Save money and be prepared by having these 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles on hand. I have seen stores charge a lot of money for survival long-burning candles, but you can make your own for less than $2.00 per jar and it is so easy to do!
I swear I am reaping so many benefits from doing this Happy Homesteading series of posts, as I get to learn these new skills and find out to to survive on my own a little bit more. Plus doing these projects are so much FUN!
All you need are some half pint glass canning jars, a 5 lb. bag of soy wax, some wicks, aluminum foil and a #10 can.
WAX: I found that the most cost effective price for soy wax was on amazon : The Milliard Wax 5 lb. bag is $12.99 plus free shipping if you have amazon prime. I checked my local craft stores and unless you have a coupon this is still a better deal. I used soy wax because it is all natural, renewable, non toxic, burns clean, helps support the American farmer and has a longer burn time than many other types of paraffin waxes.
WICKS: I ordered these Candlescience 6 inch Soy wax coated candle wicks for $8.99 (50 pack). I think you might be able to also find a smaller pack of 6 inch wicks at your local craft stores for less, but since I get free shipping with Amazon prime, I love ordering my items online, saving a trip.
GLASS JARS: The 5 lbs of soy wax will fill 13 half-pint sized glass canning jars. You can buy these half-pint jars online at Amazon, or at your local Walmart/Target store for around $8-$12 a case. Also keep your eyes out on craigslist or yard sales for canning jars. Luckily I had a box of unused jars sitting in my garage from a time when I was going to make some jam and didn’t (ahem.)
#10 CAN: You can use a double boiler pan if you like, but for ease in cleaning I wanted to use an old #10 can to melt my wax in. I can throw the can away or reuse it again the next time I make candles. If you do use a #10 can, make sure and bend one of the edges so it will be easier to pour the hot wax in the jars.
How To Make 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles
Start a double boiling system by bringing a larger pot of water to boil. Only fill it half-way so when you add your can of wax the water won’t overflow. I filled my number ten can with 2.5 lbs of soy wax flakes.
While the water was heating up, add the wicks to each of your jars. Tip: if you have a hot glue gun add a drop of hot glue on the bottom of the metal part of the wick and stick it straight in the center of the jar. It helps the wick to hold up straighter after you pour the wax.
Once the wax is melted, using hot pads I poured the wax into the jars with wicks.
To help hold your wicks straight while it cools poke hole in a little square of aluminum foil, thread the wick through and seal around the jar.
I then melted the other half of the soy wax flakes and poured them into jars as well.
After they all cool, trim the wicks to 1/4 inch. I just set the scissors across the jar so all the wicks would be the same size after being cut.
Then enjoy your 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles! Just put the lids on them (adding in a pack of matches) and pack them away until your next power outage or disaster. Then you will have heat as well as light for up to 50 hours each candle.
Note: I did add some essential oils to one of the candles and it smelled lovely. I was thinking that if there was a power outage or disaster it would be better to have non-scented candles so it wouldn’t give me a headache, so keep that in mind. And only use products that are safe to use with melted oil so you don’t get exploding wax or something.
WORTH THE COST? YES – can cost as low as $1.18 per candle, which is an amazing price for Soy candles with a 50 hour burn time.
WORTH THE TIME? Yes, for the amount of money you can save, and how quick and easy it was this is very worth the time.
Price breakdown:
- I paid $12.99 for the 5 lb. bag of Soy wax
- I paid $8.99 for 50 soy wicks ($0.18 each wick = $2.34 for 13 wicks used)
- I had the jars sitting in my garage. If you didn’t you would pay $8-$10 at Walmart or online.
- Note: I was able to fill 13 jars with the 5 lb.s of wax
Final cost for me was $1.18 each candle, but if you needed to purchase the jars it would run you $1.79-$2.00 per jar.
How To Make 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles
DIY your own survival candles with these easy instructions.
Instructions
Start a double boiling system by bringing a larger pot of water to boil. Only fill it half-way so when you add your can of wax the water won't overflow. I filled my number ten can with 2.5 lbs of soy wax flakes at a time and did this twice.
While the water was heating up, add the wicks to each of your jars. Tip: if you have a hot glue gun add a drop of hot glue on the bottom of the metal part of the wick and stick it straight in the center of the jar. It helps the wick to hold up straighter after you pour the wax.
Once the wax is melted, using hot pads I poured the wax into the jars with wicks.
To help hold your wicks straight while it cools poke hole in a little square of aluminum foil, thread the wick through and seal around the jar.
I then melted the other half of the soy wax flakes and poured them into jars as well.
After they all cool, trim the wicks to 1/4 inch. I just set the scissors across the jar so all the wicks would be the same size after being cut.
