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The Best Online Candle-Making Classes of 2022 - Picks by Bob Vila

By Tony Carrick | Published Dec 27, 2022 3:44 PM

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The Best Online Candle-Making Classes of 2022 - Picks by Bob Vila

There’s nothing like a candle’s warm light and calming fragrance to add ambience to a home. But keeping that flame lit can be expensive, as a good-quality candle can cost upwards of $30. While purchasing candles to add warmth to the home or give as a gift to a friend or family member is one option, a thriftier way to get one’s candle fix is to learn how to make them from scratch.

An online candle-making workshop provides instructions for decorative or aromatherapy candles using various materials. Some of these classes even come with all the necessary supplies for making a candle and feature professional candlemakers and well-known crafters as instructors. For those looking to make their homes cozier with candles, read on to find out what to look for in the best online candle-making classes.

When selecting a candle-making class, students will want to consider a few factors. These include how much the course costs, what the curriculum includes, and how long the students can access course content. Ahead, find out more about these and other features of online candle-making classes.

Candle-making courses are available online at varying price points. Free lessons abound on YouTube, while paid classes are available through online class marketplaces such as Udemy and at crafting websites such as Crafter. Even candle-making classes online for large groups are available through team-building sites.

Pricing for candle-making classes varies depending on what the class includes and the teacher’s qualifications. Students can expect to pay significantly more for a class that ships students all the necessary supplies or features instruction by a professional candlemaker than for those taught by an amateur or that require students to source their own supplies. While there are quality free classes, students will want to keep in mind that these classes usually include advertising or may push students to purchase supplies from the course’s sponsor, which may detract from the experience.

The length of a candle-making course can vary from 30 minutes to over an hour. The course length won’t equal the actual time it takes to make a candle. Candle making requires a fair amount of time to heat and cool the wax, and the total time necessary to make a candle is typically a couple of hours.

Prospective students will want to consider what they hope to get out of the class. Some classes only cover the basics of candle making and may only show one way of making candles. Other classes teach students how to make several types of candles or focus on specialty candles, like ones for aromatherapy.

Students will want to consider what supplies the class requires before signing up. Some classes will ship students all necessary class materials, while others will require students to collect their own wax, wicks, and containers. Classes that provide supplies are typically more expensive than those that don’t.

While classes that come with materials may be convenient, they rarely allow the student to select specific colors or scents. Students who want to truly personalize their candles can consider classes that require them to find their own supplies. Candle-making supplies can often be found at local craft stores or online retailers.

To master the art of candle making, one will most likely need to hone their skills by periodically reviewing lessons. With that in mind, students will want to consider how long they have access to course content before purchasing it. While some classes may allow students to access the course on-demand once they purchase it, others may only grant access for a set amount of time or require students to maintain a subscription to the platform offering the course.

In addition to video instruction, some courses include written course material through a blog or website. Students can check to see what supplemental materials come with the course and whether their access to this material is limited or unlimited.

Our list of some of the top candle-making classes online includes both free and paid options taught by experienced instructors to teach students how to make the best candles.

Why It Made the Cut: Popular designer candle company P.F. Candle Co. tops the list with the Hand Poured Candle & Scent Blending Workshop, which is taught by its founder and ships all the supplies directly to students.

The Hand Poured Candle & Scent Blending Workshop sets itself apart from all the rest with the pedigree of its instructor, Kristen Pumphrey, the founder of P.F. Candle Co. P.F. Candle Co. is a burgeoning business in the candle industry, and it sells candles through such retailers as Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom. This class is a great option for those who might be considering turning their candle-making interest into an actual business, as students can learn from someone who’s done just that. Besides providing step-by-step instructions for creating some of the best soy candles, Pumphrey also covers scent blending using essential and fragrance oils. Students will learn exactly what it takes to create complex scent profiles like the ones P.F. Candle Co. puts into its products.

The course comes with supplies, including a custom fragrance blend preselected by Pumphrey, candle wax, candle thermometer, pouring pitcher, and apothecary jars.

Why It Made the Cut: Bramble Berry’s free video How to Make Soy Wax Candles is one of the best-quality candle-making classes on YouTube— and it’s totally free.

While there are plenty of free candle-making videos on YouTube, there aren’t many with the production value and quality of Bramble Berry’s roughly 30-minute class. The class provides clear instruction, good lighting, high-definition video, and multiple camera angles, all of which make it easier to observe the instructor’s demonstrations. How to Make Soy Wax Candles also offers helpful extras not found in some videos available for a fee. Bramble Berry’s troubleshooting tips cover common problems aspiring candlemakers will run into, and there’s also a link to a blog post that provides more detailed information on candle making.

The video also has a helpful table of contents, allowing students to review specific skills without having to rewatch the entire video. While the video is free, students may want to know it encourages students to order Bramble Berry products for candle making, which makes it more difficult for students to find materials from other sources. However, students may appreciate that it’s easy to watch the content and shop for the exact products directly from the site.

Why It Made the Cut: An experienced aromatherapist leads the Aromatherapy Candle Making class on Udemy for both beginners and experienced candlemakers.

