Free answer · Candle Making
Why is my candle tunneling?
The wick is usually too small for the container, so the melt pool never reaches the edges. Short burns make it worse.
The Big Book series · by Nigar Rustamova
The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles
For a Delectable, Aromatic & Cozy Home
Waxes, wicks and pour temperatures first — then cakes, cocktails, botanicals and a full perfumery section.
Coconut, soy and beeswax compared. Wick sizing and testing, fragrance load, dyes and exact temperatures, then ten dessert-candle projects and seven chapters on perfume and home fragrance.
10,000+ students have taken the author’s courses in natural cosmetics and home fragrance
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$29.99 102 pages · PDF · English
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What's inside
A practical guide to dessert-inspired candles from natural waxes: cakes, cupcakes, cocktails topped with piped whipped cream, and sculpted botanical pillars. It begins with the essentials — coconut, soy and beeswax, container versus mold wax, wick testing, dyes, gel and exact temperatures — then moves through ten projects and closes with a perfumery section covering essential oil notes, oil-based perfume, car perfume and massage candles.
What you'll learn
- Choose between container and mold wax, and coconut, soy and beeswax
- Size and test wicks for a clean, even burn
- Control fragrance load and temperatures
- Color wax correctly with dyes, mica and natural colorants
- Work with candle gel
- Prevent and fix wet spots, uneven tops and tunneling
- Pipe whipped wax and build layered dessert candles
- Blend essential oils by note and make oil-based perfume
What every formula gives you
- Coconut, soy and beeswax compared by melt point and behaviour
- Wick sizing and a repeatable wick-testing procedure
- Exact melt and pour temperatures per wax
- Fragrance load limits and how to stay under them
- Fixes for wet spots, uneven tops and tunneling
- A full perfumery section: notes, oil-based perfume, diffusers
15 formulas, chapter by chapter
The complete table of contents.
Foundations
- About the Author
- Safety Rules
- Necessary Tools
Basics of Candle Making
- Coconut Wax
- White Beeswax
- Soy Wax
- Why Are Different Waxes Needed for Container and Mold Candles?
- Uneven Top After Pouring a Candle?
- “Wet Spots” / Candle Adhesion
- Reminder: Preventing Wet Spots
- How to Burn a Candle Correctly
- Which Wick Is Best?
- Wick Testing
- How to Attach a Candle Wick to a Jar or Glass?
- Wax Dyes
- Organic / Natural Candle Dyes
- Inorganic Candle Dyes
- Using Candle Dyes
- Gel Candles
Natural Waxes
- Natural Waxes
- Animal Waxes — Beeswax
- Lanolin
- Spermaceti
- Plant Waxes
- Examples of Plant Waxes
Dessert candle projects
- Decorative Container Candle
- Cocktail Candle
- Cake Candle
- “Whipped Cream” Candle
- “Fluffy Cupcakes” Candle
- “Sponge Cake with Teddy Bear and Strawberry”
- Additional “Cake Crumb” Decoration
- Cocktail Candle with Airy Foam
- Botanical Dried-Flower Candle (Sculpted)
- Gel Candle Combined with Coconut Wax
Perfumery & Aroma Creation
- Aroma Sachet Recipe
- Classification of Essential Oils by Notes
- Classification of Perfumes by Type
- How to Make Oil-Based Perfume
- How to Make Perfume with Essential Oils
- Car Perfume Recipe
- Massage Candle
Closing
- Conclusion
- Table of Contents
Who is this book for
- Beginners and intermediate candle makers.
- Makers who want to understand why candles fail, from wet spots to tunneling, and how to fix them.
- Anyone curious about home fragrance: perfumes, diffusers and massage candles.
Topics covered
- Coconut, soy & beeswax
- Container vs mold wax
- Wick sizing & testing
- Fragrance load
- Temperatures
- Dyes & mica
- Gel candles
- Whipped wax piping
- Wet spots
- Tunneling
- Solid perfume
- Reed diffusers
Sample educational content
Try the knowledge, free
Real questions, answered from this book. The chapters go further.
Free answer · Candle Making
Why does my candle have wet spots?
Temperature changes as the wax sets: a cold room, a hot pour, a cold or thick-bottomed glass, drafts, or candles too close together.
Free answer · Candle Making
How do I choose a candle wick?
