Make Your Own Scented Candles 

Learning how to make candles has been at the top of my list for a long time. For years now, I’ve sourced most (if not all) of the candles I burn in my home on the cheap from garage sales, because they’re readily available for a good price. A dime here, a quarter there— a dollar if and only if the candle is exceptional. I’ve never had to resort to paying $5-$25 for a single scented wax candle in retail stores.

Candle-making is a long-beloved crafts. You can use them in your own home, or take the tutorial and make candle gift favors for an event. I prepared for this project by gathering a few items:braided wick rope, wick tabs, 5 pounds of unscented soy candle wax (soy burns longer than paraffin), and a small container of fragrance oil formulated for use in candle-making: Cinnamon Sugar! I had trouble finding a variety of scents, but came across this one at the local craft store. Hopefully this means that my house will smell like delicious baked goods all winter.

I have lofty dreams, now that I’ve gotten my feet wet, to attempt DIY pillar candles, so check out this tutorial and then check back soon for more candle making ideas. And if you’re still swatting mosquitoes this summer, you can also learn tomake your own citronella candles.

• Time:1 hour
• Cost:$20-$30
• Tools:4
• Materials:4

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Step 1

I’d like to eventually explore different forms for my candles, hopefully mastering the art of the pillar candle, but I have to graduate up to that. Summertime goals. For now, I found a glass vase that I liked at a local vintage shop (one that I can either reuse for future candles, or retire into a classic vase) and set out on a mission to make a great candle for my home.

 

Step 2

I didn’t buy the pre-tabbed wick assemblies, the ones that come pre-assembled, because I wasn’t exactly sure what size candles I would decide to make. Buying the materials separately cost a little less anyways (just about $8 for 150 wick tabs and 100 feet of braided rope).

To assemble the wicks, cut lengths of the waxed rope for the candle. For ease of making the candle, cut a few inches longer than needed so you can trim the wicks to length at a later point. Secure one end of the wick rope into the wick tab base, and use needle nose pliers to pinch the metal tight.

 

Step 3

To melt the wax, set up a double boiler system on your stovetop. It is important to watch the temperature of the wax with a thermometer as it climbs. You will need to heat it to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4

When the wax is 180 degrees and all of the flakes have melted, remove it from the heat, add your fragrance oil (optional) and color (optional, not used in this tutorial) and let it cool down to about 125 degrees. Contrary to what you might think, the wax will stay completely liquid during this time! Note: If you add the fragrance oil while the wax is still over the heat, you risk the scent evaporating away.

 

Step 5

When it reaches 125 degrees, carefully pour the wax into the container(s) of your choosing. Allow the wax to sit for a few moments, watch for the bottom and top edges to begin to solidify around the container, and then drop in the assembled wick and tab. I used a chopstick to help push the tab down to the base of the container and center it, and then looped the end of the wick, centered in the candle, over a construction pencil that wasn’t likely to roll away.

Step 6

Your work is done! Let the candle solidify for several hours, and trim the wick down to a 1/4 inch. Any excess braided rope can be saved for a day when you make a shorter candle.

 

Step 7

I can report that making a candle of this size used about 2 pounds of wax. I still have 3 pounds of wax (and plenty of wicks and rope from my original $25 investment) to make a lot more candles before summer time!