Guides / Candle history and craft
Candle history and craft
Where candles came from, how they are made today, the main candle types and why a fresh candle needs to cure.
For thousands of years candles were a practical light source. Today they are about mood and fragrance. This section follows that journey from animal fat to soy wax and explains the craft behind a well-made candle.
CraftA short history of candlesFrom rushlights dipped in animal fat to whale-oil candles, paraffin and modern soy wax, here is how candles went from a daily necessity to a small luxury for mood and scent.CraftCandle types explainedContainer candles, pillars, tapers, votives, tealights, wax melts, multi-wick and wooden-wick candles compared, with what each one is best for and how to burn it.CraftCuring and fragrance loadWhy a freshly poured candle can smell weaker than one that has rested, how long different waxes need to cure, and what fragrance load means for scent, safety and burn quality.CraftHow candles are madeA step-by-step look at how a container candle is made, from choosing wax and wick to adding fragrance, pouring, cooling and curing, plus how pillars, tapers and dipped candles differ.