# Best candle making kit



## DirtyLittleSecret (Sep 10, 2014)

heaflaw said:


> I want to give a beginning candle making kit for Christmas. What are your suggestions for the best one.


Well that'd depend...what kind of candles are you wanting to make? I'd be looking at going pretty basic to get the process down. Are you rendering your own wax?


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Heaflaw,

Have you ever made beeswax candles?
What price range are you looking at? I saw one kit for $118........... say what! 

Personally, I would not get a kit. I would rather just buy some basics and be able to cherry pick for a better value.

While some basics on making candles is good to know and necessary, a book is not necessary.

What do you think about rolling candles from honeycomb textured sheets? Easy and also safe for children to make. However, sheets can be a problem shipping in cold weather as the beeswax gets brittle.

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Materials needed:

Clean beeswax (don't use paraffin and do not blend beeswax with paraffin). 
candle mold (get flexible mold, avoid metal molds. Votives and tapers are excellent candles.)
wick (correct size for candle, 2/0 square braid for votives and tapers) I don't like pre-wicks.
Metal candy/meat thermometer
bobby pins to hold wick centered

Use double boiler method. Can use a dedicated 4-cup pyrex (glass) measuring container in a pot of water. Easy to pour into mold.

Don't boil wax. Gentle heat. Beeswax melts at 145 to 147*F.

Pour temps. depend on size of candle mold. Pour at 155 to 165*F. for smaller diameter candles and hotter for the larger diameter candles. 

Fill in the void caused by candle cooling and shrinking while wax is still melted. May require poking a hole in and filling. I use the hot metal meat thermometer. Candle should cool off slowly. Some people cover poured candles with something like a small box.

Plastic tea lite holders can melt when using beeswax and the thicker wicks or by being in a somewhat contained burner where the heat is retained! I know this from experience. 

Safety, safety, safety!


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