Tips for making your own wax play candles?

So I've already got a brand and style of wax I like for wax play. I like unscented low-temp paraffin wax, and I like it in pretty colors. However, the brand I like is fairly expensive. Does anyone here have any tips for making your own candles? Are there any particular brands of wax dye or mica inclusions that don't mess with the temperature too much but are still good for making the end product pretty?

Oh I love making candles! An important rule of thumb in candle making is that the thickness of the wick in comparison to the diameter of the candle is important. The wick needs to match the amount of wax surrounding it for the candle to burn evenly and maintain a good burn.

Soy is a popular choice for waxplay candles, however, from the sounds of it, that may burn too low for your preference temperature wise.

Dyes should be fine, however, mica being a mineral, may mess with the temperature a bit... not sure, but should be easy enough to google.

As for moulds... look around with “waxy” eyes, and you will find moulds everywhere... you really don’t need to buy those in my opinion. I used cans (soda/beer) with the top cut off, with grooves in either side to hold a piece of dowel or tree twig or pencil (or whatever) that the wick was wound around to hold it in the centre while the wax set. These may be too thick and chunky for waxplay candles though. Just keep in mind that you need to be able to remove the candle from the mould once it’s set.

It’s so much fun! Beads work well... and you can also melt down old candle ends (of ones used for waxplay) and reuse those too... so be sure to save them.

The best part is to simply experiment and find your preference

Heyo, thanks for responding! Great tip about the diameter, and one I hadn't considered.

It's not the temp that bothers me about soy, but rather the texture. I'd like soy in a massage candle, but the texture is just too greasy for me for wax play. Part of the fun for me is feeling the wax harden on my skin, and it's really hard to get that in a soy candle. Nothing against soy, it's just not for me.

I've been thinking about getting some molding silicone to play around with to maybe make some shaped candles. I bought a waxplay candle in a little milk jug shape for pouring and I really like that, so maybe finding something similar at a craft store could be an option.

Ooh, I never thought about incorporating beads!! Yeah this could be a fun new hobby for me for sure. Thanks for the help!

Please share the results of your experiments! This sounds like a project Id very much enjoy.

I agree about feeling it harden! And then scraping it off is just as good. I’m very curious about this... yes, please keep us updated. I’ll add anything else if I make any discoveries

The candles in long glass holders (typically religious, typically about 99c) have a decent melting point--perhaps a little cool for some.

Rather than spend a lot on supplies, you could buy a few of these, melt them down and make your own, size to suit. The problem I ave found with using the candles as they are is that the wick tends to be a bit on the thin side and doesn't stay lit all that well. Pick up some decent wick online, or at a craft store, have fun with different molds, and those candles should make for a good wax supply in lots of different colors.

Don't really know much about candle making, burn point or any of the technical aspects - but made them with crayons as a kid. Just took the paper off ones that were broken or stubs, melted them and dipped. Have to wait a few seconds for the wax to cool slightly to get the layers, but it's easy and can make them multi-color layers. Each end of your wick string makes a candle, leave them connected when done to hang by for setting. Once they get to a certain tickness, have to let them set before layering more or it just turns into a globby mess.

If single color candles, you can reuse the remaining wax stumps to add to the next batch. Or get a coloring book. ?

The candle making community is extremely large. They are also a very giving community. The only reason that I know this is because My beloved makes soap. And when she first started she went on to the soaper community boards and she found a wealth of people willing to share what they knew.


We might use them for different things but what you can find in the candle community forums is invaluable.


https://www.candlescience.com/candle-making-inspiration

The problem I've found with these ones is that they tend to be too greasy for me and, at least locally to me, they tend to have a weird, gross, motor oil-like smell to them. I'm really super picky about texture in my wax; if it's too greasy or oily, I'm going to absolutely hate it. I'm also really sensitive to smells.



Oh! Oh that's an excellent idea! I'll definitely have to test to see if crayon candles are good for pouring on skin, but yeah! I'll have to try that!!



That's an absolutely fantastic resource. Bookmarked!