What you need to start
- Wax — soy is the friendliest starting point
- Wicks — sized to your container (see our wick selector)
- Fragrance oil — made for candles, not aromatherapy oils
- Containers — heat-safe glass or tins
- Pouring pitcher, thermometer, scale — weigh everything; don’t eyeball it
- Wick holders or clothespins — to keep wicks centered while wax sets
Your first candle, step by step
- Prep the container. Clean it, then secure the wick dead-center with a wick sticker and hold it upright with a holder.
- Weigh your wax and fragrance. Use the batch calculator — 8% fragrance is a safe start for soy.
- Melt the wax slowly, stirring gently. Watch the temperature with your thermometer.
- Add fragrance at the right temp (usually around 185°F for soy — check your wax), stir for a full 2 minutes.
- Cool to pour temp (around 120–135°F for soy), then pour slowly into the container.
- Center the wick and leave the candle completely alone for 24 hours.
- Cure. Soy needs 7–14 days before the scent fully develops. Yes, really. Wait.
- Test burn following our burn test guide before making more.
Key terms
Fragrance load — the percentage of fragrance oil in the candle (e.g. 8%). More isn’t always better.
Melt pool — the circle of liquid wax around the wick while burning. It should reach edge to edge.
Cold throw / hot throw — how the candle smells unlit vs. burning. Both matter.
Cure time — the wait after pouring while fragrance binds with wax. Skipping it is the #1 beginner mistake.
Tunneling — when only the center melts, leaving a ring of hard wax. Caused by too-small wicks or short burns.
Flash point — the temperature at which wax vapors can ignite. Never heat wax near it.
What equipment do I need to start making candles?
Wax, wicks, fragrance oil, heat-safe containers, a pouring pitcher, a thermometer, a digital scale, and wick holders. A scale is essential — always measure by weight.
How long do homemade candles need to cure?
Soy candles need 7–14 days for the fragrance to fully bind with the wax. Skipping the cure is the most common beginner mistake.
What is fragrance load?
The percentage of fragrance oil in your candle. An 8% load means 8% of the total weight is fragrance oil. Stay within your wax’s safe limit.
