Questions We’re Asked
This page contains a selection of the questions we’ve been asked. If you’d like to ask a question, please either email us at peta@makingyourowncandles.co.uk or leave a comment on this page (at the bottom).
Candlemaking
QIs there a set amount of scent oil I should add to my candles?
AIt depends on the scent but generally speaking 3ml of oil per 100g of wax is about right
QWhen I make a container candle entirely out of molten beeswax, why does it sink in the middle and what can I do about it?
ABeeswax isn’t ideal as a pure ingredient in container candles because it shrinks as it dries. You can fill it bit in stages: for example half fill it first, let it cool completely then half fill the remainder and so on. A better approach is to mix the beeswax with container candle wax to reduce the shrinkage.
About Our Service
QI joined the mailing list but didn’t get my discount when I bought my first product.
AWhen you signed up to the mailing list, we will have sent you a confirmation email and within that email is a discount coupon code which you need to use during the purchase process to activate your discount
QHow soon after I place an order do you despatch?
AWe carry large stocks of all our products and we are usually able to despatch within 24-48 hours of you paying for your order. If there is going to be any delay beyond this we will always contact you to let you know.
QDo you provide custom kits? For example, large kits for weddings or educational use?
AYes- we have a range of kits for making large quantities of candles or if you’d like a custom kit put together just let us know and we’ll get a quotation out to you. If you have any ideas of products you’d like us to include in our range, please drop us an email with your idea.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you have a shop we can visit as my wife has just started this with all her old candles and has a birthday next week so would make a nice present dave
Yes of course! http://www.makingyourowncandles.co.uk
I will look forward to processing your order!
I am a complete beginner to candle making. Where can I get info on exactly what equiptment I need. For example what type of pot is best for melting the wax? What keeps the wick straight while the wax is drying? Maybe you can suggest the best book for me to buy, or is this info on your site. Thanks and regards, Tracey.
Hi Tracey,
Have you signed up to our mailing list? You will receive emails with tips and ideas, and the occasional discount voucher too!
When I started making candles I used two old saucepans, one inside the other and it worked really well. You can get a porringer or a double boiler but they tend to cost a bit more than two old pans and give little advantage.
Our kits come with full illustrated instructions which our customers tell us are great! They give you guidance on how to set up your wick pin to make sure that your wick sets in the wax vertically. There are books available but none that I have read could really be recommended to be honest. I would get a kit, a couple of old pans, and make a start – you’ll soon be hooked! We were!
Kind regards
Peta
MakingYourOwnCandles
I have purchased some jam jars, wax, sents etc and have no problems with melting wax or getting container filled nicely the problem I have is getting the wick disc holder thing (sorry this is new to me so dont know real name) to stick to the bottom of the jar. ive tried super glue, hot glue gun and areldite. any suggestions?
clare
Two options here Clare. You can use Glue Dots – widely available from DIY and Craft retailers. Or you can pour a little wax into the bottom of your jar and allow it to set, securing the Wick Tab, before pouring the remaining wax.
Kind regards
Peta
Dear sir/madam
I have several containers ie old Yankee Candle jars. I would like to try and make my own candles rather than purchase expensive Yankee ones. For example what ingrediants do I need to make them?. What is the best type of wax to use? is there a particulare kit for this purpose?.
Regards
Paul Carr
Hi Paul,
Great idea! I have a coffee jar shaped just like a Yankee candle jar that I’m planning to make a candle in.
We do stock a kit that would be right for the job.
http://www.makingyourowncandles.co.uk/products/Container-Candle-Kit:-Bring-Your-Own-Pot.html
This kit comes with container candle wax, wick and tabs, and a dye of your choice. Scent is available separately. Do let us know how you get on!
