There's nothing better than lighting some candles after a long day at work, especially during the dark, chilly months of winter. Why not make this Christmas extra special by creating your own festive scented candles to gift to your friends and family. I guarantee you'll be tempted to whip up a batch of these stocking stuffers for yourself once you learn how easy it is!
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Things You'll Need
Soy or paraffin wax
Pre-tabbed and primed wicks
Glue dots
Glass jars or votives
Essential oils (such as orange, cardamom and pine)
Stainless steel pitcher or two saucepans
Weighing scales
Clothespin
Step 1
Place a glue dot onto the bottom of the pre-tabbed and primed wick. You could also use a glue gun or super glue.
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Step 2
Push the tab firmly onto the center of the glass jar.
Step 3
Weigh out the wax. I use natural soy wax because it's a lovely cream color and burns cleaner than paraffin wax (but paraffin works, too). The glass jars I used in this project were 250ml, so I weigh out 250g of wax per candle, which leaves a little leftover.
Step 4
Melt the wax using a double boiler method. I melted mine in a stainless steel pitcher over a pan of water, but you can use a saucepan over a larger pan of simmering water to get the same effect. Remember to use a gentle heat and don't leave the wax unattended.
Step 5
When the wax has melted add the essential oils and stir. I've made an orange and cardamom scented candle using 20 drops of orange essential oil and 10 drops of cardamom essential oil per 250g of wax. I find the blend of sweet orange and spicy cardamom warm and festive!
Step 6
Pour the wax into your glass container before it begins to set.
Step 7
Use a clothespin to secure the wick in the centre whilst the wax dries. Once it has cooled you can trim the excess wick.
I made a second batch of candles using pine essential oil which smell just like Christmas trees. I used 30 drops of pine essential oil per 250g of wax. (You can add more or less oil depending on how strong you want the candles to smell.)
Now you know how to make scented candles and you can experiment with all kinds of holiday fragrance combinations!
