BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Candlemaking homemade candles

My younger sister decided to give home candlemaking a try, and she must have be pleased with the results, as I got two from her for part of my holidays gifts. One is inside a large glass jar and the other had been poured into a sea shell. Both candles are purple in color and smell like lavendar-coriander... yummy!

Does anyone know how to gauge how long homemade candles will burn? Is it dependant purely on the volume of the candle, or do various wax combos burn slower and/or faster?

I know 100% natural soybean wax candles burn cooler and therefore slower in comparison to traditional paraffin wax candles. There also is no funneling and therefore no waste. I purchased all four different sizes of homemade soy candles from www.commonscentsgifts.com and was pleased with their quality and terrific scents. The 4 oz. burns 20 hours, the 8 oz. burns 50 hours, the 16 oz. burns 100 hours, and the 18 oz. burns up to 150 hours. The nice thing about soy candles is that they release little or no soot and are healthier to breathe. Your house stays cleaner too!!

To increase burn time, using soy or gel wax will last far longer than regular candlewax.

Also, try having those candle mixtures poured into glass jars. Have you heard of a candle warmer? Walmart sells them for about 4 bucks. You set them on the "hotplate", and it warms the glass jar and melts the wax. That way you get all scent, no soot, no risks of fire. I love those things. You can leave them on all day, and not have to worry about it like you would with a candle that has a flame. If you make candles for the jar warmers, you can also save money by not buying wicks - because they aren't needed when you use a candle warmer. Another happy little fact is that the warmer plates extend the life of the candle, because having a candle aflame makes the wax burn up quicker. When you're doing this, you're smelling the mixture of scent/smoke- and mainly smoke. Just a suggestion. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hello Rae,

Yes, different waxes burn at differing rates. The National Candle Association and various other companies have tested waxes for burn rates. The Industry standard for burn rate is derived by the amount of wax consumed per hour in grams, based on testing performed with straight paraffin wax without additives.
It sounds like your sister did a good job with her candles.
Natural waxes typically have a better scent throw and burn cleaner. Take a look at our, "Scents" section. I am currently working on an article about Fragrances and Aromatherapy. It should be on the site in a couple of weeks. By the way, I love your site. Talk to you soon.

All great answers!! I hope she used Soy... with the prpoer additives it can have the longest burn time and excellent scent throw!

Jamie

If it was paraffin wax, then it will burn quicker most likely. I would suggest to her any natural wax made from veggies or beeswax for a better burn all together.

Great ideas here.