Making Wax Chunks to Make Chunk Candles

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Adding Dye

After the wax is entirely melted and at about 190 degrees F, add your candle dye to create the color of wax chunks you desire. Each of our diamond shaped dye chips colors 1 lb of wax. Use more or less candle dye for lighter or darker colored candles. Drop a dye chip (or part of a dye chip) into the melted wax, and stir until the dye chip is entirely dissolved into the liquid wax.

Adding Fragrance

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

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

Pour the Wax

Pour the 190 degree F wax 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 1/2 inch. For larger chunks, pour the wax to 1 inch deep in the pan.

For small chunks, pour about 1/2 inch of wax into the pan.

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

Setting Wax

Let the pan cool undisturbed until the wax is warm and pliable, but no longer runny. The time it takes your wax to cool to this state depends on the depth of the wax in the pan. Keep an eye on it, because if you wait too long, the wax will cool and harden, making the next step (cutting the wax) 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 craft knife, cut the wax 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 cutting the wax in the pan to your desired size of chunks, let it sit undisturbed again, until the wax cools and hardens. When it is hard, tip the wax 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 wax 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.