Candle Making Instructions

Votive or Pillar Candles
(Using Votive/Pillar Wax)
What You Need:

• Melting pot
• Thermometer
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring device (A scale is recommended)
• Votive/ Pillar Wax
• Fragrance
• Dye
• Molds and Wick Pins
• Warning labels

• Weigh out amount of Wax you'll need. 1 lb. Wax makes about 8 votive candles, you'll need about 2 lbs for a 4" x 4 1/2" Pillar candle.
• Put Wax in melting pot and heat on low setting. Using thermometer heat to approximately 170 - 180 degrees, (Please keep an eye on your Wax and do not over heat).
• While Wax is melting set up your molds on a sturdy surface, add wick pins.
• After Wax is melted remove pot from heat source and turn off heat source.
• Next add your Fragrance. 1 oz. Fragrance to 1 lb. Wax, this gives you a 6% fragrance concentration. However, we use 1.5 oz. per lb. for a nice, strong candle. You can use up to 2 oz. per lb., but do not exceed that for safety reasons.
• Then add your dye using a dropper, adding one drop at a time stirring constantly until color you desire is achieved. You can test your color by dropping drops of Wax on Wax paper.
• Next check your temperature, should be between 160 - 170 degrees. Slowly pour Wax in the Votive or Pillar mold leaving about 1/4" from the top, you will have Wax left over (Put aside). Let the Wax harden. You will notice a sinkhole at top of candle.
• Warm remaining wax. Do not over heat. When Wax is remelted slowly pour Wax on top of candles. Let the candles completely harden, time varies, should be cool to touch.
• Remove Candle from mold, push wick in from bottom of candle, apply warning label to bottom.
• Congratulations you are done. Do not be discouraged if your candle is not perfect, there is no such thing as a perfect Candle (Practice only improves). See warning label for burning instructions and ENJOY Your creations...........

Container Candles
(Using Container Wax)
What You Need:

• Melting pot
• Thermometer
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring device (A scale is recommended)
• Container Wax
• Fragrance
• Wicks Wick stickums or Hot Glue Gun
• Dye
• Containers
• Warning labels

• Weigh out amount you'll need. 1lb. Wax makes 4 small votive containers or 2 -10 oz. Jar or 1 - 20 oz. Jar candles.
• Put Wax in melting pot and heat on low setting. Using thermometer heat to approximately 170 - 180 degrees. (Please keep an eye on your Wax and do not over heat).
• While Wax is melting set up your containers on a sturdy surface. Add appropriate size wick with wick stickums or hot glue gun.
• After Wax is melted remove pot from heat source and turn off heat source.
• Next add your Fragrance. 1 oz. Fragrance to 1 lb. Wax, this gives you a 6% fragrance concentration. However, we use 1.5 oz. per lb. for a nice, strong candle. You can use up to 2 oz. per lb., but do not exceed this due to safety reasons.
• Then add your dye using a dropper, adding one drop at a time stirring constantly until color you desire is achieved. You can test your color by dropping drops of Wax on Wax paper.
• Next check your temperature, should be between 160 - 170 degrees. Slowly pour Wax in your container. Adjust your wick so that it sits centered in candle, check wick before Wax hardens. There is no need to repour wax, using this blend of wax.
• After Wax is hardened trim wick to 1/2".
• Then apply warning label to bottom of container.
• Congratulations you are done.
  Do not be discouraged if your candle is not perfect, there is no such thing as a perfect candle (Practice only improves).
  See warning label for burning instructions and ENJOY Your creations...........
  SINK HOLES
  Air/Sink holes are common in candle making. Usually this happens with containers that have a smaller opening than the base of the container. As the candle cures, it has less cooling area at the top, and starts to cure at the base faster. Then as the base cools it pulls a sink whole (usually at the wick area) at the top of the candle. Another Reason is colder outdoor temperatures. The best way to prevent this is to group your candles together after pouring them; this keeps the base from cooling (curing) too fast. Some People also cover their candles with empty boxes, to slow the curing. Another alternative is to let the candles cure, then, with a heat gun, Lightly heat the tops of your candles until the sinkholes fill in with wax. If this seems too troublesome you might want to try another, (larger mouthed) container. These two suggestions have worked with others and us. Soy Wax is very common to produce sink holes under any conditions. Even though you might not see them, they might be hiding below the surface of the top. It's best to probe around the wick to see if there are any. Then Lightly heat the tops with a heat gun.

