Getting Started
How to Make Candles: Beginner's Guide
Everything you need to pour your first candle safely: material list, double boiler melting, temperature ranges, cure time and common mistakes.
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Weigh the materials and fix the wick
Weigh the wax, fragrance oil and dye in grams. Glue the wick to the bottom of the container and center it from above.
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Melt the soy wax in a double boiler
Do not use a direct flame. Melt Soya Wax 50 evenly at about 51–55°C and stir.
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Add the fragrance oil and dye
Start with about 1% granule dye. Add the fragrance oil according to the wax's oil saturation (on average 8%, 6–10% in practice) after removing it from the heat, and stir slowly.
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Pour into the container and cure
Pour slowly. Wait at least 24 hours at draft-free room temperature. Trim the wick to about 5 mm.
Prepare your workspace
Choose a worktop that can handle spills and has good ventilation. Gloves and an apron help against fragrance oil and dye stains. Weigh and prepare all materials so the temperature does not drop once the process speeds up.
Basic material list
Pick a single project to start with: a glass container candle or a silicone mold. Everything can be completed from stock in the Rufus Concept catalog.
- Candle base: Soya Wax 50 for containers; paraffin for firm molds and pillars. A ready-made candle making kit is also an option.
- Wick + holder or self-adhesive base: wooden or cotton wick suited to the inner diameter of the container.
- Oil-based candle fragrance oil and optional granule candle dye.
- A mold or a heat-resistant glass or metal container.
- Double boiler pot, digital thermometer, precision scale, stirring stick.
Melt in a double boiler
Do not leave wax on a direct flame; part of it burns and part of it does not melt. Melt it in a heat-resistant vessel sitting inside a pot of water (double boiler) and stir constantly. Soya Wax 50 melts at about 51–55°C; paraffin blends generally work in a higher range. Go by the temperature on the product page.
Fragrance, dye and pouring order
Melt a small amount of dye granules (about 1%) together with the wax and make it homogeneous; liquid color looks darker than the solidified tone, so cool a drop on paper to check. Add the fragrance oil after the wax is off the heat, without holding it at excessive heat; the oil saturation of Soya Wax 50 averages 8%, and in practice you weigh in the 6–10% band according to the base's carrying capacity. Stir slowly in one direction to reduce air bubbles and frosting. Fix the wick in the center and pour slowly. Do not unmold before it has cooled completely.
Cooling, cure and first burn
Leave the candle at draft-free room temperature; a fridge or a windowsill increases the risk of cracks and wet spots (separation from the glass). For Soya Wax 50, wait at least 24 hours before burning. A cure of 48 hours to 1 week is better for scent to settle. Leave the wick about 5 mm above the pour level. Extinguish the candle by cutting off oxygen rather than blowing, so the pool stays clean.
Common mistakes
Wrong wick diameter (soot or tunneling), fragrance beyond the oil saturation (sweating and a weak flame), damp molds, uneven cooling and using the same base for every candle type spoil the result. When a problem appears, change a single variable (for example only the wick), not the whole recipe.
Starting temperature and time notes
| Topic | Rufus / practical range | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Soya Wax 50 melting | About 51–55°C | Melts evenly in a double boiler in flake form |
| Soya Wax 50 setting | About 42–60°C range | Controlled room cooling is safer for the surface |
| Fragrance load | By oil saturation; on average 8% in Soya Wax 50, 6–10% in practice | Excess leads to sweating and wick problems |
| Granule dye | Start at about 1% | The solidified tone is lighter than the liquid tone |
| First burn | Wait at least 24 hours | Burning before the structure settles gives tunneling and a weak scent |
FAQs
Soy or paraffin for a first candle?
Soya Wax 50 (flakes) suits glass container and scented candles: it is soft and geared to containers and aromatherapy. For firm pillars and detailed molds, choose paraffin or a mold-suitable base. You can try both from the catalog.
How much fragrance oil should I use?
Base it on the wax's oil saturation. On average 8% in Soya Wax 50; Rufus fragrance product notes generally say 6–10% (8–10% for intense scents). Work with a scale; do not add by eye.
How many candles come from 1 kg of soy wax?
It depends on the net volume of the container. In glass containers of about 180–200 ml, 1 kg of wax gives roughly 5–6 candles; the number rises with small tealights and falls with large jars. Granule or flake wax loses volume once poured, so go by the scale.
Why does my candle have a weak scent?
The fragrance may have evaporated at too high a temperature, the load may be below the oil saturation, or the candle may not have cured enough. Add it at the right temperature, wait 24–48 hours, then assess the cold throw and the burning scent separately.
Choose Materials From Stock
You can order the product groups in this guide by quantity from the Rufus Concept catalog.