Kind regards
Peta
Hi Peta
Thanks for your swift response to my enquiry, the kit you have recomended, does it contain enough wax to fill the large Yankee candle jar? also the kit says it doesn’t contain instructions so how will I know what to do? also how much scent will I need, I do like my candles to have a strong aroma.
regards
Paul
I’m not sure of the size of the largest Yankee jar Paul. The kit comes with 400g of wax. With regards to scent, we recommend 5ml scent per 100g wax. Our scents come in 30ml bottles.
Instructions, hmm, tricky!! Have you joined our free mailing list? There are lots of hints and tips to be had there. Also discount vouchers from time to time. As a thank you for signing up you can claim a free Micro kit worth £1.99. Actually, the instructions for that could be adapted to your Yankee candle jar! So that might be the answer!
Kind regards
Peta
Hi Peta,
I have brought lots of teacups andpots with the idea of turning them into candles for Christmas presents. Firstly as I am new to candle making what wax would you recommend? And secondly with the teapots is there anythingyou can recommend to block the spout?
Any tips would be amazing,
Thank you
Claire
Hi Clara,
Our bulk kit for making teacup candles sounds perfect for you! This kit comes with enough wax to make up to 20 teacup candles, and the wax is intended for container candles. http://www.makingyourowncandles.co.uk/products/Make-up-to-20-Container-Candles:-Bring-your-own-containers!.html
I don’t think it is possible to make a candle in a teapot though….I haven’t seen it done. I think the opening at the top of the pot would be too narrow compared to the width of the pot to make a safe and viable candle in.
Good luck with your teacup candles though – they are hugely popular at the moment!
Kind regards
Peta
I hope you can help me.
I want to try to make new candles from old candles so all I need is the wick and wick containers.
I assume that the diameter of the wick has to match the wick container or vice versa.ie if
the difficulty Im having looking at some sites is matching the two that I need together. Can you advise me of sizes of both to buy.
I am signing up for to your site so perhaps could use the discount voucher I get to buy from yourself.
thanks marie
How big are your pots? We sell a container wick and tab refill pack which should suit unless your pots are on the larger side.
Kind regards
Peta
How can I prevent wax from shrikiing away from edge of container? Have recently made a candle in a tea cup but wax has contracted as it set and there is now a gap between the candle and the cup and the candle actually lifts out. How can I prevent this from happening in the future.
Thank you.
Hi Belinda,
What kind of wax did you use in the teacup? Paraffin and Eco Wax are not designed for container use and will shrink, as you would want them to in a mould to make for easy removal! Container wax shouldn’t shrink at all…..
Kind regards
Peta
Hello, Is it possible to re-melt a pillar candle? I have a lovely Partylite candle and the wick fell out of it! I’m now searching for a mould so I can re-melt it and put another wick in but not sure if this is actually possible! I also have a machine that melts wax for using on hands and am thinking of using this to melt the candle in first (it says its temperature controlled and you have to leave it for an hour before putting your hand in so I thought it might be ideal to use for candle making!). I want to then go on and make more pillar candles as partylite ones are lovely but a tad expensive for my budget!!
Hi there folks,
Am looking at ordering some moulds and wax from you. Can I use normal essential oils to scent the candles or do I need to use special candle scent?
Many thanks
Smokiejoe
You can use some essential oils but we recommend candle making scent for the best results.
You can melt down and recycle old candles but it is important to keep different types of wax separate, soya, paraffin or container candle wax for example.
smokiejoe: you’ll need to use a little more oil if you’re using essential oils as they tend to be a bit “lighter” so you lose more in the production process.
Hi
I am new to candle making have have purchased a few items to start me off. The questions on your site have been extremely helpful so far and answered a lot of queries for me. How ever I have been collecting glass items as well for container candle making. Is there a special grade of glass that should be used to avoid the containers melting?
Hope you can help.
Thanks
Jo
Hello Jo,
Flaws in the glass are the main thing to look for as they can cause cracks. However, as a rule, the wider the glass vessel the better – since that way the glass won’t get too hot.
Kev
Hello
I am very new to candle making, just got interested about 2 weeks ago and already I am hooked all I need is a few items to get me going and some of your advice please.
