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What You Need

your choice of container (glass, teacup...you name it!)
soy container candle wax
cotton core wax-coated wicks with adhesive bottom
dye (we used concentrated liquid dye formulated for soy wax)
fragrance oil
glass candy/cooking thermometer
pot to melt wax
pyrex to pour (optional)

There are many candle supply companies online. We ordered from Candle Soylutions this last time--the prices were competitive with other companies, they sell wax by the pound and not just in huge quantities, and our order shipped and arrived extremely promptly.

Instructions

1. Portion out enough wax to fill your desired container, and place in pot. Double boilers help to control temperature more accurately, but are not necessary. You can also opt to melt your wax in the microwave, in 30 second increments, but we prefer the stove.

2. Slowly melt down the wax entirely, and heat to about 160 degrees Farenheit. Stir the wax often and be careful not to get impatient and heat the wax too fast. Once the wax reaches 160 degrees, remove from heat.

3. Place the wick in the center of your cup or glass to in preparation for pouring.

4. While letting the wax cool, add dye to color the wax to the desired hue. Add dye slowly--the concentrated liquid kind goes a long way! To test your color, drip some on to a white plate.

5. Wait until the wax reaches between 115-120 degrees, stirring often along the way. At this point add fragrance to your wax. You don't want to add prematurely, as the oils can evaporate as the wax cools.

6. Ideal pour temperature can vary according to climate and the exact wax you purchase, but typically pouring at around 115 degrees will give an ideal result. Pouring between 100-110 degrees can result in less "frosting" or "crystalizing" upon cooling, but make sure to stir constantly as it approaches the cooler temperature.

7. Once you have reached ~110-115 degrees, pour into desired container. We transferred the wax into a Pyrex that pours a bit more accurately to better direct into our teacup. We typically pour over the sink, just in case of a messy mishap.

8. Once the candle has been poured, make sure not to jostle to keep a clean line at the top. We used two pencils to keep the wick in the center of the cup while the candle cools.

9. Allow the candle to sit, without being disrupted, for 24 hours before trimming wick or burning.

10. Voila! You now have your own "boutique" style candle in the color and scent that you want! With practice we hope to perfect our combination of color and fragrance, as well as learn what temperatures will yield a "cleaner" pour for our candles. But it sure beats spending $20 on a soy candle at a store!

(Images: Jessica Blake Tata)