Recipe Notes
Enjoy your 50 Hour Soy Survival Candles! Just put the lids on them (adding in a pack of matches) and pack them away until your next power outage or disaster. Then you will have heat as well as light for up to 50 hours each candle.
Have you ever made your own homemade candles? Any other tips or tricks you have found to save even more money?
So great!! I’m ordering my stuff off amazon right now! BUT, why waste good canning jars?? You could totally use an old salsa jar or other glass food jar that you can’t reuse for canning! Then your jars ARE free! I love re-purposing!
So true, use any old jars hanging around to save some money. Even old candle jars too Just heat them up in a double boiler and when the old wax inside melts pour it into another container.
May be a silly question but does each candle burn 50 hours
Yep!
Did you test this by burning them continuously?
Yep!
Can you use the leftover wicks to make small votives maybe? I hate to waste.
I don’t see why not!
If you put the old candle jar in the freezer for about 20 minutes the old wax will pop right out.
Just a suggestion, when you are going to burn a candle in a regular candle holder, or put an existing candle in a jar or glass, first put a thin film of olive oil on the inside of the container. It will be invisible and when the candle is done, the stub will slide out easily.
Just a tip so the jars won’t break have them hot out of the oven before pouring in hot wax.
OOoohhh~GREAT IDEA! Thank you!!
Just be careful with the thin grocery store jars… If they get too hot, they will break… Lesson I’ve learned in the past. It is better to use Mason jars or other thick glass jars.
I save all glass jars that I empty for things like this and it saves so much!
I always worry about glass shattering. Have you burned these all the way down to test the glass?
if you use canning jars, the heat wont be a problem…they are made to withstand high heat.
Hi Joan, yes I have burned my soy candles in canning jars all the way to the bottom to test the amount of time they take to burn. Canning jars are made for heating. 🙂
I used to make soy candles, and these candles are what you would call kid-friendly as well. Soy has a much lower melting point than paraffin wax, so they get no where near as hot as regular wax and actually will solidify on touch, which is why its considered kid-friendly. Also soy is water soluble so if it gets accidently tipped over, it cleans up with soap and water unlike other waxes. 🙂
Another container is empty vegetable cans and a good way to recycle them.
could u add food colouring to make them colourful?? if so at what step would u add it??
yes, you can add food coloring…just add it a few drops at a time into the melted wax and stir well before pouring.
I would advise to NOT use food coloring because most food colorings are water based and will not mix in. Plus you could get exploding wax when you add it in, so I wouldn’t do it.
First time posting here and I love this site. Thank you for creating it. What about using old crayons to make some colored candles. I would have to experiment a little because I am not sure if the crayon wax would mix well with the soy wax, but it does melt so why not. I would be a good way to use up old broken crayons.
I have heard of people using crayons for coloring, but that when they melt it does make it smell like melting crayons. 🙂
You need to add more than one crayon for much color because they are weak when added. My hubby uses them to color bees wax for lubricating bullets.
In 8th grade we actually made candles, and yes, we used crayons to color them. Worked well. I made a candle that actually looked like a beer with lots of head on it (let wax start cooling, wisk with fork) Worked great. Might suggest finding vanilla, or Cinnamon or some smell to go with it…Why make it plain jane?
If you use crayons though, they are coloured with pigment which can leave specks through your candle. They also aren’t made from soy wax, so if you want an “all-natural candle”, adding the crayon will ruin that.
Just add a bit of crayon of whatever color you want – that’s what I always used when making candles and it worked great! (Unless for whatever reason, they have changed the ingredients in crayons in the past few years!)
They make dye chips specifically for candle making, it melts along with the wax, the more color obviously the darker the candle becomes. They run about $3 a pack at a craft store.
I found some at my local Dollar Tree store — only $1.00!!
You can not use food coloring. It’s water based & oil/water do not mix. For safety you really should buy the wickstickers to hold the wicks in place. If you are making these candles to sell you better have insurance. If someones house burns down.
No. You can use wax color tabs that you can get at AC Moore or Michaels or you can use a cjocolaye dye kit as that type of food coloring is oil based 🙂
Recycle old broken crayons to add colour. You can add them in as you melt the wax to create a solid colour. Alterantively fill the space around the wick with pieces of broken crayons before filling the jar with wax, pour the hot wax dirrectly over the crayons filling in the air spaces for a crazy calico effect.
When making paraffin candles at summer camp as a kid we used crayon shavings. I don’t know how crayons would mix with soy wax, but it might be fun to experiment. A #10 can of melted was can be beautifully colored with a few swipes of a vegetable peeler on a crayon in the color of your choice.