Match the wick to the container's diameter and your wax, then confirm it with a burn test. The book calls this one of the hardest parts of candle making.
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Frequently asked questions
What format is the book in?
A PDF, formatted as two-page spreads. It opens on a phone, tablet, laptop or e-reader, and there is no app or account to install.
What language is it written in?
English.
Can I print it?
Yes. The PDF is not locked or DRM-protected, so you can print the whole book or just the formula you are working from. Every page carries a small stamp with the email address and date of your purchase, which marks the copy as yours.
How do I get the book after paying?
Instantly. Checkout runs on Payhip, and the download link appears on the confirmation screen and arrives by email the moment payment clears. Nothing is shipped and there is nothing to wait for.
Is there a refund?
Yes, within 30 days. If the book is not what you expected, write to us through the contact page with your order email and we will refund it.
Is it suitable for a complete beginner?
Yes. Each book opens with the safety and sterility protocol and assumes no prior experience. The formulas are ordered so the simplest come first — in the skin care book the first project needs no heat and no emulsifying at all.
Can I ask the author questions?
You can ask this site's Knowledge Assistant any question and get an answer drawn from the books, with the chapter to read next. For anything it cannot answer, write to the author through the contact page.
Can I sell what I make from these formulas?
You can sell the products you make. Be aware that products made for sale need additional stability, microbiological and safety testing, and must meet the cosmetic regulations of your market. The books teach the formulation, not the regulatory process. You may not resell or redistribute the book itself.
About the craft
What's the difference between container wax and pillar wax?
Container wax melts lower (about 43–47 °C) and clings to glass. Mold (pillar) wax melts at about 57–63 °C, is harder and smoother, and holds its shape as it burns.
Each wax is designed for its job. A mold candle cast from container wax will, in the book's words, turn into 'a pool of oil on your table' when burned. Mold wax used in a jar causes wet spots because it doesn't adhere to the glass.
The book's main wax is coconut wax, about 80% coconut oil and its derivatives and 20% other vegetable oils, available in both container and mold grades.
Source: The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles — Why Different Waxes Are Needed for Container and Mold Candles · Open the article
How much fragrance should I use in a candle?
10–12% of the wax weight. For example, 19–22.8 g of fragrance in 180–185 g of coconut wax.
Check the fragrance maker's instructions for the addition temperature. The book gives two options: 55–60 °C, or a higher 73–85 °C if the supplier says so. After adding it, stir slowly clockwise for 2–3 minutes without whipping in air. In several projects the fragrance goes in just as the wax at 55–59 °C starts to turn slightly cloudy.
The cure matters too: 7–10 days lets the fragrance bind with the coconut wax and develop both cold and hot throw.
Source: The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles — Coconut Wax · Decorative Container Candle · Open the article
How should I prepare and burn a new candle?
Let it set 24 hours, trim the wick to 0.5 cm, cure 7–10 days, then burn 1.5–2 hours at a time until the whole surface melts, never more than 3 hours.
Container candles need 7–10 days before the first burn so the fragrance binds with the wax. Before every burn, trim and wipe the wick so burnt bits don't fall into the melt pool. For long sessions, put the candle out for 5–10 minutes every couple of hours. Never blow it out, or the smoky wick smell will mix with the fragrance next time. Use the lid or a snuffer.
Source: The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles — How to Burn a Candle Correctly · Open the article
Why is the top of my candle uneven or cracked?
Most often the pouring temperature. Vessel shape, fragrance amount and pouring speed also play a part. A heat gun fixes it after 24 hours.
Wait 24 hours, then re-melt the surface with a heat gun held about 15 cm away at an angle, and poke into any cracks so the voids fill. A hair dryer is only a temporary substitute: it blows too much air, the wax 'remembers' the ripples it makes, and it's slow.
Source: The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles — Uneven Top After Pouring a Candle? · Open the article
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The Big Book of Sweet Dessert Candles
The author draws on her years of candle making and teaching courses on candles and home fragrance. The book shares the techniques she uses so readers can create in their own kitchens with confidence.
Start reading today
$29.99 102 pages · PDF · English
Buy now — $29.99Look inside — free preview
Instant PDF download · Secure card payment via Payhip · 30-day refund
Already bought it? Sign in to read online