Soy Candle Making Supplies
Candles made of soy wax burn with less soot thus keeping your air cleaner. They have steadier flames than paraffin-based types and so burn longer. Cleaning is also easier with soy. All you need is warm water and soap.Soy wax comes in flakes, tiny beads, slabs, or blocks. The wax is easier to work with in flakes or beads, hence they are recommended for beginners. If you are already an expert making huge amounts of candles, go for the slabs or blocks. Soy wax has an opaque off-white color. This doesn"t mean that you can only have soy wax candles in off-white. There are plenty of natural color dyes available in crafts stores that can add life and verve to your candles.
The wick plays a role on how the candle will burn. For soy candles, they have to be soy-coated. They come in spools and could be either tabbed or untabbed. You can use wick stick-ums to glue the wicks to the bottom of your container. Soy wax is softer and has a lower melting temperature than paraffin. For this reason, it is used more often for container candles. When used for this purpose, the wax can be 100% soybean. In this formulation, it sticks to the wall of the container. A non-soy additive of about 0.5% to soy wax, however, results in a votive blend that will allow you to make pillar candles. These, though, should not be taller than 6 inches nor have a diameter of more than 3 inches.
If you want to add scents to your soy candle, use only non-toxic pure essential oils. Synthetics may be more combustible affecting the burning of the wick. There are many available fragrances including floral scents as rose or jasmine, or food aromas like cinnamon or blueberry.
If you are a beginner in the art of soy candle making, you might do better to buy a kit that includes all of the essential supplies. As you progress and become more familiar with the art and you may want to add your personal touch to the candles, you can switch to buying them piece by piece.