You gusy are the greatest…I love sharing your stuff…thanks for sharing with the rest of us! <3
Can you add a scent to these? If so how, where or what kind would you add
Hi Denise, I use Doterra Essential oils, they are the purest form of the plants. You can order some online at my Doterra web account if you like: http://www.mydoterra.com/karrietruman/
I used Citrus Bliss in my one candle I tried with it. It smelled heavenly, but when it was lit, I don’t think I had used enough oil, because I couldn’t really smell it like other smelly candles. I think I only used 6-7 drops, so next time I would try more.
Karrie, I believe that the reason the candle doesn’t smell when burned is that the essential oils would have evaporated when added to the heated soy wax. Heat is very injurious to the therapeutic value of quality essential oils, and they just don’t stand up well to it. For lasting scent, you would need to use a fragrance oil. As to the jars you used for the candles in the picture, are they tall half pints? They look like pint jars. Just wondering. Thank you for posting this!
Yes, I used 13 half-pint sized glass canning jars in this recipe!
The ‘therapeutic value’ of an essential oil (where there is one) is unrelated to its scent. The issue here is simply that Happy MoneySaver (I am so sorry, I don’t know your name!) didn’t use enough oil. 25-50 drops is a far better bet.
At what step did you add the essential oil? I want to do that also but k don’t want 13 scented candles that all smell the same. I like variety!
I added in some essential oils into the individual jars before adding in the wicks. That way I could control how many candles I added them to. 🙂
As a hobbyist candle maker, the scent, like the coloring, should go into the melted wax before the pour, so that the fragrance can be mixed throughout the wax. It is going to be a bit more difficult to mix a fragrance thoroughly into the wax if you only add the fragrance to the jars individually before your pour.
Fragrance oils made to withstand the heat of the melted wax are ideal.
Have you tried again with the EO’s and updated the drop count that worked for you? I would love to try this for the holidays and also use your brand of essential oils. I know the last time we made candles with fragrant oils at the hobby stores it was a ton of oil, I would hoping that with EO’s since it is concentrated it would be less. Thanks for the idea!!
I haven’t yet as I haven’t made these again, they last so long!
I always use 1 oz of scent to 1lb of wax and have wonderfully scented candles..(of course, it’ll depend on the oil too, some are better than others) Also, if your wax gets higher than 200 degrees, your scent will burn off..i add my scents when i’m at 165-175 degrees, stir slowly for a couple minutes so they can bind together (same goes for the coloring too, but i add that at 150 degrees) Also, i always heard, you can use crayons for the color, but they can clog up your wick and your candle may not burn properly 🙂
Great tip! I have also heard that about crayons.
I have also read this somewhere. But I thought it was where I buy wax and other supplies website, so I wondered if that was really true.
I’ve made jar and dip candles. I use old broken crayons for coloring, the metallic crayons make a candle sizzle when they burn.
If you add essential oils to the wax they can be dual purpose (nice scent, emergency light), and if you use old baby food jars instead of new canning jars you can save that cost. =D
Well that is a genius idea! I was trying to think of what to use to repurpose! Now I’m wondering about other options for the wick. I know there are some great ideas out there. Thanks for that one!
Wouldn’t cutting down on the size of the jar used for the candle made also cut down on the time of the burn?
I was wondering about adding color or scent to the candles? Has anyone tried ? Was it successful or is it something that won’t work ? Just curious. Kathy
Try candlescience.com They sell dye chips for adding color that work wonderfully with soy wax and are the cheapest I have seen as a way of coloring candles effectively. I also buy my scents from them. There is so much to choose from that site.
Just curious could you add an essential oil or something to give them a lovely scent to take place of say the Scentsy burners?
Is there a way to add color to the wax when its melting? Just to add a little bit of fun to the mix 🙂
I was thinking of making these as gifts. Where would I get essential oils and how much would I put in? Would you use food coloring to dye the wax or is there something more natural?
You can add coloring by using Candle Dyes like these liquid drops on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001680W5I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001680W5I&linkCode=as2&tag=fistofcoup-20
Looks like you only need a few drops of color per lb. of wax. A little goes a long way.
As for essential oils, I use Doterra oils, you can order some through my Doterra account if you like: http://www.mydoterra.com/karrietruman/
Oh and if you all were looking for natural ways to dye the wax, and not use weird colorants, you can take items like these, tie them into a coffee filter and tie it with a twist tie. Then let these infuse in the melted wax, keeping it all warm for an hour or so. You should then have some natural colors in it, but note: I have never tried this but was emailed by sara who says she has done this!
rose hips powder
peppermint
lavender
spirulina powder
Good luck! If anyone does try to infuse color let me know how it goes.
