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Oooooooooh, I have just made candles with 10% oils and they really are as good as Diptyque/Jo Malone

444 replies

LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:21

First time I've ever made candles and I wanted really smelly ones as I like dead posh ones

I made Amber and Lavender (my fave Jo Malone fragrance) and Lime and Fig.

I used soy wax so environmentally friendly and no paraffin and bought tea cups from charity shops so no waste, the ones I've made are actually giant french pottery cups that I got today.

The french cups worked out at £5.40 each as none of the stuff I bought was cheap. Not cheap as chips and if you used paraffin and cheap oils you could make it a lot cheaper. But one heck of a lot cheaper than posh candles.

Dead chuffed me and my home smells lovely.

I have another 15 oils to try - guess what everyone is getting for Christmas this year

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littlelamb · 10/07/2009 17:23

Oooo tell me how you made them

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expatinscotland · 10/07/2009 17:23

Oh coolness!

PLEASE tell us the exact proportions you used. That sounds heavenly!

Where did you get the wicks and wax?

Was it online?

Please, share with the class!

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Scorps · 10/07/2009 17:23

Don't suppose you want to sell any? I was going to buy a posh expensive candle.

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claricebeansmum · 10/07/2009 17:30

Please share!

Any chance of some very simple instructions...

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chevre · 10/07/2009 17:33

where did you buy your stuff? i have some charity tea cups set aside for this exact purpose.

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:33

Happily - I'm literally bouncing off the walls with excitement



I got the soy wax from here

the wicks and coloured chips for dying the candles (not done that yet, really like the creamy soy colour) here

and some of the oils (US ones) from here
I also used some essential oils as I want them to have aromatherapy qualities too.

I shopped around for about 4 hours to get the cheapest and I think this was as cheap as possible for the soy.

Can I also say that I ordered in the morning and everything was here the next day so fantastic service from all these people.

I put water in the teacups and heated them in the microwave and then dried thoroughly so that the sides were warm and it makes the candle wax stick properly.

I heated the wax in a double pan (first pan had water in it). No water must get in the soy! so that's why its carefully done in a double boiler. Melting point of soy is about 47 so very safe to make.

Added a capful of each flavour of oil at the very last minute and just before pouring so that it couldn't evaporate or be 'used' in the air.

I stuck the premade wick to the bottom of the warmed teacup with a glue dot.

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expatinscotland · 10/07/2009 17:34

you are a domestic goddess. that is too cool. bet they look wonderful. how are they burning? in other words, do they smell like the posh ones when they actually burn?

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bumpybecky · 10/07/2009 17:35

have you taken any piccies? would love to see them - they sound fantastic

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FigmentOfYourImagination · 10/07/2009 17:38

Somebody watched Kirstie's Homemade Home

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JetLi · 10/07/2009 17:39

Sounds lovely - the 10% thing - is that the essential oil dilution before you added it o the wax please?
TIA

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ilovemydogandmrobama · 10/07/2009 17:41

Amazing. Wouldn't think to make own candles.

Where did you get the french cups? (couldn't find it on your link) Thanks so much for all the info!!!

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:43

Yes, most scented candles are a miserly 3% - Diptyque, Jo Malone, Yankee are 7-8%.

I've made mine 10 for serious smell.

Trying to upload a pic.

back in a mo.

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ThePhantomPlopper · 10/07/2009 17:43

Post a pic!

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ThePhantomPlopper · 10/07/2009 17:43

Gah x posts!

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Scorps · 10/07/2009 17:45

i want a lavender and amber one!

I would love to be able to make some; sadly i am rather crap at anything you have to make yourself!

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:46

pic on profile

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FigmentOfYourImagination · 10/07/2009 17:48

Very pretty

Presumably you can reuse the cups when the candle has burnt down?

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ThePhantomPlopper · 10/07/2009 17:48

They are great!

How much wax do you need?

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bumpybecky · 10/07/2009 17:50

oooh very pretty

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:51

Expat - I lit one about 15 minutes ago and the whole house smells amazing - honestly as good as a very posh candle. I bought 30ml sizes of fragrance oils from that site I linked to and used 5ml of Amber, 5ml of Lavender, plus about 20 drops of very high quality lavender essential oil, 20 drops of sandalwood too.

Fragrance oils and essential oils are different according to all that I've read. You get a nice smell from fragrance oils which evokes parts of the brain (nearly all candles are fragrance candles) but essential oils candles have aromatherapy benefits which is why I added some essential oils.

Ilovemydog - I just picked up the cups in charity shops today

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JetLi · 10/07/2009 17:53

Oooh lovely!! That looks fab!

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chevre · 10/07/2009 17:54

just told dh about thsi.. and he said 'did she actually do it or watch someone else do it and pass it off as her own' á la kirsty's not so homemade home

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 17:54

I bought 5kg of wax for £24.35 from that candelights site (that includes the 9 quid courier charge).

It's a very large cup - my measuring jug said I used 400 millilitres.

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JetLi · 10/07/2009 17:58

Wonder if the microwave would work instead of the double boiler? Just a thought. Could then use a cheapo glass jug just for candle making.

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LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2009 18:00

I used a plastic jug and it washed fine, probably because the soy has such a low melting temperature and it was just a bit of hot water and washing up liquid.

the problem with using a microwave is it could catch fire in there - I would never do it with cheap paraffin wax.

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