How to Make Wax Chunks Candles
Candle Making Tutorial

Chunk candles have a special charm all their own. To make them, you need chunks. You can buy or you can make your own. When you make your own wax chunks, you have total control over the color, the size, and even the fragrance of your wax chunks. Making your own wax chunks easy and it’s fun, so get your supplies together and follow these instructions to make your own custom wax chunks!

What You Will Need - Supplies

· A cookie sheet or cake pan

·

·

· (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 Pan

Spray the inside of your cookie sheet or cake pan with a thin coat of . 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 .

Melt Your 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.)

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 wax chunks you desire. Each of our colors 1 lb of . Use more or less for lighter or darker colored candles. Drop a (or part of a ) into the melted wax, and until the is entirely dissolved into the liquid .

Adding Fragrance

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

So 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 wax chunks. Add the candle to the melted in the melting pot, and thoroughly to get even distribution of the .

Pour the Wax

Pour the 190 degree F into you cookie sheet or cake pan. The depth to which you pour depends on how big you would like your wax chunks to be. For small wax chunks, pour only ½ inch. For larger chunks, pour the to 1” deep in the pan.

For small chunks, pour about ½ inch if wax into the pan.

For large chunks, pour about 1” of wax into the pan.

Setting Wax

Let the pan cool undisturbed until the is warm and pliable, but no longer runny. The time it takes your to cool to this state depends on the depth of the in the pan. Keep an eye on it, because if you wait too long, the will cool and harden, making the next step ( the ) difficult or impossible.

When wax is soft and pliable, still warm, but no longer runny, it is ready to cut.

Cutting Wax Chunks

Using a , the in the pan into squares. Make big squares for bigger wax chunks, smaller squares for smaller wax chunks. Different sizes and shapes add interest to your candles, so feel free to get creative and experiment.

Cooling Wax Chunks

When you have finished the in the pan to your desired size of chunks, let it sit undisturbed again, until the cools and hardens. When it is hard, tip the out of the pan. If the pieces are stuck together, you can break them apart with your hands.

When all your chunks are broken apart, let the cool and harden completely.

Finished Wax Chunks

Now you have finished wax chunks for use in your candles! For instructions on using your wax chunks in a pillar candle, see our instructions for making Chunk Pillar Candles.