- Benefits of Homemade Essential Oil Candles
- Essential Oil Candle Aromatherapy Really Works
- Candle Making Supplies and Where to Get them
- What to know about Candle Wicks for your Essential Oil Candle
- What to know about Beeswax for your Essential Oil Candle
- Essential Oil Blends for your Beeswax Candle
- What Types of Candle Containers to Use in Your Homemade Essential Oil Candles
- How to Make Beeswax Candles with Essential Oil in Seven Easy Steps
- How To Make a Candle With Essential Oils
- Add Some Festive Holiday Touches to Your Homemade Beeswax Candles
Learn how to make homemade candles with all natural ingredients such as beeswax and essential oils. Homemade candles with essential oils are much healthier for you than plugins or candles made with synthetic fragrances – which includes pretty much all store bough candles.
Making your own candles is actually a fairly easy DIY. It sounds intimidating, but it’s not that hard. It’s not as difficult as it sounds to make a candle at home! All you need is some beeswax (soy wax will also work), organic essential oils for your candle scent, a jar, and a wick.
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The history of candles dates back to early human history. They were originally created as a way to provide light and as a source of warmth. These days, we use them for ambiance, mood, home scent, and they also make a great gift!
Candles can be made from animal fat, saps and natural oils. The first candle to use beeswax was born in Turkey in the 13th century. Candles started to be used as a means of decoration and ritual very recently, that is only the past few centuries ago.
There are many different ways that you can make your own candles at home. Different ways to make your own candles could be with wax crayons, liquid candle dye or soy candles which are not-dye type of waxes and very easy to make at home.
Making your own candles can be a fun and rewarding hobby. So today I’m going to show you one of the easiest ways to make a diy essential oil candle from scratch.
I use affiliate links in this article. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Your price isn’t affected. Any money earned goes towards the cost of running this blog.
Is making candles complicated?
The truth is that candles only require a few, simple ingredients to make. They’re a fun gift idea for the holidays – think of how much your “crunchy” and health-conscious friends and family members will adore these!
If you’re into experimenting with different essential oil based holiday scents, then you’re going to love making your own, homemade scented candles that smell just like your favorite essential oil blends.
Benefits of Homemade Essential Oil Candles
Do artificially scented candles give you headaches? Are you searching for a natural and healthy option for making homemade, scented candles? Many “non-scented” people who can’t tolerate strong, chemical-based fragrances do really well with nature’s own perfume: natural essential oils.
Another great reason to make your own candles at home is paraffin wax. How healthy is it to breathe in the smoke from burned paraffin? Paraffin, for those who may not be aware, is mineral oil that has been highly refined from petroleum.
So, if you’re trying to avoid having your family breathe in petrochemicals, then making your own essential oil candles could be a great direction to go in.
What other harmful chemicals and additives could be off-gassing from your artificially scented candles? Homemade candles will ensure that you know exactly what you are breathing in, therefore you can enjoy the relaxing scents and flickering flame without reserve.
For more information on reducing chemical stress in your home, check out this article on Porch.com that I contributed to. I specifically wrote about hidden sources of chemical stress in our home and how artificial fragrance and candles contribute to it.
Essential Oil Candle Aromatherapy Really Works
Maybe the word “aromatherapy” sounds like a made-up term to you? There is legitimate truth to this concept that the odors of different organic compounds can cause a change in your body chemistry that will in turn create different physical and emotional sensations for you.
There are so many options for combining the magical healing properties of pure essential oils to obtain delicious, one-of-a-kind scents for your own aromatherapy candles.
- If you suffer from anxious feelings or stress, you can use Lavender Oil and/or Vanilla in your candles. Both are known for their calming effects.
- Many of the traditional holiday spice scents that go into baking recipes — such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg– produce a feeling of well being and a calm sense of stable groundedness. These can also help boost your immune system.
- Citrusy Scents like Sweet Orange essential oil is known to be a mood lifter, and peppermint invigorates and cools.
- The clean, fresh scent of lemon works to increase mental clarity as it deodorizes and sanitizes your home.
- Cinnamon is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. So when you burn a cinnamon and lemon scented candle, you’re not only enjoying the warm, spicy aroma of home baked apple pie, but you are also triggering healing reactions in your body and imparting a sense of tranquility and well being.