Welcome To Gel Wax Candle Making...

Low Density: (We don't recommend or sell) This type is too thin, and will not hold enough fragrance oil to make a quality candle.

Medium Density This type is what we recommend for beginning Gel Candle making.

High Density Recommended for intermediate to advanced Gel Candle Making.

Which Gel Wax Do I Need?
Depending on the type of candles you want to make:

For plain scented Candles, use the density Gel. It is easier to use, and will hold between 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. of Fragrance oil per lb. of Gel Wax. Note: adding 1 oz. Fragrance oil to the medium may cloud. For higher scented Candles, use the high density Gel. It is a bit more difficult to work with, but will hold 1 oz. Fragrance oil. This is also the one to use for adding wax or glass embeds. The high density will take longer to melt, and can be a bit more difficult to pour, so please be patient.
SAFETY
When Making Gel Candles, you must be very careful to follow all safety precautions:

Never leave Wax unattended. One of the most common mistakes in all Candle making is leaving wax, gel, etc. unattended /resulting in Fire, Burns, Damage. If the phone rings, doorbell rings, or you are disrupted in any way TURN OFF HEAT SOURCE . You can always heat waxes back up, but cannot reverse any damage due to lack of responsibility. We want you to be safe and very cautious when making Candles. Keep children and pets away from work areas. Children and Pets are very curious and want to participate, but not a good idea. Pets (especially Cats) have a tendency to jump on to counter tops, knocking over dye, pots, HOT WAX, Etc. Also they can trip over power cords. (Knocking over pots, WAX MELTERS, etc.) Remember Gel Wax operating temperature can be as high as 120°, which can cause severe burns.

Don't forget your safety equipment! It is VERY IMPORTANT to have a working fire extinguisher nearby at all times! It must be the chemical type, not the water type. Never extinguish burning Wax with water; it will only spread the flames. Sand or baking soda can be used on a Wax fire also. Safety glasses, apron, and gloves are recommended when making candles. PLEASE BE CAREFUL, As we do care about your Safety.

OK, WHAT DO I NEED???

If you are starting out, we offer a complete kit for Gel Wax Candle Making. #TAYGELKIT. This Kit comes with everything you need to get started.
1) or High Density Candle Gel
2) 1 4 lb. Aluminum pouring pot
3) 1 hot plate
4) 1 thermometer
5) 1 13"stainless mixing spoon
6) Fragrance oils (GEL SAFE)
Please ask for gel safe fragrance when ordering
7) Liquid Dye
8) Containers
9) Wicks
10) Wick Stickums or Hot Glue Gun
11) GEL caution Labels
12) Measuring Scale (optional)
13) Wax or Glass Embeds (optional)
14) Measuring Scale (optional)

What's Next, You Ask???

Let's start with measurements:

1 lb. Of Wax (by weight) equals 20 oz. of liquid. Example: Using a scale, weigh out 1 lb. Of Wax this will fill a 20 oz. jar or fill 2.5 - 8 oz. jelly jars. A good way to figure out how many lbs. of Wax you need is to take how many containers you are going to make, times that times the oz. of each container. Take the total, and divide it by 20. That is how many lbs. you will need to start with. Example:

I have 12 - 11 oz. Tureen style containers.
I times 12 x 11 = 132 oz. I divide 132 by 20 (because 20 oz. = 1 lb.)
That will tell me I need 6.6 lbs. of wax.

Now let's figure out how much Fragrance oil you will need. Here is a chart using volume.

1/2 oz. per lb. Wax equals 3% fragrance load, which equals 1/2 tablespoon.
1 oz. per lb. Wax (Max Load) equals 6% fragrance load, which equals 1 tablespoon.

Here is a chart using a scale.

1 lb. Wax at 3% = .03 lb. fragrance or 14 grams.
1 lb. Wax at 6% = .06 lb. fragrance or 28 grams

Now lets figure out how much Wax, and Fragrance oil you will need to make those 12 - 11 oz. tureens.

We already know we need 6.6 lbs of wax. There are two different ways to go about this. One is adding fragrance oil to the 6.6 lbs. of wax. The other (more exact) is to decrease the amount of Wax needed by the amount of fragrance oil you add. This will give you an exact 3 or 6%. The following will explain in more detail.

Let's start with calculating the fragrance to the 6.6 lbs. of Wax and doing it the exact way.