I’m thinking of using my cans-the ones the veggies or fruit come in. That would work for cooking, and if I wanted the light I could poke holes in the cans after the wax cools. Any one else have thoughts on this?
Another source for the jars would be thrift stores.
Great ideas Mary! I bet those cans would work really well in a disaster situation.
And, in a pinch, you may be able to at least WARM a small amount of some kind of food over it (on it heat-safe dish) as long as there are venting holes in the can! 🙂
You might save some money on this if you check at Michaels when they offer 40 or 50 percent off coupons. I think they also sell the scents and colorings for candles. I know they do for soap.
I save all residual candle wax and make new candles from tea lites to mason jars. The fragrance remains and, sometimes, seems even more fragrant. Aside from using jars any size, I use coffee cups as well. They are all wonderful for gifting.
I keep all of my candle leftovers, too. Good idea to use old coffee mugs! Thanks.
What a fabulous idea! I have the wax and wicks on order. Can’t wait for the postman so i can make mine!
Something I saw that is super cute to use for summer bbqs etc, I wanted to do for my wedding reception….use old soup, veggie can that have been clean and the sharp cut edges have been filed down to be safe, fill 3/4 full then just above the fill line, use a tool of sorts and poke holes around the can, atop put holes on each side and use some wire to create a handle, great cute decor as well and in a pinch for emergency s would work as a lantern
Cool idea!!
I have just finished my first batch of emergency candles, and they look great! A note about fragrances and jars…we are in CT and were without power for 9 days last fall when hurricane Sandy came through here. I burned every Yankee Candle and many others we had in the house. The scent from all of these candles made us all feel a little sick! You are right to consider going the unscented route, if they are to be used for power outages. As for the jars…if you repurpose (which I did), you must use jars that are fairly thick-walled to avoid having them crack at the base when the candles burn low. You can tell just by holding a jar whether it is a good, solid jar, or rather lightweight. I am so impressed with the ease of making these, and the low cost, that I am definitely going to make more for gift-giving. And I think the natural color and scent of the plain soy wax is lovely on it’s own.
Great advice! Thanks for sharing!
Hello, I just got done making some of your 40-50 hour candles and this was our first try. I even got the hubby to help and we had fun doing it. 🙂
My question is, we have air bubbles in the jars. What are we doing wrong? We seen them after they harden. But other then that they came out great.
Thank you for the fun.
Christie
Hmmm, I wonder if you have to heat it to a certain heat level to avoid the bubbles? Not exactly sure why. So glad you made them, isn’t it fun making things yourself?
The reason you have air bubbles could be how fast you are pouring the wax in the jars. Try pouring slower. The faster you pour the more air bubbles you will get. When pouring candles, it’s not like pouring a beverage in a cup. You need to pour slower and steady to avoid all the air bubbles. You might still get a few but the slower you pour the better.
You do need to heat the wax to the required temperature. I usually let the wax cool a little before I pour it into the containers and then I pour slow and steady to avoid the bubbles.
The wax was to hot and poured to fast.
You will also want to slightly warm the jars before you pour the wax in them to help cut down on the bubbles and air pockets or dimpling around the wicks as the candles cool and harden. The dimpling isn’t as dramatic in soy wax as it is in paraffin wax, but can still happen.
Hello, we are going to make some more as soon as the wax gets here. We’ll try a to heat it up a little more and stir it up in the jar.
The wax is SO MUCH CHEAPER on line.
And just a heads up. Don’t tell anyone that your using Mason Jars for the candles. I just called a person who sells used jars ( some warehouse) and he wouldn’t sell them to me because there is some goofy law about using them for candles???? Say’s that it’s not safe????? I don’t get it my self. I use them for everything.
So I’m going there to get some anyway and tell him I’m making my dog home made dog food. GIGGLE
Thanks
Christie
Hee hee…you need to email me about this warehouse…. I need some jars too!
Since he has recommended against using them for candles, he has covered his own backside as far as liability and responsibility, just in case you end up having a problem. It is POSSIBLE that his jars aren’t good strong ones…do you know whether or not they are ok for canning food? If so, I’d love to have his information as well.
Hi, well we went to the warehouse to get some jars and we drove away. The guy was a bit of a nut case. My dog did not like this guy at all, he went off on him and was going to tear him up. ( he never gets upset) But then when this guy come out yelling and having a fit because you didn’t call him ahead of time????? It was not a good thing. He was yelling at us where to park and how to park. I don’t think so. Time to leave. 🙂
So we have to find another source for jars.
