4CandlesUK Candle Making Supplies Blog

All wicks should be coated in wax before they are used. We offer pre-waxed candle wicks here for customers who prefer the convenience, but we also offer raw candle wick here for customers who enjoy priming their own wicks. Raw wick is unwaxed cotton wick. It is supplied in string-like format and is wound onto a cardboard bobbin. A step-by-step guide to priming your own wicks can be found below: Cut the required length of wick off the cardboard spool which it is supplied on.  Dip the wick into the melted wax and keep the wick in the melted wax until you see air bubbles rise to the surface. This generally takes a few seconds.  When this happens, it means that the wick has absorbed a sufficient amount of wax and the wick can now be removed from the wax. Run your fingers along the wick to remove any extra air bubbles and then lay flat on a hard surface. Once this has dried, we recommend repeating this procedure twice, but please note when doing the 2nd and 3rd layer you only nee...

Container candles are one of the most popular types of candles thanks to the variety of containers available. Additionally, making candles in containers you already own is both a lot of fun and kinder to the environment as re-using also eliminates the cost, energy, transport, and small amount of pollution associated with recycling. What you will need • Double Pan Set (to melt your wax) • Thermometer • Container wax • Candle Wick (pre-waxed with sustainers is best) • Inpex Dye (optional) • Escentscia Fragrance Oil (optional) Choosing a container It is always better considering the jars and tins you already own. Glasses and tea-cups can also be found at bric-a-brac stores, car boot, and charity shops (you will also be supporting that charity). Not a lot of glass is made using recycled glass – and glass which is recycled is usually processed overseas rather than locally – so it is best to re-use wherever possible rather than recycling or buying new if we are serious about reducing our fo...

We are often asked questions such as ‘what is the difference between the Golden Waxes?’ and ‘which soy wax should I use?’ To help make this easier, we have put together a handy wax comparison chart for the Golden Wax 494, Golden Wax 464, and Golden Wax 444: The Similarities All three of the Golden Waxes are manufactured by AAK. They are natural, kosher, vegan and cruelty free. The most suitable dye to use with natural soy wax is the Inpex SD Dye . Additionally, all three waxes have very similar fragrance loads (10-11%) and offer fantastic cold and hot throw when used alongside Escentscia Prime Range and Style Range fragrance oils. The Differences When choosing which soy wax to use, you need to first consider the type of candle you will be making. For wax melts and small moulded candles, you need a wax which contracts as it cools to allow mould release and therefore the Golden Wax 494 is most suitable. Please note that the Golden Wax 494 is not suitable for pillar candles.   For ...

Whether you’re looking to entertain the kids over half term, or looking to brighten up your candle stall, these Halloween votive candles are a chandler’s equivalent of carving a pumpkin! We enlisted the help of some children to create our ghoulish designs! Step 1 – Make Votive Candles:  To begin, you will first need to choose your fragrance and colour combination! We chose the following colours and fragrances: Inpex Candle Whitener with US Style Liquorice Fragrance Orange Inpex Deep Dye with US Style Pumpkin Souffle Fragrance Fluorescent Green (used at a lower percentage to create a ‘slime’ colour) with US Style Strudel & Spice Fragrance Fluorescent Green (used at a higher percentage to create a ‘Frankenstein’ colour) with 50/50 US Style Crème Brulee and US Apple fragrances to create a toffee apple scent! Once you have chosen your combinations, you will need to create the votive candles themselves using the votive wick pins, votive moulds, and Chandler G...

We currently stock a total of nine different pillar mould sizes and are frequently asked how much wax you should use for each size. Below, you will find a guide of how much wax to use for each of our pillar moulds. Whilst this is only a guide, as the amount of wax used depends on how high the mould is filled, the below measurements are a great reference point for calculating how much dye, fragrance oil, and wax to use for your candles.  If you are interested in making pillar candles for the first time, you can purchase our  Chandler Grey Pillar Kit he re or you can also read our  in-depth guide on how to make pillar candles.   50mm Diameter Moulds: 50 x 100: 160g 50 x 150: 240g 50 x 200: 310g 62mm Diameter Moulds:  62 x 100: 270g 62 x 150: 400g 62 x 200: 550g 75mm Diameter Moulds: 75 x 100: 400g 75 x 150: 560g 75 x 200: 800g If you have a candle making topic which you'd like to see a guide for, please contact us  and we will b...

Introduction: For many candle makers, the cold-water bath method is a great way to increase efficiency when making wax tarts/melts and moulded candles. Traditional cooling methods may take several hours before a candle/melt can be released from its mould however, by using the cold-water bath method, this can be greatly reduced to around 10-15 minutes (depending on your mould.) The cold-water bath method also enhances the finish of your candle or melts and helps to create a much glossier finish! Our other candle making guides/tips can be found here! Method: Once you have poured your candle or wax melt, wait for the candle or melt to develop a thick skin; the length of time that this take depends on the size of your candle/melt, your pouring temperature, water temperature, and your mould.  Once this has happened and your poured candle wax is no longer molten, (yet still squidgy to the touch) fill a bucket or container with cold water.  Submerge your candle or melt ...

Pillar candles can be fantastic statement pieces and gifts. However, unlike container candles, they are not designed to burn a full diameter. Instead, they are designed to leave a small tunnel around the outside of the candle, which then burns down as the candle is used. Pillar candles also have a much longer burn time than other types of candles and they can also be a unique selling point for your candle business! Another benefit of pillar candles is that the moulds can be re-used many times - meaning they are both environmentally friendly and more cost effective! This guide will make one 75 x 100mm pillar candle. This candle will have a burn time of over 120 hours! We have a total of 9 different sized pillar moulds so if you’d like to make an alternative size, please contact our team for further candle making advice. What you’ll need:  1 x Double Pan Set (to melt your wax) 1 x Thermometer 1 x Blue Wick Pin 1 x 75x100mm Pillar Mould WickWell P2 Candle Wick (for this diameter,...

Scoopable wax is similar to a wax tart/melt however instead of being stand-alone the wax is poured directly into a container such as a jar or tin. The end user is then able to scoop out the required amount of scented wax and place directly into their wax melt burners. Scoopable wax is becoming more common for candle makers as the usual process of removing tarts from the mould, and packaging them, is no longer required! Scoopable wax also allows the end user to decide how much wax they’d like to use and is ideal for irregular shaped burners. Due to the wax needing to be scooped out by the consumer, a much softer wax combination is required. This wax combination is 100% natural too! This recipe will make enough mixture to fill one of our large aluminium tins and have some mixture left over.   What you’ll need:   1 x Double Pan Set (to melt your wax) 1 x Thermometer 20ml Escentscia/Escentscia US Style Fragrance Oil 50g Golden Wax 494 (5715-94-02) 150g White Rape...

These votive candles are easy to make and are very popular, they are best used in the votive glasses that are available in the accessories glassware tins section.   The votive candle is a very good selling product as people enjoy having a candle in a container such as a glass. The main problem with container candles is that once the candle is finished you have the glass left over and it seems to be a waste. The beauty of these votive candles is that once you have finished one candle you can just clean out the glass and replace it with another.   Question: How much wax is needed per votive candle? Answer: Calculate for 65 grams per candle will be sufficient  Essential Equipment Needed: Something is needed to melt your wax bearing in mind that you cannot melt candle wax with direct heat you need a double pan or a specially made wax melting pot, more information can be found in the melt wax safely guide. A thermometer is a must so you can check the temperatu...