Take the amount of fragrance oil (in this case 6%)

6.6 x 6% = .4 lb. / or in Grams 3000 grams x 6% = 180 grams

Subtract this amount from the 6.6 lbs. 6.6 .4 = 6.2 lbs. of Wax / or in Grams 3000 180 grams =2820 of wax.

This formulation will give you an exact percentage.

Here is a basic conversion chart:
We use an electronic scale for our measurements, but you can use other methods to obtain the same results. Here are some helpful conversions:

Color Blending

Our Basic Colors are Black , Blue , Green, Red & Yellow.
It is possible to make different colors by basic blending, which can be darkened by adding a small amount of black.
Blue + Green = Teal/Turquoise
Blue + Red = Purple
Yellow + Blue = Green
red + Yellow = Orange
Keep in mind that using less color achieves different colors such as:
Less Brown = Tan
Less Red = Pink
Less Orange = Peach
Less Blue = Sky Blue

OK LET'S GET STARTED

STEP 1
Setting up a work area:
Using a sturdy table, desk, or countertop/ set up all your melting equipment so that it does not interfere with your container filling area. In some cases it might be easier to use two working areas. Lay out all your containers, wicks, embeds, etc. A calculator is also a great thing to have as well. Keep a journal near by for taking notes, measurements, dye usage etc. It is very important to keep all records of your candle making. This way you will have consistency the next time you are making candles.

PLEASE ONCE AGAIN:
Don't forget your safety equipment! It is VERY IMPORTANT to have a working fire extinguisher nearby at all times! It must be the chemical type, not the water type. Never extinguish burning Wax with water; it will only spread the flames. Sand or baking soda can be used on a Wax fire also. Safety glasses, apron, and gloves are recommended when making candles. BE CAREFUL, As we do care about your Safety.

STEP 2
Determine the amount of Wax needed, I recommend a scale for this. Cut Gel Wax into smaller squares, this will be easier to weigh, and will help the melting also. Add Wax to pouring pot. Using a hot plate, or electric stove top turn heat to low (always start on low). Never start Wax at any higher temperature. With a thermometer clipped/attached to the side of the pot, put pot on heating source. Let Wax melt until liquid. Adjust temperature as needed to obtain 205 - 210°. Do not over heat.

DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED!

STEP 3
While Wax is melting, this is a great time to prepare your containers. Also periodically check the temperature of wax, do not over heat. Put Gel Warning/Caution labels to the bottom of containers. Using either a hot glue gun (High Melt Only), or Wick Stickums adhere the wicks to the bottom of the containers. If using WAX EMBEDS, glass embeds or sand, this is the time to add them. Use only nonflammable type of embeds for Gel Candles.

STEP 4
When finished preparing the containers, check and adjust temperature of wax. Measure out the amount of fragrance oil per pound (remember, no more than 1/2 1 oz. of fragrance oil can be used). Add fragrance to Wax at 205 - 210°. Stir fragrance with a Stainless Steel spoon.

STEP 5
Adding Dye, do this Right after adding Fragrance. Using liquid dye is the best way to color the Gel Wax. Gel Wax color very easily. On smaller batches, use a toothpick to add dye to wax. I have noticed using one drop of dye will color between 35 lbs. of wax.

STEP 6
Pouring the Candles If using WAX EMBEDS or to create air bubbles, lower temperature to 190° then pour in to containers. If not using WAX EMBEDS, or want fewer bubbles, you are ready to pour your creations.; Pouring your gel cooler will create more air bubbles and pouring it hotter will reduce the number of air bubbles. Straighten your wicks, you might want to check them once again, before Wax completely cools. After Candle has set up and completely cools, unwanted bubbles may still be present. If so, place candles in a sunny spot (window sill) until bubbles have risen and disappeared. Trim wicks to 1/4". You have now created a Beautiful Gel Candle. Please follow all instructions stated on the caution/warning label.

ENJOY YOUR CREATIONS!!!

Microwave Container Candles

Color Blending

Color Chart Below Might Help With Mixing...

Measuring / Conversion Chart

To help you with Fragrance oils:
1 oz. to 1 lb. Wax = 6 percent
We use between 8 to 12 percent in our candle making.

ALSO CHECK OUT http://www onlineconversion.com/ FOR MORE CONVERSIONS.

$ Your Estimated Candle Cost $

(This does not include the wick, label, container or labor)
At 6% Fragrance: (1 oz. per pound)

At 9% Fragrance: (1.5 oz. per pound)

Wick Information