Would you advise me as to what wick I need to buy from your website which will be suitable for glass jam jars/containers candles.
I have lots of old jam jars (with lids) and I want to melt down some old candle odds and ends which are just unscented and white, and fill my jars.
So as far as I can tell I will need wick length suitable for my jam jars, and what will I need to keep my wicks straight whilst the candle sets and something to hold the wick straight whilst the wax sets hard.
Also will you advise me as to what I could add to my melted odd candles to stop them shrinking back when they are setting?
I have no idea what my odd bits of candles are made from they are old candles that I wish to recycle by adding some scent and colour when I reprocess them. At the moment they are unscented and white bits and pieces.
So I will need to buy colour and scent/s to add.
Any advice/information would help me.
I will be buying two old pans and a theomoniter,
thanks
JB
Hello Joyce,
Have you joined our Recycling Group list? One of the emails you’ll receive contains instructions on how to recycle candles. I’d recommend getting a jam jar kit or the Container Candle Kit as you’ll then be able to see how to create the candles before you make your own.
One of the things we cover on the Recycling Group list is that you should always mix old wax and new rather than only using old wax. If you’re making container candles then you need to recycle container candle wax, not pillar or dinner candles – the reason for the shrinkage is that pillar candle wax needs to do this so it can be released from the mould. You might be able to get away with mixing 50% recycled pillar candle with 50% new container wax but you’d need to experiment.
Just bought one of your fathers day gift sets. Made first two moulds but they do not want to come out of the casings. Can you advice? Thank you.
Hi Roger,
Firstly, make sure you don’t over-fill the mould – the wax should remain just below the rim. Secondly, make sure the candle has completely cooled before trying to release it. You can do this by putting it in the fridge for half and hour before giving it another go.
My husband has recently started beekeeping and is now presenting me with beeswax as a byproduct of extracting the honey. I want to use it to make candles to give as Christmas presents (along with a jar of honey!).
My first experiments, a small container and a tea-light, looked great, but didn’t burn very well, in that the wax didn’t melt to the edge of the containers and the flame got smaller and smaller as the wick got swamped by molten wax.
I’ve been buying PartyLite candles for years, they burn really well, the wax always melts to the edge of containers. Have I been spoiled by them?! Is it unrealistic to expect this from ‘home-made’ candles?
Would I be better off trying votives, where the molten wax can ‘run away’ down the sides and not swamp the wick? Should I mix the beeswax with some other type of wax? Different wick maybe?
I would welcome any suggestions or tips – I want to get this right, I can see it becomming a fascinating hobby! Thanks.
Hi
I’ve started making candles in vintage tea cups. The first one, which I made from your teacup set, worked perfectly. The next batch was made from separately purchased ingredients but somehow when I tried to burn a tester candle, only the wax directly around the wick melted, creating a tunnel effect after a couple of hours. Where did I go wrong? I certainly let it burn for several hours at a time (which I knew could cause tunneling).
Hi Dorothea,
the tunnel effect is usually caused by having the wrong size wick in your candle, cheap wax is also a contributing factor. All our kits are thoroughly tested before launch to ensure that we supply the correct size wick, along with superb quality wax. Our container wax burns particularly well, leaving a clean flat surface within the container – provided the correct wick size has been used – and the wax melts down to nothing, leaving a clean container ready to fill with another candle.
Kind regards
Peta
Hi Mary,
You certainly should expect home-made candles to burn as nicely as shop bought ones, in some cases even better! The trick is to have the correct size wick for the candle. An inadequate wick will cause the tunnel effect where your wax only burns in the middle of your candle, causing the wick to sit in a pool and drown.
We supply beeswax with our Professional Kit, as an additive to Paraffin wax when making votive candles. The beeswax extends the burn time of the candle. It may be worth having a try at blending your beeswax with paraffin wax. Our Basic Kit makes votive candles but is a budget version and does not come with beeswax so this may be a good starting point for you. There are two metal, re-useable moulds in this kit.
