How To Make a Big Candle

I have been on a large candle kick lately. I found this tart pan at a resale shop and decided that it would make the perfect candle container. It’s pretty shallow, but very wide so I knew that it would require multiple wicks. If you want to see how I figured out how many wicks to use, here is a YouTube video where I demonstrate an easy way to figure out how many wicks to use WITHOUT measuring. I was too lazy to measure so I used an easier method involving paper circles:

Choosing the Right Candle Container

You can get creative with your containers as long as the container is heat-safe. I get nervous when I see people re-purposing wine glasses for candles because that glass is so thin and definitely at risk for overheating, then exploding. Since this tart pan is made to withstand the heat of an oven, I knew that it would be fine for a candle.

How Many Wicks Should I Use?

The answer depends on the size of your candle container. The melt pool is the circle of melted wax around the wick. The melt pool needs to reach all the way to the edge of the candle container. Larger wick = more heat. More heat = wider melt pool. That said, the largest wick size is not going to be big enough to burn the entire surface of a big candle. That is why bigger candles have multiple wicks.

Most wicks come with information on the packaging about what size the wick is and what diameter the melt pool will be. If you’re using a smaller candle container, try to find one wick with a melt pool that matches the diameter of that container. If you’re using a larger container, add up the individual melt pools to cover the entire surface of the candle.

I used a paper circle method (demonstrated in the video above) to determine the number of wicks I would need. By cutting circles out of paper, I could visualize the melt pools and I was able to determine the right number of wicks and the correct placement of the wicks.

It is impossible for me to prescribe exactly what size and how many wicks you should use without knowing the particulars (but feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try to help you figure it out). Wicks perform differently based on size, what type of wax you put them in, and what type of container you use. That’s why a good candlemaker does a lot of burn tests before selling candles. It’s important not to over-wick (fire hazard!) or under-wick (tunneling issues and wasted wax). The only way to know for sure is to test.

Choosing the Right Wax Blend

If you want a “cleaner” option, choose soy, coconut, or a coconut apricot wax blend. Otherwise, go with paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is rumored to be less “clean burning” than some of the other wax types, but personally, I think the science around that is not convincing. I don’t use it often, but it’s a wax type I have no problem using for certain candle types (especially taper candles or anything made in a mold). There is a reason that paraffin wax is widely used in a lot of big candle brands. It has good hot throw. It’s less expensive. I also think it’s easier to use so it’s good for beginner candlemakers.

The candle I made in this YouTube video was a citronella candle that will live outside so I didn’t want to use 100% soy wax. Soy has a lower melting point so it would end up sweating outside in the Houston heat. Because of that, I blended soy wax and beeswax together to make this candle.

Candle Ingredients

• Heat-safe Container 
• Pre-tabbed Candle Wicks
• Candle Wax (I used 16 ounces of soy wax blended with beeswax)
• Fragrance Oil (I used 0.5 – 1 oz. of citronella fragrance oil) 
• Optional: Stearic Acid (I used 1.6 ounces – 10% of the amount of wax)

📋 Candlemaking Instructions

1. Determine how much wax your container will need. I do this by filling the container with water. Leave a little empty space at the top. Measure how much water it took to fill your container. I usually use the same amount of wax so if my container holds 16 ounces of water, I’ll use 16 ounces of wax. Technically, the wax weight is about 80% of the water weight so you can use that percentage if you want to be more exact.
2. Determine how many wicks to use. Start by figuring out the size of the melt pool that your wick will create. You can usually find this on the wick packaging or the website you ordered it from. Use this information to trace circles of this size onto a sheet of paper and cut them out. Spread the circles out in the container so that the majority of the surface is covered and then count how many circles you used. This is the number of wicks you’ll need.
3. Make cuts in the center of these circles. Fold the paper in half once and then fold it in half a second time to find the center. Make a small cut and slip the wick through. 
4. Mark the center of the container. 
5. Add a wick sticker to the metal tab and place the first wick in the center of the container.
6. Continue to add the wicks using the paper circles to guide you.
7. When you are happy with the way this looks, remove the paper.
8. Straighten up the wicks and secure them in place using a wick bar, chopsticks, or any other item that fits across the container.
9. Measure out the wax and any candle additives you want to use (like stearic acid). Add to a melting pitcher.
10. Put the melting pitcher on a double boiler setup and turn on the heat. Add a thermometer to track the temperature. Monitor to make sure it doesn’t exceed 185. The temperatures I mention may differ depending on the wax type you use. Always check the melting point of the wax before you get started
11. Once the wax is melted, add the fragrance oil. Remove from the heat and stir for 2-3 minutes.
12. When the wax cools down to 165, pour into the container slowly.
13. Don’t move the candle until the wax has completely hardened.
14. Trim the wicks.
15. Let your candle cure for anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Again, this depends on the wax type. You can Google the wax type to find the ideal curing time.
16. Final step – enjoy your candle!