Ah, for the love of making candles. 🙂
I have been looking at the Goodwills and have come up with some good finds for 29 cents a jar.
Christie
Oh no, what a pain!! I have seen some at thrift stores too and listed on craigslist as well.
This nut case with the jars was on craiglist in Oregon, so be careful when looking. ; )
Christie
I found these half-pint/9 oz quilted mason jars on Amazon, 12 for $10. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008586UJY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008586UJY&linkCode=as2&tag=fistofcoup-20
I make candles with beef tallow. For wicks I just use cotton string, which I dip into the tallow a few times before pouring, and allow to harden. I use a silicone muffin tray as a mold, and then pop the candles out afterward- no jar required.
How long do they burn and does the tallow liquify completely and keep burning (like an oil lamp), or does it liquify a little at a time and mostly stay solid like a candle?
Hi, for the life of me I can’t figure out, why my candles are sunken in after they have hardened. Any idea why?
As the wax hardens it tends to sink in…it is normal. You can always go back and dribble in additional wax to fill the indentation before trimming your wicks and storing your candles. (This happens with paraffin that is poured over jelly/jam when canning, too.)
Hi, I was just wondering how do you know that these are 50-hour burning candles? I mean, is it because soy wax burns that long, or because of a wick you use, or you just tested it and thats how long that size jar burns, or what…? Thank you!
I tested it out. I let it burn until it was used up and it burned for 50 hours.
Prior question if you can find time. I thought maybe it got lost in the many msgs. Hi, for the life of me I can’t figure out, why my candles are sunken in after they have hardened. Any idea why? Thanks appreciate it
Hmmm…I am not sure! Was there an air bubble maybe that made it sink? Mine didn’t do that so I am not sure.
depending on the brand of soy wax you are using you may have to do a second pour. I use the 646 which has eliminated this step. Air bubbles are due to pouring to fast and not heating it up to temperature before pouring. The one I use has to be heated up to 180 degrees F and then cooled down to 130 before being poured or it will cause them to cave in and have air bubbles. Over stirring will also cause air bubbles. unless you are adding scents or color there really isn’t any reason to even stir the wax. If you are using the type that requires the second pour, only fill the container 2/3 of what you plan on putting in, let it harden then take a knitting needle or something similar and poke holes around the wick. Then heat the wax up a 2nd time only this time going 20 degrees hotter than the first time and then pour. this allows the new wax to melt into the already hardened wax and not leave a tell tale line of the second pour. A lot of these types of questions can be answered at candle science. http://www.candlescience.com
I’ve found that if the candle is in a cool place and/or cools too quickly, it will get that sunken effect.
Wax tends to expand slightly when heated, like metal and water, etc. It usually has a little dip in the center after cooling. I just reserve a little of the wax, then reheat and pour it to fill the centers of my home made candles. Some wax expands more than others, so it depends on the mix you use, too.Filling the depression will keep your wick from burning too low, which melts the wax and can put the flame out, or cause smoking. It also makes it harder to light the second time, as the higher the wall, the more melted wax hardens to cover the wick.Using a wick too narrow for the width of wax can also cause the same problem.
Has anyone tried it with pint jars? Would they burn for twice as long as half pint jars?
Thanks for the detailed tutorial! I love the tip about bending the can, so smart. I was wondering how much essential oil to use?
I did something like this for my wedding this past June. My mom had lots of candle holders so we cleaned them up, melted the wax block my grandparents gave me years ago, and started making the candles. My grandma had even gave me the stubs from the beeswax candles the church used to use. I had ordered the wick and wick holders from a craft store with a coupon, so things were a little cheaper. The candles worked great and we saved lots of money by not having to purchase candles for the reception.
Do you think I could use the Dollar Tree’s Mason Jars with handles that they use as drinking glasses as candle holders like the jars you did?
I would not recommend using the jars from dollar tree. I bought 2 at Christmas time and pored coffee in them one cracked across the bottom. The other one shattered in pieces. Glass and hot coffee went everywhere. I ended up burning my hand and had glass shards on my kitchen floor. The jars are made to look like canning jars but do not hold up.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing Naomi!
Thanks, Naomi. I agree that Dollar Store items would not be the type to use. So sorry that you were hurt. Praying that you have healed completely. 🙂
I buy The Big Box of soy wax from Amazon it’s 50 lb and I think it’s around $22 I use it for bug repellent candles, Scented candles and survival candles I also but the wicks from Amazon as well. It’s really cost-effective because the cost of the products are really cheap and since I’m a Prime member I get shipping for free I also buy mason jars and candle jars at the dollar store sometimes you can find really good deals I have found good jars for 4/$1.00 so can’t beat that. I love making soy wax candles. I also share them with friends.
