Make scented candles yourself
A simple guide
© New Africa / Shutterstock
Scented candles are a beautiful and, above all, easy DIY that you can easily make yourself from old wax scraps. You can find out how to do it here!
Make scented candles yourself: the finest scent experience
How much we like to light candles – and when they spread a more pleasant scent, it creates an even more beautiful ambience! If you want to make scented candles yourself, you don't even need a lot of utensils … Wax residues, candle stubs or opened tea lights can be used here and old disposable glasses, ceramic bowls or coffee cups can also be used for the vessels. Ultimately, there are no limits to the scent: Pleasant essential oils or your favorite spices from the kitchen – lighting candles will soon become a fragrant experience!
Make scented candles yourself: utensils & instructions
You need:
- Leftover wax, tea lights or wax granules: It is best to use soy wax, as beeswax per se already has its own odor
- Wick: There are round and flat wicks (a flat wick is not suitable for beeswax candles). The wick size must be adapted to the candle diameter: The candle size (cm) corresponds to the wick size (e.g. candle size 6 cm = wick size 6); Also pay attention to the correct running of the round wick, otherwise the wick will not burn well!
- Essential oils in organic quality: z. B. Orange, Lavender, Rose
- Alternatives to essential oils: Spices or juice (e.g. fresh lemon juice, cinnamon, lavender flowers, pulp of a vanilla pod, ground coffee beans)
- 1 pot
- 1 old water bath bowl
- Old spoon or wooden stick to stir
- Shish kebab skewers
- Paper clip
- Clean glass vessel (e.g. preserving jars) Caution: The walls of the jars must be thick enough! Alternatively, an old coffee cup or bowl is also suitable.
- as required: old knife
Preparations:
- Thoroughly clean the glass jar.
- Use a clothespin to attach the wick to two kebab skewers so that the wick hangs exactly in the middle of the candle.
- In the case of old candle remains that you want to melt down, you must remove the wick beforehand: candle remains can be crushed with an old knife to remove the wick.
That's how it's done:
- Put some water in a larger saucepan. Put the wax residue in a smaller saucepan and put it in the water bath. Melt the wax in a water bath at medium temperature while stirring occasionally.
- As soon as the wax has completely liquefied, you can add a few drops of essential oils (a few drops will do just fine!). If you want, you can also mix different fragrance components together.
- At the end, stir the wax and essential oils together again thoroughly and pull the pot off the stove. Put on protective gloves if necessary.
- Pour the wax into the glass jar, making sure that the wick stays in the middle.
- Let the wax harden for several hours.
- Shorten the wick to the appropriate size – and your scented candle is ready!
Tip: When the wax has dried a little, you can sprinkle dried petals on your candle. These then no longer sink and make the surface of the candle particularly decorative.
Make scented candles yourself: Small tea lights
Of course, you can also recycle the small, round aluminum containers from tealights and use them as containers to make new scented tealights yourself. In that case you will find small tealight wicks in stores that are placed in the middle beforehand. Be careful, don't get burned: Something can quickly go wrong with the small tea lights, especially if you want to straighten the wick. Put on protective gloves!
Tip: Cookie cutters are also ideal as candles. Place the cookie liners on baking paper. Place the tealight wick in the middle. Pour a thin layer of liquid wax into the cookie cutter and let it dry so that the bottom is sealed. Then you can fill in the rest of the wax and let it dry until you remove the cookie cutter.
Looking for more ideas to do it yourself? Here you can find out how you can make watercolors yourself, how you can make chalk yourself and how you can paint cups.
Would you like to exchange ideas with others about exciting DIY projects and ideas to make yourself? Then take a look at our community!