Few would argue that candles help to transform a house into a home. Their warmth and beauty, combined with their wonderful fragrances, add a personal touch that can help you relax at the end of the day, create an intimate setting for a dinner party, or pave the way for a romantic evening. Candles also make the perfect gift, and ensure that the recipient will think of you whenever she lights them. But while shopping for candles is enjoyable, making your own candles can be truly rewarding. You'll not only have candles for your own home and to give as gifts, but you may even decide to start your own business and sell candles for a profit.

Start with a Kit

Making candles is easier than you'd think, providing you start with the right candlemaking supplies. If you're a beginner, or if you want to give a great gift to someone you think would enjoy making candles, you can purchase candle making starter kits that will guide you, step-by-step, through the process. A typical kit might contain 11 pounds of wax, a wax cutter, a pouring pot, a thermometer, a wooden spoon, measuring tools, a color wheel, wicks and wick stickers, jelly jars, and a light stabilizer and absorber. The best kits will also include your choice of up to five different fragrance oils and three liquid dye colors.

Choosing Your Wax

The best sources of candle making supplies in Texas will not only sell you products, but will also provide you with a wealth of information about candles and candle making. For example, the type of wax you use depends upon the kind of candles you are interested in crafting. A paraffin wax works exceptionally well for containers. The right custom blended paraffin waxes can hold up to 12 percent fragrance load per pound. Similarly, soy-based wax blends can produce beautiful container candles with a creamy appearance - without the need for curing.

Pure soy flake wax can be used for container candles, candle tins, and tealights, while granulated beads of palm wax works well for votive and pillar candles. Beeswax pellets can be added to soy and paraffin waxes to add an elegant appearance.

Candle Additives

Although all candles are beautiful, adding colors and fragrances to your candles are a way to express your creativity and give them your special signature. The best - and least expensive - place to buy dyes and scents is through an online provider of Texas wholesale candle making supplies. Such a supplier will have a huge variety of fragrances - everything from food and beverage scents to fruit scents to imitations of name brand scents. Likewise, the supplier should have around two dozen different dyes that you can add to your candles, along with a color wheel to help you mix hues, tints, and tones. When selecting candle dyes, make sure to choose those that have a flash point greater than 300 degrees Fahrenheit, that are eco-friendly, and that are compatible with soy, palm paraffin, and blended waxes.

If you love candles, the chances are good that you'll love candlemaking. Once you find Texas wholesale candle making supplies, you'll be well on your way to creating your own signature candles and adding a warm glow to your home and the homes of your friends and loved ones.