your candles. It should be a sturdy, level surface free of clutter and near the stove. Keep your books, instructions, and notes here for quick and easy reference. Have your utensils, thermometer, pre-measured additives and pre-measured dyes, and paper towels standing by ready for use here. You should also have your safety items here, such as a fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
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MELTING:
You can melt your wax using several methods. Our recommendation is to use a steamer pot/double boiler to heat the water on your stovetop. You should have nothing else on or near the stove while you are melting wax.
See our step by step instructions for melting wax safely.
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POURING/COOLING:
A sturdy, level surface is necessary for pouring and cooling your candles. A kitchen table is fine, so long as it will be left undisturbed for several hours while the candles are curing.

If you have a dining table in a carpeted area you may not want to use this for your Pouring/Cooling area. The risk of spilling wax on that carpet is too great and should be avoided. A sizeable kitchen counter is suitable.

It is important that this area be free of drafts, direct sunlight, and heating/cooling systems, as these will affect the outcome of the candle.

You be will preparing your molds here, which you can do while the wax is melting. This is the area that will get the messiest. Spread a disposable plastic tablecloth over the area. Wax will likely spill while you are filling your molds, and you may even end up with a leak in a mold which could drain all the wax out of the mold and all over the Pouring/Cooling area. It is a good idea to have your molds on top of a cooking sheet that has a lip around it, or in a shallow cake pan. This way when you do experience a spill or leak, all the wax is confined to one small easily cleaned area. If you are careful you may reuse the tablecloth several times, but if the mess is too big, you can simply throw it away.