Aromatherapy Candle Making, available from the online class marketplace Udemy, features instruction by Alysson Correia, an expert in aromatherapy. Correia teaches students how to make all-natural therapeutic candles by demonstrating how to blend essential oils to alleviate symptoms of specific ailments, including anxiety, insomnia, and depression. This content makes the course ideal for aspiring professional and amateur aromatherapists.

The course requires students to purchase their own supplies, although it does not specify which supplies students will need before they purchase the course. It’s also difficult to gauge the total cost of the supplies needed for the course. And while the regular price of the course is high, Udemy typically runs specials that cut the cost of the course by as much as 85 percent.

Why It Made the Cut: Live instructors teach the virtual Candle Making Class through Zoom, and classes can have up to 300 students.

The Candle Making Class from Confetti is an ideal choice for online parties or as a team-building activity. The class is priced per person, and the cost includes all the supplies one needs to host a virtual candle-making party, including invitations for participants, an address collection form, and candle-making kits for each participant.

There are also options to upgrade the class to include multiple candles or faster shipping. Customers will want to be aware of the strict cancellation policy prior to booking—customers only have up to 15 days before the event to cancel and receive a full refund. A candle-crafting expert leads the live course through Zoom. The classes, which last from 45 minutes to an hour, can handle groups both large and small with a capacity of up to 300 students.

Why It Made the Cut: How to Make Candles—Candle Making for Beginners from Udemy teaches the basics and allows students to hone their creativity.

Beginner candle-making classes abound on paid and free sites, but most only teach how to make a single type of candle. This course is an exception. Students will learn to make candles from different materials, mix colors, create effects like whipped wax, and decorate containers.

While the list price of this particular class is high, savvy customers can find a deal as Udemy frequently marks down its classes by as much as 80 percent. Some comments note that not all of the details, like the temperatures for melting wax, are included in the video, so students will want to reference the additional material provided.

The Hand Poured Candle & Scent Blending Workshop candle-making class tops our list as an accessible option that includes all of the necessary supplies with expert instruction by an industry professional. Those looking for a free option will want to consider How to Make Soy Wax Candles from Bramble Berry, which covers the basics of candle making in a well-produced (and free) YouTube video.

Quality of instruction, price, and curriculum were the main factors we used to select our top five candle-making classes. All the classes we chose are taught by experienced instructors and feature high production values, both of which make it easier for students to learn techniques and follow along. Since budgets vary from student to student, we included pricier classes offering more detailed instruction and advanced techniques and free classes covering the basics. We also considered the curriculum when making our selections. We included classes that cover one type of candle, those demonstrating candle making using various types of wax, and specialty candle-making classes.

When signing up for an online candle-making class, students will want to consider the cost, instructor, and what kind of materials the class requires. Many candles are made from paraffin wax, which comes from nonrenewable fossil fuel crude oil and therefore isn’t the most sustainable option. For this reason, many candle-making classes instead instruct their students to use soy wax, which is a much more eco-friendly material than paraffin. Besides being a more sustainable option, soy wax candles also have a lower burn temperature, resulting in a longer burn time. Soy wax also allows fragrances to release more potently than other materials. Students can also consider vegetable or coconut wax candles as other eco-friendly alternatives to paraffin.

The cost of candle-making classes depends on several factors, including the experience level of the instructor and whether the class includes materials. Classes taught by a professional candlemaker typically cost more than those led by an amateur instructor. Students can expect to pay around $90 for a class taught by a professional that includes supplies and materials. Professionally taught classes that don’t include supplies typically cost around $15 to $20.

When considering a class that doesn’t include materials, students will want to consider the cost of purchasing supplies independently. A 10-ounce candle typically requires about $7.50 in materials, including wax, wicks, fragrances, and labels. A candle-making class may require additional tools, including a wax thermometer and a pouring pitcher. While these other tools may not be necessary, they can significantly improve the ease of the process and the quality of the final product.

Candle-making classes teach an enjoyable hobby that adds warmth and ambience to the home. When candles are combined with specific essential oils and fragrances, these aromatherapy candles can also help reduce stress. Candle making is also handy for creating homemade gifts for holidays and birthdays. And live virtual candle-making classes are a great way to connect with far-away friends or encourage collaboration within a company.

For those wondering how long it takes to make a candle or whether it’s possible to start a candle-making business from home, read on for answers to these and other burning questions about candles.

Candles never go out of style, making them a great product to produce and sell. In fact, the candle-making industry is expected to reach $5 billion by 2026. The growing popularity of candles and the low cost of entering the business make candle making an excellent business to start.

Since candle making has low startup costs and doesn’t require much in the way of equipment, it’s easy to start a candle-making business out of the home.

While candle making may seem easy, it actually requires a fair amount of practice before one can make a candle that both smells good and burns properly. It typically takes a few months for someone to create a candle that’s worthy of being gifted or sold. Using one of the best candle-making kits or some of the best candle wax can improve the quality of the candles that you make.

Since candle making is not a skill that requires any type of certification, most classes do not give out certifications.

You can find local classes at candle-making places by searching for “candle classes near me” or “candle-making near me.”

Most candle workshops typically last for a few hours; however, the candle-making process itself will typically be much longer. The wax needs to be heated and melted in order to mix colors and scents before being cooled over an extended period.

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The Best Online Candle-Making Classes of 2022 - Picks by Bob Vila

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