Candle Making Supplies and Where to Get them
You’ll need something to melt your wax.
You can make your own double boiler by using any large pot from your kitchen with a glass mason jar or coffee can inside it.
Or snag up one of these candle making pouring pots which make melting your wax and pouring it into your containers super easy and mess free.
Beeswax – see below for more info on beeswax
Cotton wicks (see below for more info on wicks)
Essential oils in your favorite scents. See below for inspiration and blend suggestions.
Containers for your candles – see below for some cute container ideas
Pencil to wrap wicks around as candle is hardening
Scissors
wooden spoon
spatula
tape
What to know about Candle Wicks for your Essential Oil Candle
A candle wick’s main function is to draw the wax up toward the flame so that it continually burns.
A wick works because it is made of braided natural fibers that burn easily.
How well a candle burns is related to the wick’s thickness as relative to the size of the candle/amount of wax being burned.
A wick that’s too thick can create a candle that sputters and flickers and eventually burns out.
A wick that’s too thin produces a weak flame which is unable to stay lit for long.
A candle wick can be too long or too short. Be sure to keep your candle wicks trimmed to a proper height for best and longest lasting burn time.
Candle makers carefully select wick size and length depending on the type and size of candle that they are creating. A good candle that contains the proper wick will burn long and steady without sputtering or petering out!
You can find a variety of different candle wicks on Amazon.
Types of Candle Wicks
There are several types of candle wicks to choose from. The kind that are made from braided cotton material are the best for use in beeswax candle making applications.
- Flat wicks – These are made of knitted fibers such as cotton. They are the most common type of candle wick.
- Cored wicks – You may recall snipping the wick of a standard pillar candle to see that it has a “core” of metal or another type of substance. These wicks are not recommended for beeswax candles.
- Square wicks – Square plaited or knitted candle wicks prolong burning time and are the best choice for making beeswax candles because they help to distribute the wax evenly. Their shape is a bit more rounded than the traditional, flat type of wick.
Here are a few of the most popular candle wicks on Amazon:
What to know about Beeswax for your Essential Oil Candle
The type of wax used for your candle is important because you don’t want to use something that’s going to burn quickly, smoke heavily or give off toxins. There are several types of natural waxes to choose from.
Beeswax is naturally long burning, so it works perfectly for making candles at home. There are other types of candle wax, however we are going to focus on Beeswax here.
Things to know about beeswax candles:
- They tend to emit a sweet, honey-like odor
- Color may vary depending on what the bees were pollinating at the time. As you know, there are darker and lighter honeys. Beeswax is no different.
- Beeswax candles need to be trimmed often to ensure that the wick remains exposed
- Beeswax candles that you purchase pre-made may contain hardeners. If you want the purest beeswax candles possible, purchase your own to make from scratch.
These Pure Beeswax pastilles from Amazon are perfect to use in your essential oil candle:
Essential Oil Blends for your Beeswax Candle
You can add any essential oil to your candle. Just be sure to use a true essential oil and not a “fragrance oil”. Most store bought “essential oils” that you can find at the drug store or grocery stores are actually synthetic fragrance oils.
The reason you don’t want to use these fragrance oils, even though they may smell fantastic, is that they are made with synthetics and fillers. These can be potentially toxic to breathe in and you may as well be using a store bought candle. You’ll want to be sure to use a therapeutic grade essential oil. I use doTERRA brand essential oils which are pure and filler free.
So what are the best essential oils to use in your candle? There really is no right or wrong answer to that. Use your favorite scent or add one based on if you want calming & stress relieving, immunity boosting, energizing, etc.
What is the right amount of essential oil to you use in your candle? Again, there’s no right or wrong answer. The number of drops of essential oils in the blends below are a general guideline to follow. You can add as much essential oil as you would like. Each of us has a different personal preference and what is a strong aroma for one person, might not be the same for someone else. For a stronger scent, add more drops of each oil.
Here are a few popular essential oils blend ideas for your candles:
Apple Pie scent: 7 drops ginger, 7 drops cinnamon, 7 drops clove
Clean Linen scent: 7 drops Lavender, 7 drops Eucalyptus, 7 drops Lemon
Anthropology candle: 10 drops Pink Pepper, 10 drops Siberian Fir, 10 drops Grapefruit
Spa Vibes: 7 drops Lavender essential oil, 7 drops Siberian Fir, 7 drops Eucalyptus
Vanilla (my favorite): See this article for blend ideas
For calming stress: Lavender, Serenity, Wild Orange Oil
The great thing is, you can have some fun and come up with your own blends for your candles. Simply try combining essential oils that have base notes with essential oils that have middle notes and top notes for a balanced blend.
