Making Chunk Pillar Candles
Candle Making Tutorial

Chunk candles are easy and fun to make, and tend to take less time than solid pillar candles. They have a rustic charm, and make great accent pieces and gifts. Chunk candles can really bring out your creativity. Before you get started, consider making your own wax chunks. To learn how to make your own wax chunks, visit our reference section on How To Make Wax Chunks.

What You Will Need - Supplies

· (either store bought or home made wax chunks)

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·

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· wick or wick

· (optional)

· or old Sauce Pan to create a double boiler

· or with pour spout

· , chopsticks, or something else to stir the wax

·

·

· (optional)

· (optional)

Also a good idea to have around:

· Paper towels

· Windex (Window cleaner)

· Aluminum Foil

· Newspaper, butcher paper, or scrap paper to cover work surfaces

· Fire Extinguisher (just in case)

How to Set Up Your Work Area

1. Put down newspaper or butcher paper on tables and countertops to catch spills and for easy cleanup.
2. Have paper towels and Windex on hand for cleaning stovetops.
3. Wrap stove burner bowls in tin foil to catch drips of , and for easy cleanup afterwards.

Prep Your Mold

Inspect your to ensure that there is no residual on the inside surfaces or seams of your mold. If there is, remove it.

Spray the inside of your mold with . To do this, either follow the directions on the can, or hold the nozzle 8 to 10 inches from your and release the spray in short bursts. I little goes a long way with .

Wicking your Mold

Use a to wick your (for instruction on how to use a , click HERE. If your does not have a wick hole in the bottom of the , use a tabbed wick (for instructions on how to tab a wick click HERE)

Fill Mold with Wax Chunks

Fill your with . You can place them carefully using or chopstick to position them, or you can drop them in sloppily for a random look. You can fill the half way, so only the bottom half of your candle has chunks in it, or you can fill the all the way to the top, so that are sticking out of the top of your finished candle. You can get really creative with the placement of your wax chunks, the mix of colors you use, and the shape of your wax chunks. For instructions on making your own custom wax chunks click HERE.

Melt Your Fill Wax

You will need either a or deep sauce pan, and you will also need a . These two items create a double boiler to melt your .

Fill the bottom part of your double boiler (the or the deep sauce pan) with about two inches of cool water, and place on the burner set to high temperature.

Place pieces of to be melted into the , set the in the water, and attend to it as the liquefies. (When the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium low or low.)

This is the you are going to use to fill in the candle around your wax chunks. You can scent or color your , or both, or you can leave it white and unscented. This is another area where you can get creative. You can also experiment with and that are different fragrances.

If you have a large block of and need instructions on how to safely break it into smaller pieces, please visit our section on How To Break Up Wax Blocks

When the is entirely liquid (i.e., when there are no solid chunks any longer in the pot) you have successfully melted the .

Our melts at about . The will continue to grow hotter as it remains in the double boiler. Continue to heat the until it reaches .

Adding Dye

After the is entirely melted and at about , add your to create the color of you desire. Each of our colors 1 lb of . Use more or less for lighter or darker colored . Drop a (or part of a ) into the melted , and until the is entirely dissolved into the liquid .

Adding Fragrance

You can also add to your . Adding is the last thing you do before you pour your into your . This is because the potency of the can be reduced if subjected to high heat for too long.

After the is entirely melted, and after you have added your , you may add your . The standard ratio for our is one ounce of per 1 lb of . Use more or less for lighter or heavier scented . Add the candle to the melted in the melting pot, and thoroughly to get even distribution of the .

Fill Wax Pouring Temperature

The pouring of the determines the final effect of your chunk candle. To get the to really blend in with the , heat the to or more (this is an advanced technique, and requires caution). To give your chunk pillar candles the look of well defined chunks, heat the to between .

Pour the Fill Wax

When your has reached the desired (I recommend 190 degrees for beginners), pour it into the wax-chunk-filled .

To get the effect of poking out of the top of your finished candle, pour the so that it only partially covers the at the top of your .

To get this effect, stop pouring fill wax before it covers top layer of chunks.

Setting the Chunk Candle

Now let your candle sit undisturbed until it cools completely. This may take a few hours. You will know that your candle is completely cool when the surface of the mold is cool to the touch, not warm. You will also, most likely, notice the candle separating from the edge of the mold. This is a good sign.

Chunk candles do not usually require relief holes or a second pour, as the cool limit the shrinkage of the . The exception to this is if you are going for a chunk candle look where the top portion of the candle is . Even in this scenario, you should not need to poke relief holes. The wax may shrink enough for you to need to make a 2nd pour to fill the indentation around the wick. If you are making one of these candles, be sure to save some for the 2nd pour.

Top of candle is all fill wax and this candle requires a 2nd pour.

Remove Candle from Mold

When your candle has cooled completely, you can remove it from the . To do this, remove the (for instructions on how to remove click HERE). When your candle is free at both ends, turn the mold upside down and gently tug on the at the top of the candle. (For illustrations of this, see our instructions on making Basic Pillar Candles)

If the candle does not come out of the mold, you may want to allow it to cool longer. Some people like to put the mold in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. If the candle still will not come out of the mold, submerge the entire mold and candle in a bucket of warm water. The water will seep in and release the candle from the mold.

Trim the Wicks

When your candle is out of the mold, cut the at the bottom of the candle off, so that it is flush with the bottom surface of the candle. Trim the at the top of the candle to ¼”.

Finished Chunk Pillars

Chunk pillars have a special rustic charm. Experiment with different colors, chunk sizes, and fragrances to come up with your own favorite chunk pillar recipe.

Finish Notes:

· For instructions on removing the mold seams from your pillar candles, see our reference section on Removing Seams from Candles

· The candles made with these instructions have a natural mottled effect, quite a popular finish for candles. If you desire a solid finish (with no mottling), see our advanced pillar instructions, which include instructions on how to use certain chemicals which prevent mottling.

· For instructions on leveling your candles (in the event that they came out tilted for some reason) please see our reference section on Candle Leveling

Caution:

· Never pour liquid wax down a drain. It will solidify in the pipes and cause a serious clog.

· Pillar candles should be burned in approved

· Never leave a burning candle unattended.