Scented candles are makeup and perfume for your vanity. They add a touch of flair to your station and inject a rousing aroma in the air. Want your own?
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Easy DIY Scented Candles You Can Make at Home
1. DIY Lavender Scented Candle
Lavender candles are at the core of any luxury candle brand. The scent is soothing and plays well with other fragrances to put you in a relaxed mood. It’s the perfect pre-bedtime candle or a great candle to relax in the tub with.
This recipe makes one 8oz or 250mg candle.
What You’ll Need:
- 8oz glass mason jar (250g) with a wide opening
- lavender essential oil
- 1 cup candle wax (soy or paraffin)
- medium-sized candle wick
- skewer or wooden sticks
- double boiler
- spoon
- scissors
- dried lavender petals or stalk to decorate your scented candle
How To:
- Melt your chosen wax (soy or paraffin) in your double boiler.
- While waiting for your wax to melt, make sure your candle jar is dry and clean. Angle your candle jar sideways and position your decorative dried lavender however you’d like it.
- Once you’re satisfied with their placement, attached the dried lavender to the bottom and the sides of the jar using your melted wax and your spoon. You may have to work quickly on this step.
- Allow the wax to cool.
- Position the bottom metal end of your wick at the center of the candle and loop the other end of the wick around the skewer.
- With the wick still attached the to the skewer, dip the metal bottom of your wick to the melted wax.
- Attach the wick to the bottom of your candle and rest the skewer on top of jar, letting it dry.
- Add four drops of lavender essential oil to the melted wax and stir thoroughly.
- Pour the wax into the jar and allow your scented candle to fully cool.
- Trim the wick and leave just a quarter of an inch.
2. DIY Coffee Candle
This is a quick and easy pick-me-up and is crucial to my own morning routine. I’m always equipped with a cup of joe in my hand and a coffee-scented candle on my boudoir.
You can use a small glass jar for this one, but a coffee-scented candle in a cute tea mug makes for a great aesthetic.
What You’ll Need:
- candle wax of your choice
- candlewick
- double boiler
- vanilla essential oil
- 1/2 cup hot water
- small coffee mug
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee mix (black)
- disposable stick
- spoon
- coffee beans to decorate your scented candle
How To:
- Combine half a cup of hot water and two tablespoons of black instant coffee.
- Melt just enough wax for your coffee mug. The general rule of thumb is 1:1. If you have an 8oz mug, you’ll need 8oz of the candle wax as well.
- Add one tablespoon of your coffee and a couple of drops of the vanilla essential oil depending on your preference.
- Position the metal end of your candle wick at the bottom of your mug and adhere it with melted wax. To keep it in place, you can loop your wick onto a wooden stick or spoon, then place it on top of your mug. Allow the wax to cool for a while.
- Pour the rest of your melted wax into your coffee mug.
- Then when your wax is a bit soft, place some decorative coffee beans onto your scented candle.
- Cut the end of the wick to about a quarter-inch in length.
3. DIY Eucalyptus Candle
Eucalyptus is a great scent for those nursing a flu or cold, but it’s also great for calming the nerves.
This eucalyptus scented candle will be one of your warm morning go-to’s. I guarantee it.
The recipe below will make one 8oz jar of candle.
What You’ll Need:
- melting pot or double boiler
- eucalyptus essential oil
- soy wax candle
- candle wick
- glue gun and sticks
- wooden stick or chopsticks
How To:
- Adhere the wick tab (metal bottom of the wick) onto the bottom of your jar using your glue gun. Loop the end of the wick around your stick or chopstick and lay it across the mouth of your jar to keep your wick upright.
- Melt the soy candle wax in your melting pot or double boiler.
- When the wax has completely melted, remove the wax from heat and let it cool to 49ºC or for three to five minutes.
- Stir in a few drops of your eucalyptus essential oil.
- Pour the melted wax into your jar, careful not to fully submerge your wick. Trim your wick to a quarter of an inch in length.
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4. DIY Apple Cinnamon Scented Apple
I couldn’t leave out this dessert option, perfect to light come autumn (or year-round of you’re like me). The aroma is sweet, spicy, and absolutely delectable!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups soy wax
- double boiler
- candle wick
- apple essential oil
- apple
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- red crayon (to color your scented candle)
- wooden stick or chopstick
How To:
- Melt two cups of your soy wax flakes in a double boiler.
- Peel your crayon and cut it up into smaller pieces. Drop them into your wax and stir thoroughly to combine the crayon and soy wax and distribute the color evenly.
- Stir in five to seven drops of apple essential oil and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
- Attach the wick tab to the bottom of your mug or jar, and keep it upright by looping the other end around a wooden stick or chopstick.
- Pour in the rest of your red melted wax into your container and allow it to cool for three to four hours.
- Trim your wick to a quarter of an inch in length.
5. DIY Lemon Scented Candle
This list (and your vanity) isn’t complete without a citrusy scent option. Lemon offers a zing and a zesty aroma to freshen up your room and energize your day.
What You’ll Need:
- 8oz glass jar
- double boiler
- candle wick
- lemon essential oil
- 2 cups soy wax
- wooden stick, chopstick, or clothespin
- lemon colored crayon (to color your scented candle)
- hot glue (optional)
How To:
- Secure your wick tab the bottom of your glass jar using a hot glue gun. If you don’t have one, melted wax is just as effective. You can save this step for later in that case.
- Loop the end of the wick around a wooden stick or chopstick to keep it upright. You can also use to hold up the wick, given the length of your clothespin is longer than the length of the mouth of your jar.
- Melt two cups of soy wax on low heat in your double boiler.
- Stir in 10 drops of lemon essential oil and bits of wax crayon into your melted wax.
- Pour the wax into your candle jar slowly so it remains level and you don’t move the wick.
- Once the wax has completely cooled, trim your wick to a quarter of an inch in length.
Quick Tips for Candle Making
- Keep in mind that oils have a flashing point, so always make sure to allow wax to cool before adding oils. The best time to add in your oils is when your wax is at 60ºC.
- Soy waxes burn more cleanly and emit your fragrances better than their paraffin counterparts.
- Use crayons to add a dash of color to your scented candles as food coloring doesn’t mix well with wax and may not spread evenly.
- Stick to candle wicks that have a metal tab on the bottom, designed to make it easy to attach to your candle jars.
- The size of your wick plays a role in whether it burns cleanly or melts your wax evenly. If you’ll be using a jar with a wide diameter, you may want to add three wicks to your candle.
Like baking, candle making is both a science and an art. While you’re free to let your imagination run wild with how to decorate your scented candles and concoct homemade fragrances, there are temperatures you need to pay attention to.
Making homemade scented candles gets you bang for your buck, costing a fraction of the retail price of your luxury scented candles. It could be a relaxing hobby with equally relaxing products, and you’ll be enjoying the rewards of your hard work for weeks.
Found your perfect scent? Let us know in the comments section below!
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