So you want to learn how to make soy votive candles? Well, it’s actually pretty simple and you can do it right in your own kitchen! Soy votives make wonderful gifts for any occasion and it’s wonderful when you can make a gift yourself, adding your own fragrance or fragrance blend as a special personal touch. Votives are small and you can make a lovely sampler pack as a gift. For those who are looking to start their own candle business, I have used these same instructions for making my own soy votive candles for my previous business and they were always a big hit!

First you’ll need a few supplies:

• 8 Votive molds. I use metal votive molds with a wick pin. I bought mine from Candlesoylutions: Votive Molds Wick Pins
• 8 votive candle wicks. I’ve found the best to use are the P-22 large base wicks from Candlesoylutions
• Pour Pot, or double boiler setup. I like using the pour pots, but when I started out, I just used a small sauce pan with some water in the bottom and a metal bowl sitting on top that I poured the soy wax into.
• Rubber Spatula that can withstand heat, or plastic spoon.
• Glass candy thermometer
• 1lb Soy Votive Wax (The link will take you to Candlesoylutions, my favorite supplier)
• 1oz fragrance oil of your choice Candle dye, any color you choose, or you can start with no dye.

 

How to make soy votive candles:

1. First, set up your votive molds with the wick pins in them on some wax paper on your counter or table. The wax paper will keep you from having to wipe up spills once you’re done making your votive candles.
2. Put your pour pot, or metal bowl on a scale (preferably a digital one) and 0 it out. Pour your soy votive wax in until the scale says 1lb.
3. Set your pour pot in the pot with water in it (about an inch or 2) or set your bowl or double boiler pot on top of the pot with water in it.
4. NEVER put the pot or bowl with wax directly on the stove as it could combust! Always use water surrounding the pour pot, or use a double boiler set up.
5. Set the stove to med-low heat (aprox. 4).
6. Put the thermometer in the wax and set your timer for 15 min. so you remember to check on the wax.
7. Once the soy votive wax has melted and reached 195-200 degrees F. Take the pour pot, or bowl off the stove and set it onto the digital scale. 0 out the scale again.
8. Once the wax is down to about 185 degrees, pour 1oz of fragrance oil (by weght) and stir a couple times. Then add a couple drops or so of your choice of candle dye according to what color you want, and stir a few more times until everything is incorporated.
9. By now the wax should be about 175 degrees. This is the time you should pour into your votive molds. You don’t want it to cool like you do with soy container candles.
10. Once you have filled each votive mold, it is time to wait till they are completely cooled before pulling them out of the metal molds. They should just pop right out when they are cool enough. Usually takes about an hour or two depending on the room temperature.

So that’s how to make soy votive candles, and I hope you have fun making special gifts for family and friends. Contact me if you have any questions or if I left anything out or didn’t make something clear enough.