People starting out in candle making are often surprised, if not outright bewildered, by all the different kinds of candle making wax available today.  Here’s a quick run down on the different types of candle making wax available.

Paraffin Candle Wax

Paraffin is the most commonly used wax, both in commercial production and by the home hobbyist.

Paraffin is a side product of petroleum refinement. It’s what’s left when crude oil is refined.

Different grades of paraffin candle wax are available. Most suppliers indicate which is their “general purpose” candle wax and that’s usually a good one for beginners to start with. The wax is widely available, relatively inexpensive, maintains its shape in tapers, retains dyes and fragrant oils well and burns relatively cleanly (at least compared to tallow).

Soy Candle Wax

Soy candle wax is an exciting newcomer on the candle making scene. Researchers developed it by hydrogenating (adding hydrogen molecules to) soybean oil. Hydrogenated soybean oil is fairly solid and burns well as a  candle wax. The main difficulty is that most formulations are fairly soft and don’t always work well in applications such as making tapers.

Soy candle wax really shines when it comes to making container candles. It has a long burn time, burns cleanly and does well with added fragrance and color.

Beeswax

Beeswax is a great, albeit expensive, candle making wax. Bees produce the wax to build honeycombs to hold the honey. Beekeepers can harvest both the wax and the honey.

Beeswax produces minimal soot and burns smoothly and evenly. It is a firmer wax than soy candle wax so you can use it for tapers. You can add scent to beeswax, but I prefer not to – it has a very subtle fragrance of its own.

Unfortunately, beeswax costs more than other waxes. This has always been the case. Historically, beeswax candles were the candles of the rich. It's more affordable these days, but still more expensive than most other candle waxes.

Where to Learn More

The waxes I've mentioned here are by far the most commonly used candle making waxes available. You'd do just fine if these were the only ones you knew about.

However it's well worth digging a little deeper and visiting the page: Candle Making Wax. You'll discover some interesting waxes I haven't mentioned here, as well as some more details about paraffin and soy wax.

Of course you need more than wax to make a candle. You can find out what equipment and supplies you'll need at: Candle Making Equipment
I want to recommend an excellent site for you to find out everything you need to know to start making candles every bit as beautiful as those you buy: The Candle Making Connection. I've learned the hard way that you can save a lot of time and frustration if you visit sites like that and get some insider tips and advice before you start experimenting on your own.

Candle making is a very rewarding hobby and I hope this article inspires you to give it a try yourself.

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Beeswax remains one of the most valued candle making materials. People have treasured its mild aroma and clean burning characteristics for generations. We have a lot more choices today yet beeswax remains the preferred natural alternative to petroleum based paraffin. Here's how to make beeswax candles using a simple and easy to learn method.

Traditionally, people have made beeswax candles by even the dipping method or by using molds. I'm about to teach you a much simpler method that uses sheets of beeswax.

Beeswax sheets for candle making are commonly about 10 x 16" in size. They commonly have a textured pattern imprinted on the surface. A characteristic of beeswax is that it remains flexible at room temperature, which makes it possible to produce a candle without melting the wax and using a mold.

Start by laying a sheet of beeswax on a smooth, flat surface. A clean kitchen counter or table works fine. The height of the candle is determined by the width of the sheet. If you want to make a shorter candle, simply trim the sheet using a straight edge and a sharp knife.

Arrange the sheet so that the edge that will become the center of the candle is toward you. Cut a piece of wick so it is an inch or so longer than the candle height. Gently press the wick into the edge of the wax, leaving a little bit extending beyond each end.

The next step is to roll the wax around the wick forming the candle. Use a firm but gentle pressure and take care to press evenly along the length of the candle. If you press too hard you risk distorting the candle.

In cold weather, the wax may be a little stiff. If this happens, you can use a hairdryer on a low setting to warm the wax. Be careful as you do this - too much heat will ruin the candle.

When you reach the end of the sheet, gently press the edge of the wax into the body of the candle to make a smooth seam. If you'd like a thicker candle, such as a pillar, continue rolling with another sheet of wax.

After you've gained experience making this type of candle, you'll definitely should look into some of the more traditional ways of making beeswax candles. You can find full instructions in these methods, including tips for success, at: How to Make Beeswax Candles
Of course, beeswax is not the only material you can use to make candles. You can find out about other possible choices at: Candle Making Wax.

You can further explore the wonderful craft of candle making is:
http://www.CandleMakingConnection.com/

Now that you know how to make beeswax candles I hope you'll consider learning other candle making techniques as well.

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