By the way, I recently made some Flower candles from our most recently launched kit, using pure beeswax as an experiment, and they burned beautifully!
Good luck with your experimentation and do let us know how you get on!
Kind regards
Peta
Thank you for your tips on candle making that you sent with my 1st kit. I am still trying to make scented & coloured candles in various small pretty glasses & dishes. Trouble is, although I do 2 fillings, 1 to set the wick base & then the 2nd & sometimes 3rd to fill, I still get a big dip in the centre of the candle. Sometimes as much as 0.5cm. I did read somewhere that I should make several holes in the candle to release the air, about 1″ from the base. How can I do this if it is still in the teacup/dish? Wendy
The dipping is caused by using wax best suited for making mould candles Wendy! The paraffin wax we supply in our Pro and Deluxe kits is not really suited to making container candles as it contracts significantly when cooling, allowing easy removal from the mould. In a container candle wax the additives which cause this to happen are left out so that the cooled candle fits it’s container neatly and with a level surface. On larger container candles a final ‘levelling pour’ is sometimes needed to get a prfoessional finish.
please can you tell me how do you personalise a candle i have seen them for sale and i would like to do it myself but donot know how you put the writing on the candle.
thank you
sandra
Hi Sandra,
it depends on the sort of personalisation you mean. The simplest way is to paint on the candle with standard acrylic paints. You can use stencils or buy water slide transfers.
hi peta, received my 1st order this morning so cant wait to get started,am realy looking forward to it so just hope i get the hang of it:) thankyou carol
Dear Peta&Kev thankyou so much for my free micro kit and discount code.i received it with my order thismorning and how nice of you’s to send a nice christmas card
am a happy customer and doing realy well with my candle making. Cant wait to order my next kit. Carol
Hi, I received one of your voltive scented candle kits as a present from my
husband. I have had a go this morning and have been amazed at the lovely scent in the house whilst making it. I have turned the candle out and can clearly see the divisions between each of the pouring. What did I do wrong? I would love to hear your suggestions. Jenny
Hi, I have joined your mailing list today and am looking forward to hopefully ordering one of your kits to have a go at making my own candles (have yet to decide which style to go for!). I do have one question though, can wax be melted on a gas stove (in a double boiler of course)? I can’t seem to find a definitive answer on this subject, and only having access to a gas stove I would like to know if it is safe to do so before buying any equipment.
Thanks
Hi Gemma,
You can use a gas cooker – we did in our last house. Melting wax requires the same degree of caution as a ship pan on a hob (gas or electric) – make sure you keep a close eye on it and don’t let it over heat. A thermometer is useful but not essential to make sure your wax doesn’t get too hot.
Good luck choosing a kit – have you used our Kit Selection Guide? http://www.makingyourowncandlesblog.co.uk/how-to-choose-a-candle-making-kit-as-a-gift/
Kind regards
Peta
Hi Jenny,
The trick with votive candles (and other candles where more than one pour is required) is to ensure you pour each layer at the same temperature. Visible lines will result if wax is poured at a different temperature and the cooling time is then reduced or increased. A thermometer is useful here! The lines can be merged by using a warm palette knife to stroke over the wax, melting it ever so slightly.
Kind regards
Peta
Hi, my friend is getting married soon and would like floating candles on the table. I am planning to purchase your bulk flower tart kit however just wanted to check the colour first. Her theme is deep purple – cadbury dairy milk wrapper – and so I was wondering if you could advise which colour would be the closest match.
Thanks
Hi Deb,
I would go for plum purple but definitely make a test batch, just a couple of candles, to ensure the depth of colour is sufficient. If you start at 1g dye per 100g wax and see how you get on. If the colour isn’t dark enough for you, just increase the dye quantity.
I’ll look forward to sending your order out!
Kind regards
Peta