Candle Making Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• Soy or beeswax flakes
• Wicks and containers
• A fragrance oil
• A pot for melting

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Start small. Buy a beginner soy wax, a few cotton wicks, a couple of heat-safe jars, and one fragrance oil you love. Make a single candle following one of the beginner videos, and simply enjoy the process without worrying about perfection.
• Week 2: Make two or three more candles and pay attention to temperature. Use a thermometer to melt your wax and to know when to add fragrance and when to pour. Let each candle cure (rest) for several days before you light it.
• Week 3: Do your first burn test. Light a candle and watch how the wick burns. Is the melt pool reaching the edges? Too much smoke? This tells you whether your wick size is right, and it is the single most useful skill in candle making.
• Week 4: Try one new thing: a different scent, a touch of color, or a new jar shape. By now you will know what you enjoy most. Decide whether you want to keep it relaxing and simple or start exploring the intermediate techniques.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Using the wrong wick size for the jar. Match the wick to your jar's diameter and wax type, then burn test. Too small causes tunneling; too large causes smoke and a high flame. When unsure, test two sizes side by side.
• Pouring the wax while it is too hot. Let the wax cool to the temperature your wax recommends (often around 135 degrees Fahrenheit for soy) before pouring. Pouring too hot causes sinkholes, cracks, and rough, uneven tops.
• Adding too much fragrance oil. Stay within your wax's limit, usually about 6 to 10 percent (roughly one ounce per pound of wax). Extra oil does not make a stronger scent; it pools, clogs the wick, and can make the candle sweat.
• Not letting candles cure before burning. Give soy candles at least a few days, ideally one to two weeks, to set and develop their scent before lighting. A cured candle smells far stronger and burns more evenly.
• Adding fragrance at the wrong temperature. Add fragrance oil at the temperature your wax calls for (commonly around 185 degrees Fahrenheit), then stir gently for a full two minutes so it blends in. Too hot and the scent burns off; too cool and it will not mix evenly.
• Not trimming the wick. Trim the wick to about a quarter inch before every burn. A long wick makes a tall, smoky flame and leaves black soot on the jar. A quick trim gives a clean, steady flame every time.