What Equipment Do You Need for Candle Making?

Do you have plans to start candle making but are unsure what you need to get started?

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need so you can begin your candle making journey while being well informed and ready to go.

Let’s get started.

Candle Making Supplies

Candle Wax

Choosing the best wax for your candles will depend on the type of candle you want to make.

The most popular waxes are soy, paraffin, beeswax, and coconut.

There are also popular blends of waxes that can help offset some common issues associated with natural waxes like soy.

When choosing a wax, ask yourself what type of candle you want to make (container, pillar, votive, tealight, melt).

Do you want a scented candle?

Do you want color?

Do you want an artistic approach?

Do you want 100% natural?

Figure out your goal for the candle, then use the wax most conducive to achieving your goal.

Some waxes are better for creative designs than others or better for scent than others. It all depends on your goals and which wax aligns most with what you want to achieve.

Candle Wicks

There are a ton of wicks to choose from, and it can be pretty overwhelming for new candle makers.

Like wax, choosing the right wick depends on your candle project and can be boiled down to four things.

First, choose a wick series that works with the type of candle you’re making.

Second, verify that the wick is suitable for your chosen wax.

Third, ensure the wick size is compatible with the candle’s size and shape. The wick supplier will recommend a size based on the size of your candle.

Fourth, test multiple wicks. More than one series of wicks can work for your candle, and when you try a series, always test the recommended wick size plus one size down and one size up.

Containers

There are many containers to choose from in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and designs.

When choosing a container, make sure it is heat resistant and leak proof.

If you’re wondering if you can use a container not explicitly made for candle making, ask yourself the following:

Is it flammable?

Will the container break?

Will it leak?

Don’t use the container if you answer yes or don’t know the answer to any of these questions.

Candle Scent

You can choose fragrance oils or essential oils when making scented candles.

Fragrance oils are lab made, and essential oils are extracted from natural sources like plants.

More is not always better for scenting candles. How much fragrance you use will depend on what wax you’re using and your goals for the candle.

No matter which direction you choose, quality matters and will be crucial to your candle’s performance.

Always choose a reputable supplier that is well tested and follows strict global standards to ensure safety.

Fragrance Oil

Fragrance oils come in natural and synthetic forms.

Natural fragrance oils are still lab produced but extract aromas from natural ingredients like plants. In some cases, you may have a fragrance oil with natural ingredients and a synthetic base to help with performance.

Synthetic fragrance oils are entirely artificial and are used for scents that don’t exist in nature or to produce a more consistent and robust aroma.

Fragrance oils are cheaper, easier to work with, and have a stronger, longer-lasting scent than essential oils.

Fragrance oils are designed to perform well in candles and are great for beginners and candle makers looking for the best possible performance.

Essential Oil

Essential oils are entirely natural.

Essential oils are extracted from natural ingredients (plants, flowers, bark, seeds) through methods like cold pressing or distillation (steam).

The benefits of essential oils are their therapeutic qualities and the absence of any synthetic ingredients.

The tradeoff is that essential oil can be challenging to achieve a strong scent throw.

Also, because it’s entirely natural, the essential oil is more delicate than a lab made synthetic oil and can be sensitive to temperature. Sensitivity to temperature combined with the combustion of a candle can cause the scent to evaporate faster than fragrance oil, so avoid higher temperatures when working with essential oils.

Keep in mind that the source matters when choosing an essential oil.

The quality of the essential oil crop will be a significant factor in how it performs in your candles. Quality factors include how the plant was grown, stored, and handled during shipping.

Candle Dye

Candle dye will come in block or liquid form.

Before using dye, there are a few things to note.

Adding dye may change how the wick performs. In most cases, you won’t have a problem, but keep in mind adding a lot of dye to achieve a dark color may affect wick performance, so always test when using new dyes and adjust your wick size accordingly.

Adding vybar to your candles can help evenly distribute color in the wax and give the color a bit more richness.

If you’re trying to experiment with other dye forms, you must pay attention to the ingredients and avoid additives that won’t bond well with candle wax or may be flammable.

You may have seen videos on food coloring or crayons, but both of these will cause problems for your candle.

Food coloring is water-based (never use anything water-based in candles) and may have additives incompatible with candle wax. Crayons may look pretty in candles but will clog the wick and significantly disrupt the candle’s performance.

Dye Blocks

Dye blocks are great when making large batches of candles.

Dye blocks can also come in smaller forms for small batches.

Dye blocks may be more challenging to measure for smaller batches since you’ll need to shave the block for finer adjustments.

Once you get into larger batches of candles, dye blocks tend to be more convenient.

You also don’t have to worry about the mess liquid dye can easily create.

Liquid Dye

Liquid dye is great for your creative side and makes it easy to create custom colors.

The liquid dye will typically come with a dropper, making it easy to use and remain consistent with your measurements.

