Scented candles provide more than just an aesthetic element to a given space. When lit, these candles emit an aroma that can make stress wash away and relax those tired nerves. However, these don’t come cheap. A good quality scented candle can cost anywhere from $25 to $50!

Do you really want to spend that much money on a product that you will go through in a relatively short amount of time?

Making Your Own Scented Candles At Home

The good news is you can make your own scented candles at home using the following steps. 

What You Need

• Scented or Essential Oils of your choosing.
• Double Boiler or a heatproof bowl and saucepan.
• Candle wicks.
• Hairdryer.
• Spray oil.
• Candle Molds or containers such as shatter proof glass jars and pots.
• Thermometer.
• Soy or Paraffin wax.

*We’ve provided a link for everything you’ll need that can be purchased from Amazon!

Important Notes

Choosing candle containers or molds – You can use drinking glasses, mason jars and containers from candles you have used before. You can also find these in antique stores, thrift shops or even on Amazon. Just make sure that they are heat proof so they don’t shatter when you pour in the hot wax.

If you wish to use an old container, remove the residual wax from it first by placing it in simmering water. It will melt and you’ll be able to wipe it off with a paper towel. The wick will come off easily as well. Use a butter knife to ease the wax off gently.

Determine the how much wax you need beforehand – To determine the amount of wax you’ll need, look at the containers you chose. Fill them with water and pour it out in a measuring cup. You can guess how much you’ll need, but you may end up wasting a lot of wax that way. If you are making a batch of scented candles, precise measurements can save you money.

Don’t choose just any wicks – There are several types of candle wicks you can use but the size matters. Cut off the wick at a point that hangs off the container. You can always trim it later. A small wick may disappear in the candle and you will have to melt all of your hard work to get it out and make a new candle.

Preparation Method

Make your own scented candles at home using the aforementioned ingredients. Just follow these steps:

Step 1 – Melt the Wax

Start by chopping up or grating the wax into small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will melt. Use a double boiler to melt the pieces or a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan for the same result. Just add the wax to the top of the boiler or in the bowl and leave it to melt on medium heat. Stir it occasionally. Make sure you use the thermometer to ensure the temperature does not exceed around 194° Fahrenheit (90°C).

Step 2 – Add the Scent

Once the wax is ooey and gooey, add your preferred scent or combination of scented oils. At this point, add colored powder to the wax to make the candle colorful. Do this over the heat and stir quickly so it dissolves well. Once everything is mixed, remove the wax from the heat and set aside.

Step 3 – Place the Wick Inside

Spray some oil in mold or container so the candle will come out easily if needed. Insert the wick by first tying it to a pencil and let it sit horizontally across the top so the wick hangs inside. This way, it won’t slip in as you are pouring the hot wax.

Step 4 – Pour in the Melted Wax

Pour the melted wax into the container making sure you leave at least 3/4 of an inch (2cm) off from the top. Use the hairdryer to remove air bubbles and dips on the top to smoothen it out.

Step 5 – Allow the Wax to Dry

Cut off excess wick and leave the candle to dry for at least a day. You can remove the mold when the wax has set or light it immediately if you are using a permanent container.

What You Need To Remember

Make your homemade scented candles perfect and the entire experience seamless by following these tips:

• Cleanup is easy as long as you do it while the wax is still soft. Use paper towels to wipe off residue from your spoon, the thermometer and the pot or boiler you used to melt it and then wash them with water.
• Make sure you trim the wick to at least ¼th of an inch each time you light the candle. This will prevent it from ‘mushrooming’ and smoking excessively.
• Keep the candles away from children and pets. The scent may entice them into taking a bite of the wax.
• Never leave a burning candle unattended! Ever!
• Keep the lit candles and candles that are setting on a stable surface.
• When you light a candle for the first time, don’t blow out the flame till the entire top is liquid. That way, the top will remain smooth and even each time.
• If the wick flickers or has a tall flame when lit for the first time, trim it a little.

Have A Spa Day At Home!

Once you have a batch of scented candles, use them to pamper yourself at home. Line them along the bathtub, sprinkle some bath salts in the water and soak in the luxury. The scent of the candles will soothe your frayed nerves and make everything right with the world. You can even sell them online. The market is fantastic!

Get more fantastic DIY tips from Home-Edits.

Thanks for reading our Blog! We hope you got some great information and your projects are a success. Feel free to reach out if we can help with anything and we hope to see you again! Good luck with all your future Home-Edits! If you haven’t done so already, please Subscribe so you don’t miss out on our future posts!