DIY Candles

by Love & Renovations

I just recently decided to give candle-making a go and it's SO much easier than I thought it would be! This simple little formula will allow you to create candles in just about anything you want (I used DIY concrete votives), any smell you want, and as often as you want. You can see the full tutorial here - along with more details on the pretty concrete holders, which are also a DIY project.

Start off by choosing the vessel for your candle. I used these pretty little votives that I created with concrete and a silicone mold - it's super easy to make, and I've got more details on this on my blog. You can, however, use just about anything - a mason jar, a pretty bowl, and old mug, a teacup....anything your heart desires!

Gather your materials! I used soy wax and wood wicks (which you can buy on Amazon - affiliate link), and I purchased some candle scents online as well. You can use essential oils to flavor your candles, or you can purchase specific scents. The essential oils are a more natural option, but from what I understand the candle scents are a bit easier to work with and create a candle with better throw. Attach your wicks to the bottom of your vessel - mine came with little metal holders that I just glued to the bottom of my jars. You can also use a bit of melted wax to stick them on.

To create the candles, all you do is melt your wax down (I used a stainless steel pot and made sure to clean thoroughly afterwards, some people buy specific vessels to melt the wax in) and add your scent. Seriously, it's that simple! You'll need about 2X the volume of your vessel in wax. So, if you have a cup that holds 1 cup of liquid, you'll need to melt down 2 cups of wax. I just used my vessels to measure the wax out and did 2 scoops of each one!

Be sure not to add too much of your scent to the mix - a good rule of thumb is to add 1 oz of scent per pound of wax. Feel free to mix and match the scents - I used sandalwood and gardenia in mine!

Pour your wax into the container and let sit at least 24 hours before burning. If you use the wood wicks, they'll create a fun crackling sound when they burn and the flame will be a bit larger than normal - don't panic, it's part of the fun!

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1 question

Shui on Jan 18, 2017
How long does this take?

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Nicolette Spargo on Jan 19, 2017
Totally going to try this!!

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Cry17955538 on Jan 20, 2017
I get a thrill out of "DIY" projects, just bringing inexpensive to-do on your own, it looks just as good. Being crafty, figuring things out on your own is very helpful too.

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