Although liquid dye can be easier to use than block dye, the downside is how messy liquid dye can get. Make sure to wear gloves and protect your working area.

Candle Making Equipment and Tools

Heat Source

Of course, if you want to make candles, you’ll need a heat source to melt the candle wax.

I recommend the double boiler method.

A double boiler is a simple way to melt the wax evenly and can be done on a stovetop or hot plate.

A hot plate is an excellent solution if you don’t have access to a stovetop or want to make candles in a dedicated room without a stovetop.

It’s portable, electric, has adjustable temperature control, and has no problem melting candle wax.

You can use a microwave in a pinch, but I suggest avoiding it if possible.

With the microwave, you have very little control over the temperature, and the wax doesn’t melt evenly, leaving you with hot spots in the wax.

Once you graduate to producing large amounts of candles, you can start looking into a dedicated wax melter which melts large quantities of wax at a time.

Pour Pitcher

A pour pitcher is an essential tool.

You’ll use a pour pitcher to melt the wax, mix fragrances and additives, and for the easy mess-free pouring of your candles.

I recommend an aluminum pour pitcher for easy cleaning and a plastic handle that stays cool for handling.

Scale

The scale will ensure you have all the correct measurements for your candles.

You’re going to be measuring wax, fragrance, and additives.

When purchasing a kitchen scale, look for accuracy and precision with metric and imperial units of measurement.

You also need tare functionality, which allows you to reset the weight to zero, so you’re not measuring the weight of containers.

Heat Gun

A heat gun is an excellent tool for any candle maker.

You can preheat containers and repair many candle imperfections. The heat gun is also great for removing old wax from containers and cleaning off equipment.

Let’s say you make a batch of soy candles and notice a defect in the candle’s surface. A simple run over the surface with a heat gun can fix your problems with little effort.

For 20$-40$, you can have a tool that may be your saving grace.

Thermometer

Thermometers are essential to melt the wax and add fragrances or additives at desired temperatures.

Analog candy or cooking thermometers are cheap and accurate.

The downside to these thermometers is that they require cleaning, there will be a delay until the thermometer gets up to temperature, and glass variations may be prone to breaking.

Digital versions of these thermometers will be easier to read, but low batteries will cause inaccurate readings.

I’ve made many candles with candy thermometers, which I find to be reliable and get the job done.

Then there are kitchen infrared thermometers.

These IR thermometers use a laser to measure temperature and do not require physical contact with the wax.

These are much easier to use, all you do is point it at that wax, and you’ll see your reading instantly. Since there’s no physical contact, there’s no extra cleanup step. The downside is accuracy can be hit or miss depending on the manufacturer.

No matter which thermometer, you should always stir the wax before measuring and measure towards the middle.

Spatula

The spatula will be used to stir the wax and blend additives to the wax, like the fragrance.

You can use virtually anything, but I would avoid narrow thin stirring spoons since they’re more likely to create air bubbles.

Silicone spatulas work very well.

Always stir gently. Vigorous stirring will create unwanted air bubbles that can lead to issues like cracking or wet spots.

Wick Stickers

stick the glue sticker onto the wick tab. these wick stickers are used to adhere the wick to the container.

These stickers are placed on the wick tabs and used to secure the wick firmly to the container.

Wick Tabs

picture of wick tab

Above is a wick tab holding the wick.

Many wicks will come pre-tabbed for you, but if you’re venturing into making your own wicks, you’ll need wick tabs.

The wick is attached to the wick tab, which acts like a stand for the wick. These wick tabs are then secured to the candle’s container. 

Wick Centering Device

When pouring candles, you’ll need a wick centering device to hold the wick and prevent it from moving while the wax solidifies.

There are wick centering tools explicitly made for this. Below you’ll see a wick centering tool with the wick secured in the center.

use wick centering device to lock your wick in place

Alternatively, if you don’t have a tool, you can use a clothespin by laying the clothespin across the top of the candle with the wick through the center hole.

Wick Trimmer

After you’ve poured your candle and the wax has solidified, you’ll need to cut the wick to a ¼ inch above the surface.

In addition, maintain the wick by trimming between burns.

You can use scissors for the initial trimmings, but as the wick gets deeper into the container, a wick trimmer can be handy.

The wick trimmer makes it very easy to trim wicks in hard-to-reach spaces.

Cups

Disposable cups are useful for measuring fragrance or essential oil on the scale.

If you prefer not to use disposable, use a cup dedicated to candle making.

Chopsticks

A chopstick will be a handy tool throughout the candle making process.

When pouring fragrance oil, pour the fragrance oil down a chopstick into your melted wax to reduce the chance of creating air bubbles in the wax.

It also makes it easier to pour the fragrance out of the bottles they usually come in, which aren’t made for easy pouring.

Chopsticks can also be used as a tool to help repair your candle from issues like memory and tunneling or exposing sinkholes and cracks