How to Make a Pillar Candle

Making Pillar Candles

Pillar candles are classic, beautiful ways to light up your home and make it smell fresh. Pillar candle molds come in all different shapes and sizes, so no matter what your taste, you will find a mold you love! Making a pillar candle is easy, as long as you have the right tools, and a little bit of patience. In the following, you will find directions to make a basic pillar candle, but once you have that down, there are many possiblities to explore to make your candle unique!

What You Will Need:

- Pillar candle wax

- Pillar candle mold

- Double boiler with pouring pot

- Correct sized wick, wick screw, and wick rod (a wooden skewer or knitting needle works fine)

- Mold sealer putty

- Fragrance or color (optional)

- Thermometer

- Paper towels in case of a spill

- A cover for your work space (newspaper works well)

Getting Started:

Start by melting your wax in the double boiler. If you need more detailed wax melting instructions, please refer to our wax melting tutorial. While your wax is melting, get out your pillar mold, wick, screw and rod, and mold sealer putty.

Take your wick and thread through the hole at the base of the pillar mold, leaving about 1 - 1.5 inches hanging out at the base. At the top of the mold, tie the other end of your wick to your wick rod. The wick rod should then rest against the top of the mold. This is what helps to keep the wick steady and centered as you pour your wax and let it cool.

With your wick tied at the top, go back to the base of your mold and tug lightly on the end of the wick to make the wick taut inside the mold. Use caution against pulling too tightly. You do not want to damage your mold, you are only making the wick straight. With the wick pulled taut, gently screw your wick screw into the hole at the base and tighten gently with a screwdriver. Again, take care not to tighten too much. This is only to prevent the wick from sliding back into the hole.

Once you have inserted your screw and tightened it, take your mold sealer putty and apply it to the base of your mold over the screw and hole. This is to prevent any hot wax from seeping out. Press firmly to be sure there are no openings. There, now that part is finished! Rest your pillar on its base, and you will be ready to pour your candle

Pouring Your Pillar Candle

Once you have your mold and wick prepared, your wax should be pretty close to being the right temperature. A good pouring temperature for pillar candles is usually around 180*F. A good idea is to check with your wax supplier and ask what their recommended pouring temperature is. Every kind of wax is a little different. What works well for one person may not work as well for the next.

When your wax has reached the desired temperature, remove from heat and add color if you are using it. The last thing to add is always fragrance, because with high heats, it can lose its potency. Always add your fragrance right before you pour. A good amount to add is approximately one ounce of fragrance oil per pound of wax. You can use a little more or a little less to make it stronger or weaker.

After you add your fragrance, you are ready to pour! Slowly and steadily pour your hot wax into the pillar candle mold, filling your mold to 1/2 inch from the top.

Note: Be sure to leave some wax in your pot for your second pour!

Once you have poured your candle, it will start cooling. When your pillar candle develops a thick skin at the top, take a skewer or some other similar tool and poke relief holes in your candle. This is done by poking your skewer through the top close to the wick, and inserting until it reaches approximately 1/2 inch from the base. This allows air bubbles that may have formed to escape, and it also prevents warping as your candle cools (wax contracts as it cools). A good start is usually about 3-4 relief holes, but it doesn't have to be exact. While your candle cools, you may need to poke through these holes again from time to time, to make sure they stay open and ventilated.

After your pillar candle cools completely to room temperature, it is time for your second pour! Depending on the size, this can take a few hours up to a whole day! Reheat your leftover wax in your double boiler, until it is about 5-10 degrees hotter than your first pour. This helps the wax bind better. For example, if you made your first pour when the wax was 180*F, you want to reheat your wax to 185-190*F to repour. Once your wax is heated, slowly pour into your relief holes and over the top until it reaches the same level as your first pour. This will give the candle an even and smooth appearance on top. Take care not to pour to a higher level than your original pour, this can cause unattractive lines in the finished candle.

After you have finished pouring, allow the candle to cool completely. Once it is cool to the touch, it is time to remove it from the mold. At the base of your pillar candle mold, remove the mold sealer putty and wick screw. Once these are removed, you should be able to grip the skewer at the top and easily remove your candle. If it does not slide out easily, try putting it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and trying again. Do not try to force your candle out of the mold, it can become damaged or warped, or even damage the mold.

When your candle is removed, trim the extra wick off at the base of your pillar candle. At the top, trim your wick to a quarter inch. Your candle is now ready to burn! Make sure that you have a suitable pillar candle holder to burn it on. Never leave a burning candle unattended.