I’m thinking I’ll use soup cans, and I like the idea of putting a packet of matches with it, so I’ll just tape a packet on the outside of the can. They won’t shatter, and you can reuse them over and over.
Be careful. Just because the jars are made to withstand heat doesn’t mean that they can withstand uneven heat. Use clothes pins instead of aluminum foil to keep your wicks straight and centered. I see a few candles where the wick isn’t centered properly… That’s when you get uneven glass heating and exploding glass candles. If you want to add scents/colorants, buy stuff made specifically for candles. Most things (even oil burner fragrance) will spark and/or clog your wick. While it might be warm and well lit when your house burns down, it’s best not to. 😉
Thanks for the clothespin idea to hold the wicks upright and centered. After reading the instructions, my first thought was that putting aluminum foil over the heated wax may not be a good idea (condensation from the heat = water droplets on top of the wax?).
Be wary of tin cans as some types of solder is very low temperature. As long as the tin can is always used in the double boiler fashion it probably won’t come apart, but…
Back when I was a child we made paraffin candles and sold them. A modification of one of the comments and what I remember from my childhood would be to make the candles the regular way, but in the Silicon Muffin Tins and then when they are basically hard, you heat a second batch of wax in a saucepan and add coloring or not, and you beat it carefully with a manual egg beater.
It will foam up and you use a spatula (kitchen knife) to cover the candles.
Hello, found your site while I was surfing and glad I did. You’ve got a lot of neat ideas in here.
Have you ever used any of those Smoke Eater candles they eliminate the smell of smoke. Well really any odors you want to get rid of for that matter. I was wondering if you have any idea how one can make their own. I think they are a tad expensive in the stores.
Hey email with your ideas. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.
pam
My husband and I prefer to use Olive Oil lamps. We buy the cheapest bulk olive oil we can find. The olive oil doesn’t have to be extra-virgin or cold pressed (since you aren’t eating it), so you can find it very cheap. We get ours at Sams or Costco. The oil burns very slowly, so it also lasts quite a long time. It burns very clean. My favorite part is the safety angle. Unlike a regular candle, if the olive oil lamp is knocked over the oil actually puts the fire out. You can purchase the booklet for under $4 at Lehmans that teaches you all about it. https://www.lehmans.com/p-1422-i-didn-t-know-that-olive-oil-would-burn-booklet.aspx I recommend only buying 1 of the olive oil burning jars from Lehmans, just to see how it is made. They are so simple-that you can easily craft your own. I am curious to try the soy candles still. I’m so glad you shared.
I’ve been making soy candles for years, you can also melt the wax in the microwave on50% power, I use glass 4 cup measuring cups to melt the wax so super easy to pour. I have also used tea cups to make candles in as well, but buy jars online at jarstore.com as well, shipping is expensive so you gotta watch prices.
Just be sure to use a high quality glass measuring cup. I was teaching a class at a friends house and used her glass measuring cup in her microwave… a hole melted in the side of the measuring cup and made a huge mess and then when we took it outside the glass shattered. It was obviously not heat tempered. I had never used anything except Pyrex for this, so it never occurred to me that this might happen!!!
You have inspired me to go make some. Thanks for the info.
Okay, so I figured out the real reason I found your site…tallow. I was actually googling about tallow (and read your lye post and it was all downhill from there.) Anyhow, I’m not saying that keeping bees is a walk in the park, but you could be making beeswax candles that burn cleaner and have a much nicer smell. Oh, and the wax if FREE, honey, saving pollinators, preventing allergies, using bee stings as apitherapy……..
Again, muahahahahahaha!
Sincerely,
Shannon
PS Want to to a long distance project together, compare notes, and blog about it? 😉 kidding
Can baby food jars be reused for this or would they shatter? We go through 3 a day and i think small scented candles would make cute gifts for christmas after decorating the jars and lids.
That is a great Question!!!! I would love to know this! Also, what about other food jars… use and reuse? Perfect timing by the way for me finding your blog article. My family is about to start a business and homemade candles (and hopefully in reused glass containers). Let me know! Thanks!
I haven’t used any myself but from researching online it says that reusing baby food jars are a great storage item for candles. Basically any container that can hold the wax, withstand the heat of the flame and allow the flame to burn will work! Good luck! 🙂
I have used baby food jars for candles for years. Since they are “canning” jars, they are tempered
I recently watched a video where they used candles and terracotta pots to heat a room. (Tried it and it worked) I think this would definitely be a good way to make a light/heat kit and still be a fun money saving activity. Thank you
BTW folks, ESPECIALLY if you live in cold, power loss areas. You can also use this safe wax to make fire starters. Use muffin liners (paper type) and mix the wax with wood shavings/sawdust to a paste. Ladle into the muffin liners and let cool. Make sure you use a old muffin tin to hold them – NOT the one you use for baking. They will keep forever, and great to start a fire in fireplace/wood stove (non-catalytic). Also great for camping… Put on top of wood and light. Wax will drip down and get on the wood to help it get going. If you dont have sawdust, use tightly rolled cardboard.
