Making Soy Container Candles

A lot of what you have read so far on how to make soy candles applies to the these various sub projects. When I say sub-projects, I am talking about the soy votives, soy tarts & floatives, and soy wax pillar candles.

I won't reproduce the entire directions here on how to make your first soy candle, as these instructions can be found in our main pages. What I will do however is touch on some key components in making the perfect soy container candle!

In our instructions on how to make your first soy container candle, we went over a lot of information, really quick. To be honest with you, the best practice for making the perfect soy candle is just that... practice. However, there are hints and tips along the way that can make the time it takes to "get good" at making soy candles a LOT shorter. That is what I am going to cover here... some time saving tips!

Time Saving Tip #1

Remember not to overheat your wax in the microwave. Wax tends to shrink when it cools, and the hotter it is when you take it out of the microwave, the more it will shrink to reach room temperature. I get a lot of email asking me "Why do I have these holes in the tops of my soy candles?" This is usually caused by the shrinkage of the wax. There are is really only one way to avoid this, and that is to pour your candle at a cooler temperature. If you cannot wait around for the wax to cool before you pour it, look at our second tip!

Time Saving Tip #2

This tip kind of relates to tip #1. What to do with the holes in the top of my soy wax candles. Generally when I make candles, I like to melt a bunch of wax, pour them, and go do something else... this is usually when I clean the shop!! Once the candles set, you may find some indentations or holes at the top of your soy candles. To remedy this situation, use a hair dryer or heat gun (careful of the heat gun... they put out a lot of heat) and melt the top layer of soy wax. You will notice that the holes fill in with the freshly melted wax. After that layer of wax sets up, you will have a new creamy looking top to your soy candle!

Time Saving Tip #3

This somewhat relates to tip number 1 and 2. Well... to be honest, I guess they all kind of relate to each other, but this has to do with you candle tunneling. In this tip I am talking about a candle tunneling quickly as opposed to slowly due to a wick that is too small (see my wick is too small in tip #4). Again we will discuss the shrinkage of soy wax when it cools. This especially applied to soy container candles. Soy wax will stick pretty good to the sides of a glass jar, when in turn makes it pull away from the wick in the middle of the soy candle. If your wick burns quickly down, you probably have air bubbles in the soy candle that is surrounding the wick. This could easily be avoided by tip #2!

Time Saving Tip #4

You can easily tell of your wick is too small for your soy candle. Simply look at your melt pool after burning your soy candle for about 30 - 45 minutes. The melt pool should extend from edge to edge of your glass jar. If it does not, you will end up with some tunneling and unburned soy wax left on the edge of your glass container. Try a bigger wick or smaller jar. This is where practice comes in handy... we have a rough guide you can use on our wicks page, but even those will vary with different types of soy wax. It is also a good idea to keep a journal of combinations you use and number your tester candles. That way when you find one of your creations that burns perfectly, you have ingredients and instructions on how to reproduce the perfect soy candle!!


Well folks... I am out of tips for now, but that doesn't mean there won't be more to come. I would love to hear your own time saving tips, and I am sure the other readers would love the information as well! Send us your time saving tips!