The question I am asked most, more than anything about scent or colour, is where we buy our wax. People message us after a workshop, or after seeing a candle on Instagram, and they all want the same thing. A list of what to buy, and a way to know they are buying the right thing.

So here it is. This is what you actually need to start making candles at home in Pakistan, in the order you should think about it.

Wax: choose it for what you are making

The wax decides most of the candle. Pick it by the kind of candle you want to make, not by what is cheapest that week.

Soy wax is for jar and glass candles. It burns slowly and cleanly and holds fragrance well. It is soft, so it will not stand up as a pillar.
Paraffin wax is for pillars, shapes and moulded candles. It is firm, it takes colour brightly, and it throws scent strongly.
Gel wax is clear. People use it for decorative candles where you can see things set inside the jar.
Beeswax is natural and has its own light honey smell. It burns for a long time. It costs more, and it does not carry added fragrance as well as the others.
Stearic acid is not a wax on its own. You add a little to paraffin to make it harder and whiter, which is what you want for moulds and pillars.

My advice for the first month is boring, but it works. Buy a small quantity of one wax and learn it properly. Most beginners buy four kinds of wax and learn none of them.

Wicks: the part everyone gets wrong

Almost every failed candle I am shown is a wick problem, not a wax problem.

If the wick is too small, the candle burns straight down the middle and leaves a wall of wax around the side. That is tunnelling, and it wastes half the candle. If the wick is too big, the flame is tall, the glass gets hot, and you get smoke and black marks.

The right size depends on two things: how wide your jar is, and which wax you are using. Soy needs a slightly bigger wick than paraffin in the same jar, because it melts at a lower temperature and spreads more slowly.

Cotton is the normal choice here. You can buy wicks ready made with the metal base attached, or on a roll and cut them yourself, which works out better once you are making in quantity.

When you buy, tell the seller your jar width and your wax. If they cannot answer, buy somewhere else.

Fragrance: buy the right kind, then use it properly

Use fragrance oil made for candles. Perfume, attar, and the oils sold for diffusers are not the same thing. They will either separate in the wax or burn off the moment you light it.

Two things matter after that. Add the fragrance at the temperature written on the bottle, because too hot and the scent simply disappears. And then leave the candle alone for a few days before you burn it. That waiting time is what lets the scent settle into the wax. Nearly everyone skips it, and then thinks the fragrance was weak.

Colour: dye, not food colour

Use oil based candle dye. Food colouring is water based, so it will not mix into wax. It sinks to the bottom and sits there in little dots.

Very little dye goes a long way. Melted wax always looks darker than the finished candle, so add less than you think, and let a spoonful set on a plate before you judge the colour.

The tools that actually matter

You do not need a full studio to begin.

A weighing scale and a thermometer. These two are not optional. Candle making is measuring, and guessing is how you waste wax.
A heat gun to smooth the top of a set candle and fix the small dips that form as it cools.
A glue gun to fix the wick to the bottom of the jar so it does not move while you pour.
A melting pot, or a steel jug you can stand inside a pan of hot water, and a spatula.

You can start without a heat gun. You cannot start without a scale and a thermometer.

Jars, tins and moulds

Glass jars must be made for heat. An ordinary drinking glass can crack once the candle burns down and the flame sits close to the base. Buy jars sold for candles.

Tins are the safer choice if you are posting candles or handing them out at an event, because they close and they do not break in a bag.

Moulds are for shaped candles, and this is where the wax choice comes back. A soft soy candle will not come out of a mould in one piece. Use paraffin with stearic acid.

Buying supplies in Pakistan

Most beginners here start with whatever the local market has, and the usual problem is that nothing is labelled. Wax is sold as just wax, with no type written on it, so you cannot repeat a result you liked.

Three things to check with any seller. Does the packet say which wax it is. Can they tell you a wick size for your jar. Will they sell you a small quantity first, so you can test before you commit.

We supply raw materials ourselves, in the sizes a home maker actually needs rather than in bulk only. You can see everything we keep on our candle making supplies page. If you are not sure what to buy for the candle you have in mind, ask us. We will tell you either way, even if you end up buying it elsewhere.

Common questions

Which wax should a beginner start with?

Soy, if you want to make jar candles. Paraffin, if you want pillars or moulded shapes. Start with one, not both.

Can I use ordinary wax from the market?

You can, but you will not know what you are working with. If the wax is not labelled with a type, you cannot look up its melting point or the right wick for it, and you cannot make the same candle twice.

Why does my candle burn down the middle and leave wax on the sides?

The wick is too small for the jar, or the first burn was too short. Let a new candle burn until the melted wax reaches the edge before you put it out.

Do you send supplies outside Lahore?

Yes, we send across Pakistan. Message us with what you need and we will confirm what is in stock and what the delivery will cost.

If you would rather be shown than told

Reading about wick sizes is not the same as watching wax behave. Our candle making course covers all of this with the materials in front of you.

To ask about any supply, message us on WhatsApp at 0300-122-1260 and tell us what you are making.