For more on base notes, middle notes, and top notes, see THIS ARTICLE on how to make your own perfume blends. You’ll find a list of each category there.
What Types of Candle Containers to Use in Your Homemade Essential Oil Candles
Another key item in your list of candle-making supplies is containers. Obviously, you can’t burn beeswax in a plastic container that will melt. Wood or paper would be a big no-no for obvious reasons as well.
Some great candle container choices are:
- Glass Mason Jars of different sizes
- Glass votives that have been painted for the holidays
- Mini tins with lids
- You can also pour your pillar candles into a form that will later be removed so that the candle stands on its own or can be set in a holder or dish.
These cute candle tins come in a variety of colors. I love Boho wood look! The recipe below calls for 4 oz tins, but you can use any size. These tins are 8 oz size, but do have other colors available in the 4 oz. size.
How to Make Beeswax Candles with Essential Oil in Seven Easy Steps
How To Make a Candle With Essential Oils
Equipment
- Candle Making Pouring Pot (Or use a large pot and glass mason jar as a double boiler)
- scissors
- wooden spoon
- spatula
- tape
- pencils to use to wrap wick around
Ingredients
- 4 cups Beeswax Pastilles
- 20 – 30 drops Essential oil (use your favorite scent) Be sure to use a true essential oil and not a fragrance oil since those are synthetic and you don't know what's in them and they can be potentially harmful.
- 4 oz jars or tins for your candle (can use any size – you will get more or less candles depending on your container size)
- cotton wicks
Instructions
- Place pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
- Place beeswax into your can (ie coffee can) and insert can into the pot of heating water to make a double boiler.
- Prepare wicks by measuring against the various receptacles that you plan to pour the candles into, such as Mason jars and candle tins. Snip to the correct length.
- When wax is completely melted, stir in your essential oils blend and adjust to desired potency.
- For each candle that you plan to pour, stretch a length of wick down the center and wrap the wick around a pencil or pen. Place the pencil across the jar's opening so that the wick dangles from the pencil but does not fall into the container. Pour the wax around the dangling wick, to the top of the jar or container.
- Allow candles to cool until wax hardens.
- Snip wicks to about half an inch. Test one by lighting. Enjoy the all natural scent of your new, homemade, aromatherapy candle!
- This will make 4 candles if using 4 oz jars.
Add Some Festive Holiday Touches to Your Homemade Beeswax Candles
Homemade candles make wonderful gifts!!
If you plan to use these candles to decorate your home for the holidays, or give as holiday gifts, then you may wish to add embellishments. Some easy ways to add a bit of holiday decorating style:
Add ribbon. Burlap ribbon wrapped around candle tins and Mason jars creates a rustic look. Red and green plaid gives a country Christmas feel. Velvet bows in a deep scarlet hue make for a rich presentation.
Paint your votives. Use red, white, green, brown, and black acrylic paint to add holiday pinecones, red painted ribbons, berries, holly and pine bows to your collection of Christmas candles.
Homemade candle gifts are quick, easy and fun to make. You can try this project with your children while supervising use of the stove of course. This type of natural, homemade gift from the heart makes a perfect holiday present for family, friends, and even school teachers, sitters, child care providers and bus drivers.
Whatever you do, be sure to have fun and relax while doing your homemade, candle making project. With any luck, you’ll soon be a pro at this. J
DISCLAMER CONTENT:
Please consult with an expert/your physician before using essential oils with children less than 4 years of age.
If you are especially susceptible to allergies or sensitivities, you may wish to test your essential oils on a small patch of skin such as your wrist, to determine if they will be well tolerated.
If you find the scent of a certain oil to be overwhelming when used in a room diffuser or candle, you can either use fewer drops, or use only in combination with a calming or grounding such as lavender. Some essential oils may prove too overpowering for extremely sensitive individuals — in which case, discontinue use.
This information is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical advice. If you are experiencing unusual symptoms of any kind, please consult with your physician.
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