Soy candles are a terrific alternative to using beeswax in your candle making. Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil, which is all natural. Making it a much more environmentally friendly wax, than the traditional paraffin which is made with petroleum. It is quite simple to make soy candles and they tend to burn twice as long as a paraffin candle.
Adding the fragrance to your soy candle is probably one of the most creative aspects in candle making. Sure you can add one particular scent to your soy candle, but why not experiment and mix a few different scents together. Try to come up with your own custom scented soy candle. Although my material list includes a mason jar, you can use small jelly jars or any clean, thick glass container. Soy candles, smell wonderful and make terrific home accents. Almost everyone enjoys a scented candle, making a soy candle a great gift idea.
Materials:
1 pound of soy candle wax (flake form)
1ounce fragrance oil
1 cotton candle wick (large enough for a mason jar)
1 color chip (of choice)
1 mason jar
a Popsicle stick
gun/hot glue
Directions:
Begin by adding your soy candle wax chips to a pan. Turn a burner on the stove to med/low heat, place the pan on top of the burner. Let the soy candle wax melt completely. Remove the pan from the burner and add the color chip to the melted wax. Stir the chip into the hot wax, until it has thoroughly melted and the wax has a consistent color. Let the wax cool slightly.
Add a small amount of hot glue to the bottom of the wick. Using the Popsicle stick or the end of a pencil, press the wick to the bottom of the mason jar (in the center). To keep the wick centered, place the Popsicle stick across the top of the mason jar and press the wick against the side of the Popsicle stick. Now take your fragrance oil and pour it into the warm wax. Stir the wax for approximately 2 minutes, to make sure the scented oil is mixed in well. Very carefully, begin pouring the soy candle wax into the mason jar until full. Let the soy candle cool for at least 24 hours.
Once the soy candle has cooled completely, remove the Popsicle stick and trim the candle wick to approximately 1/2″. Place the metal lid onto the mason jar. To decorate the mason jar add a decorative label to the side of the jar, with any writing you would like to include. For gift giving, tie a ribbon or piece of jute around the top with a small gift card attached. Your mason jar soy candle is complete.
Caution:
Hot wax can easily burn the skin. Use caution when handling. Always keep hot wax and lit candles out of the reach of small children. Never leave a lit candle unattended.
