Approx. equipment costs:  $60 (if buying a melting pot, otherwise much lower)

Approx. costs per project: $5-$10

Difficulty for beginners:  Easy

Approx. time to complete project: 1-2 hours

Types of Projects:  Pillar Candles, Container Candles, Tapered candles, Votive candles, Tealights

Variations:  Added fragrances, colors, embedded objects, applique, multi-color, different finishes

The basic candle making process is simple and easy to learn.  A paraffin (wax) mixture is melted over a heat source.  The liquid wax is poured into a mold or container set with one or more wicks.  Holes are poked in the cooling candle to release gasses and more wax is poured on top as the wax settles.  This approach is used for pillars, containers, and votives.  Other techniques include dipping a wick directly into the wax such as used for taper candles.  Several variations of these basic procedures allow for very custom candles:

• Colors can be added using dyes or pigments - the wax can be colored or colors can be added in creative ways such as layered or marble candles
• Fragrances can be added to the wax mixture by adding essential oils or synthetic fragrances
• Wax can be applied in different ways such as poured in layers, overdipped, poured over chunked wax, etc.
• Items can be embedded in candles for different looks and feels
• Designs can be applied to the poured candle such as using stencils, stamping, using appliqué, or items can be embedded at the surface

The most important aspect to candle making works is to match the specific wax mixture to the type of candle you are making, with the correct type of wick.  Paraffin comes in different hardnesses, with different melting points.  Additives are also added to wax to make it harder and/or burn better.  The burning wick consumes wax as fuel so an improperly matched wick/wax combination will cause a candle to burn too fast, drown in its own wax, flicker, or have other problems.  Purchased waxes provide a guideline for mixtures and melting points, but since each candle project is a different size and shapes, the only way to do this experiment with this variations.  

The following equipment is typically used by beginners in candle making:  

• Melting pot - Double boilers are typically used to control the heat.  Heated water is used instead of directly on the heat source.   Submersing a smaller pot inside a larger one filled with water also works (lift inside pot directly off heat source).  
• Thermometer - Needs to range to at least to 300 degrees (critical)
• Spoon - Metal or heavy plastic so it doesn't absorb wax
• Baking pan and foil - Really useful for cleaning molds (optional)
• Scale - Useful for weighing wax and additives (optional)
• Scissors - Used for cutting wicks

The following supplies are typically used for each project:

• Wax 
• Additives such as Stearin or Vybar - changes the crystalline structure of the wax, affecting the appearance or hardness
• Wicks (and maybe wick tabs)
• Molds or containers - Depends on the type of candle you are making
• Mold sealer - Used to seal the wick hole so wax doesn't leak out
• Releasing agent - allows the candles to be removed from the molds easily- (spray vegetable oil works) 
• Wax Dye - for coloring
• Fragrance additives - synthetic scents or essential oils 

The easiest way to start in candle making is to begin with projects that use molds or containers.  As you master the basic procedures, you can add variations described in the articles and projects on this site.  The easiest way to get started doing this is to buy a starter kit.   Here are a few good ones - the larger ones are worth it because they provide enough components that allow you to experiment:

Basic Candle Kit (assumes you have a melting pot)

Super Fantastic Candle Making Kit

Gel candle starter kit (intermediate)

I also highly recommend that if you have time, you visit Bob Sherman at OneStopCandle.com and take his online web course.  It is a fully interactive and provides a very in-depth overview of candle making. Click on the link below.  Once there click on candle, then Instruction, then Introduction to Candle Making.   

The following books have received some of the highest ratings at Amazon.com.