How to Make Poured Candles

Preparation:

Your candle mold should have a wick hole in the centre of the bottom surface (this will actually be the top of the candle when finished). Thread the wick through the wick hole and tie the other end of the wick around a skewer, chopstick, pencil etc. laid across the top opening of the mold. Turn the mold upside down and gently pull on the wick to make it tight. Cut the wick so there’s about ½” - 1” left and  then seal with “mold sealer putty” or a magnet sealer (for tin molds only). Leaving too much wick out the hole can create a channel for the wax to leak out. The mold should be clean to achieve the best seal. Always place your candle molds on a tray (baking sheet) in case it does leak.

Pouring:

As the wax melts, add mold release & polybar if required. Melt only as much wax as is needed as wax will deteriorate with repeated heating. Make sure you have a bit extra as the wax will shrink when it cools and you’ll have to “top up” the candle once it’s cooled. Bring wax to the appropriate pouring temperature (refer to list below) and then add dye & scent if desired. Mix thoroughly but do not agitate the mixture which can create air bubbles. Adding scent too soon will cause it to dissipate as the wax is heating. To test the colour of the wax, use a spoon to pour a small amount into a container of cool water. The wax will harden quickly and you can see if more dye is required. Gently pour the liquid wax into the mold, filling right to the top (do not try to make shorter candles by pouring below the top as they will not release from the mold). Allow to cool at room temperature (unless other effects are desired through rapid cooling). Air cavities can form inside the candle when the wax cools, so once the candle has set use a metal skewer to poke a few holes down around the wick. Pour wax in to fill the holes, which at the same time will fill in any shrinkage from the top of the mold (your candle will likely have a dip from shrinkage). You may need to top up the candle more than once so keep enough extra wax to do this.

Removing from mold:

Do not attempt to remove the candle from the mold until it is completely cool – feel the sides of the mold, it should not be warm. This can take several hours depending on the size of the mold – be patient! Remove the mold sealer and grasp the skewer that the wick is tied around. Pull gently but firmly and the candle should release and slide out of the mold. If the candle is stuck, press around the mold to help break the seal, and place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to help the wax to contract from the mold. The bottom of the mold is now the top of your candle as it is even and clean. The bottom of the candle will likely be uneven so you can place it on a hotplate or pan on the stove to melt the bottom flat, or use a mitre saw to chop the bottom off.

Measurements:

POLYBAR – add 3.5 tblsp per kilogram of wax (for paraffin wax only) (1%)

MOLD RELEASE – add 2 tsp per kilogram of wax (use up to 3x the amount for beeswax – not required for soy or palm wax) (2% - 3%)

SCENT – add 2% - 5% to paraffin wax. Add 5% - 10% to soy wax (scents vary in strength, as does personal preference). Some scents will also colour the wax. Adding too much scent will cause the candle to smoke and the oils may sweat to the surface and ignite.

DYE – add the recommended amount on the dye packaging to achieve the desired colour

TEMPERATURES for types of molds

  • Metal molds pour at 180 – 190°F (82 – 87°C)
  • Acrylic molds pour at 190 – 200°F (87 – 93°C)
  • Plastic molds pour at 180°F max   (82°C max) *plastic will deform if wax is too hot*
  • Silicone molds pour at 180 – 200°F (82 – 93°C)

TEMPERATURES for specific wax

  • Pillar soy wax pour at 160 – 180°F (71 – 82°C)
  • Paraffin wax pour at 180 – 200°F (82 – 93°C)
  • Beeswax pour at 160 – 180°F (71 – 82°C)
  • Palm wax pour at 150 – 160°F (65 – 71°C)
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