If you’re looking for a DIY that brings a little more light to your life, candle making may be the best move for you. This craft has been around for hundreds of years and continues to add ambiance to homes, sacred spaces and beyond.
From the warm flicker of the flame to soothing scents to help relax your mind, candles can provide a sense of comfort, coziness and calm that can upgrade the vibes of any space.
Why Make Your Own Candle?
Not only do homemade candles add heart to your project, they also give you more control over the size, scent, wax and wick you’d like to have.
If you’re tired of fast-burning paraffin wax, you can choose from plenty of alternatives like soy or beeswax. Or maybe your favorite scent is out of stock or no longer being produced by the candle company—you can create a similar scent with your own essential oils.
Candles also make great gifts for any holiday or event because of the variety of fragrance oils you can choose from. They can be personalized by putting them in unique containers like mason jars for that rustic look or even clean out a used jelly jar for a farmhouse feel.
No matter the reason, making your own candle is just plain fun.
How to Make Your Own Candle
This recipe is a beginner candle to get you comfortable, but feel free to experiment with different waxes, wicks and jars as well! The math is already calculated for this recipe, but if you want a bigger or smaller candle, a good rule of thumb is to use your jar as a measuring tool. Take your container and fill it with wax, then double that amount for your total needed.
Note: We used sage essential oil in this recipe, but you can use any fragrance you’d like!
Supplies:
- 8 oz jar of your choosing
- 1 pack of soy wax for candles
- 1 pack of candle wicks
- Double boiler (or glass measuring cup and saucepan)
- 1 thermometer
- 1 spatula
- 1 candle wick holder (or two pencils)
- 0.4 oz of fragrance oil or 30-40 drops of essential oil (any scent)
Instructions:
- Take approximately 6 oz of soy wax and put into double boiler or put wax in glass measuring cup and inside a saucepan filled ¼ of the way with water
- Cook over stove on medium heat, stirring occasionally with spatula until clumps dissolve
- Take one candle wick and dip the bottom into the melted wax, align in the middle of your 8 oz jar and stick to the bottom of jar
- Center wick with candle wick holder or take two pencils and set on either side of wick to keep it straight
- Once wax reaches 150° F, remove from heat and stir in fragrance oil or essential oil
- Let wax cool to 135° F - 120° F, then pour into your 8 oz jar
- Let candle sit overnight for best results
- Trim wick to ¼ of an inch and enjoy your new candle
This basic candle recipe serves as a great foundation to build on if you are curious about trying something new. One word of advice we can give is that if you’re looking to try a wood wick, they need wax to continue to burn. Try dipping the entire wood wick in wax before you set it in your container to keep the flame alive.
We hope you enjoyed learning how to make your own candle. Have fun with your own renditions of this recipe by adding colors or flowers and mixing up your fragrances and jars!
Always serving our customers,
Your friends at Swanson
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
This recipe include essential oils. We recommend handling essential oils with care and following any usage, safety guidelines and drug interaction warnings on the label. Testing for skin sensitivity is important before using, and we recommend people consult a doctor, especially if they are pregnant, to discuss what is safe for their individual needs.