You can also use dryer lint for fire starters; our scouts used paper egg cartons, wax and lint for theirs.
I see there is also Millard scented soy wax on Amazon and the reviews are good for it also. Same price as the unscented. Has anyone tried it? I am thinking of making some just for daily use so a little scent would be nice. I understand why you’d want unscented if burning continuously.
I didn’t scroll through every comment, but wondering if only soy wax would offer the 50 hour candle time? I’ve heard not so good thing about soy candles and wanted to ask. Thanks!
Luckily, I haven’t had an emergency where I have needed to use them the whole 50 hours yet! But from how I have used them and how long they have burned I would imagine that they would go the distance! 🙂
I wouldn’t use glass at all – just reuse tin cans. If they drop, no shatter, no cleanup – pick ’em up off the floor and resume life. I wouldn’t leave the candles in the garage as they’ll melt in the summer heat. Another thought – why not use old olive, chicken fat, or beef tallow instead of buying soy?
We have a glassware outlet here . They sell discontinued candle jars with lids for .99 each . Another thought , is the soy wax non gmo? I have also heard if using non gmo palm oil to make candles .
Let me caution you of one important thing not mentioned: Soy wax has a low flash point. Get a cheap candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. Try to keep the wax to 170 degrees. If it goes over 200 it can flash over and self ignite. Pour the candles at 150 degrees.
Now a bit of advice: instead of using tin foil to center and hold the wicks use a spring style clothes pin. Thread the wick through the center spring hole and allow the wood to firmly contact the jar lid. Then pull taught on the wick and clip it into the jaws. You can then see if it is centered. Make your adjustments while it is still liquid. If you move the wick around as it is solidifying you will create a tunnel and the candle will not burn right.
Then in about 8-10 hours you can cut the wick. Then you just pull out the wick from the clothes pin.
Caution: do not fill it to the rim. If you do so the wax will melt and pour out of the container.
I make natural soy candles for a living. If you have any questions please ask. I will be glad to help you.
Great info–thanks!
Hi, another poster commented about “better have insurance if you plan on selling these in case someone’s house burns down”. I, too have thought of making and selling these as a small way to increase income for things like Christmas, etc. Was wondering if you bought insurance to protect yourself, or is it really necessary? I plan to see an attorney just to be safe, but thought I’d get your input as well. Thank you.
how do you print the instructions
Is there anything that you can add to it for color I am thinking of making these for my wedding for in the centerpieces and I was wanting to make them pink
Awesome…my first time making survival candle and it work…now i will make more…
I made these tonight! So easy and inexpensive. Will be great Christmas gifts!
What size wick did you use? I’m hoping to buy a spool and tabs so that I can adjust the length for whatever size container I am using at the time.
Hi… HELP PLEASE! I’m considering making my own soy candles and am wondering how I infuse my own ingredients? For instance if I wanted to make apple and mint how do I go about doing this? I know he answer is probably very simple but water and oil don’t mix and I wonder how you get the scent into the wax! TIA 🙂
I used essential oils to add a scent into some of my soy candles. I would suggest picking an oil or mixing a couple flavors and then adding it in! If you need help buying them here is a link to get you started!
https://happymoneysaver.com/purchase-doterra-essential-oils/
Question: What makes a candle “long-burning”? I’ve purchase or made many candles over the years. Some burn very quickly while others, of the same size, seems to last forever. Is it an issue of the wax density? If so, how does one make that determination?
Hey, I use to work at a store that poured candles. A quick tip: use rods or rod like objects like pencils or pens to wrap your wick around on top of the poured candle to stable the wick. It will save you the aluminum foil. 🙂
I was ordering supplies for the emergency candle making project and noticed that there are three different sizes for the wicks, all 6″ in length….small, medium and large. Which ones did you use?
I just made my first one (well a half of one for a starter!) But I ordered all of my stuff off of Bulkapothecary.com. For this first one I used rose petals from my garden, and essential pure rose oil. My kitchen smells so good!! Thank you so much for posting all about this!
Yum! I bet it does smell good! 🙂
Kelle,
How did you use the rose petals? I’d love to try this!
We made the 50 hour soy candles at our senior center here in Greensburg, Kansas. They were awesome, and east thanks to your instructions, and the comments were helpful as well. Thanks a bunch!!
So glad they worked out!
If you add grapefruit oil and vanilla you will get a candle that will get rid of all sorts of nasty smells in your house from animal to cigarette to BO (when electricity is out you don’t get to bathe as often because of lack of hot water) I know from experience after weeks of no electricity after Hurricane Wilma. You will thank me for this tip.
I had a zillion jars around here because my county does NOT recycle them, so they end up in the landfill if you throw them out! I know, not too smart on their part in my opinion!!! So a lot of my jars are being used for candles now.
Anyway, these could make wonderful gifts or add one to a basket for a house warming gift too. Nothing like sharing items that are perfect for an emergency 🙂
Thank You Karrie for all the great directions!! Our power goes out too often and we will use these for sure!
Buffy
it says 50 hours, is that each or the hole batch burning them 1 at a time?
Each candle burns about 50 hours!
This is so late to the thread but I just used up my paddywax soy candle which cost me £15-16 and as much as I loved it, was I grudging having to pay it again. This is perfect, I’m going to use lemongrass and verbena essential oil and hopefully it’ll smell as good 🙂
Thank you for all the creative ideas, I am now obsessed with this blog!
xox
How hot do candles get I want mine to heat up a little green house 6 ft wide x 2 ft deep and only 2 ft high.
What step do I add the essential oils?
I added in some essential oils into the individual jars before adding in the wicks. That way I could control how many candles I added them to. 🙂
Silly question, but what is a #10 can?
You have probably seen a #10 can before but it is usually not labeled. They look like metal cans of coffee that you might see at your local grocery stores or if you ever seen food stored in bulk it usually is in one of those cans. It is about 5 times as large as a metal soup can and holds more food for a longer amount of time.
My question is, How do you get the wick to burn the whole time down and not fall in and not get the whole use of the candle. For some reason mine are not burning the whole wick down & I can’t figure it out. Please email me your answer.
I usually cut the wick if it’s too long so it stays straight/not bending. It seems to always burn all the way down for me this way. Thanks for the question.
Just a side-note: whenever I buy candles (from tea lights to fancy dining room tapers to basic power-out candles) I freeze them for four hours or more. Overnight works well.
They then burn twice as long. (I have never burned them frozen, they might then burn even longer-or not at all!)
I tried an experiment with my fancy tapers, and burned them at dinner after having frozen one pair (actually, I had forgotten about the little experiment until I burned them!) the difference was drastic to say the least.
It’s worth making space in the freezer overnight.
I see in your recipe that you stated you used 2.5 lbs of the 5lbs in the bag, for 13 pint-sized jars.
Is what you stated right, and that you had extra wax left over? Or did you use all the wax for 13 pint-sized jars?
The 5 lbs of soy wax will fill 13 half-pint sized glass canning jars. I used only half of the wax at a time so it wasn’t filled too full.
I just saw this and love the idea. Out of curiosity, how long do they take to cool? I was thinking about making these at a church activity and I was just wondering if I would have time for them.
a few hours 🙂
Thank you for this awesome tutorial! I followed your instructions and just finished making 26 survival candles! Final cost for me was about $1.50 each, which is much cheaper than any others I’ve seen for sale. We’re a prepper family so this was a fun weekend project for us. : )
How awesome!
I just finished burning one of my candles and I only got 35 hours of burn time. I didn’t burn it continuously, through, just for a good part of the day for a few days. I wonder why mine burned faster. I had the same jars, wax, and wicks. Do you think it was because I didn’t burn it continuously? Or maybe because it’s the hottest part of summer? I’m not a very experienced candle person so I’m not sure!
Sorry, I am not sure why you only got 35 hours from your candle. Next time you burn another one let me know how it does.
If you were to use Beeswax in place of Soy would the burn time be about the same? Thank you so much!
I am not sure because I am not tried it before. Anybody else tried it?
When you burn the candles to they smoke?
I didn’t notice any real smoke except maybe when lighting and snuffing it out.
Thanks for the detailed candle article and instructions! Where else can we sell our candles other than Etsy?
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I am making my candles today as my “Survival Saturday” project! I ordered from Amazon as you recommended and so far I am having fun! Thanks again for making it so hassle free!
The soy wax link you provided is now selling it for $29.99, not 12.99. FYI
at what point do you add the essential oil and how much?
I love the idea of 50hr candles. I’ve seen similar ones made with Crisco (or generic shortening).
I also like the tip of taping the matches right to the holder. If you have stick matches you can dip them in wax to make them waterproof.