HOW TO: Make Your Own Scented, Natural Candles
We believe candles can make all the difference for setting the mood and tone in your bedroom, bathroom or any room in your home. This DIY candle guide will teach you HOW TO: Make Your Own Scented, Natural Candles from scratch and to recycle wax from old candles.
What You'll Need
2kg Beeswax* or old candles
10x 50ml glass jar*
wick
10x skewer / pencil / stick
1bottle essential oil (vanilla)
Food Die (whatever colour's you like)
1x cooking pot
1x pouring pot (this is a cooking pot you won't be able to use again for cooking)
1x spoon
1x scissors
1x sticky tape
*Note: The rule is that you use double the wax for the capacity of your jar.
Ie. 500g Beeswax will fill 5 x 5omL (25omL total) shot glasses.
How And When You'll Need It:
1. Prepare your Jars
Prepare the shot glass by measuring out a length of wick that is a centimetre or two longer than your jar, on both ends. You will have some piece resting along the bottom of the glass which will help keep the wick in place when pouring. Rest the pencil / skewer / stick across the lip of the jar and wrap the extra length of the wick around the pencil to keep it upright and centred. Now tape down the excess wax wick to the bottom of the glass jar. You can buy pre-made ‘anchor’s’ for the bottom of the glass but tape is as effective and cheaper alternative.
2. Prepare Your Double Boiler.
1. Place your large boiling pot on the stove and add about 5cm of water.
2. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Take your pouring pot and place it either in or stacked on top of the large boiling pot.
4. Prepare to add your wax!
Why? We use a double boiler when melting wax because it distributes the heat more evenly and will help prevent the wax from rising to dangerous and highly-flammable temperatures.
WARNING: Melted wax can rise in temperature very quickly. NEVER leave your heated wax unattended.
3. Melt Wax
Add your wax to the pouring pot of your double boiler. Stir the wax so that the heat reaches it evenly and speeds up the melting process. As your wax is melting, lower the temperature of the stove to a simmer to prevent overheating.
You can use your old candles instead of buying new wax. When using old candles, be sure to strain remaining wicks from the melted wax before pouring.
4. Add Essential oils And Coloring
Once your wax is melted, stir continuously and add your essential oils and colouring.
Note: Wax looks clear when it's melted in the pot, the intensity of the colouring can be difficult to measure with your eye. We recommend doing smaller, test batches to work out the ratio of drops to wax that you find pleasing.
Note 2: If you want your wax to remain white, do not add any colouring. The wax sets naturally in white.
5. Time To Pour Pt.1 - Half Way
Place the lip of your pouring pot over the side of the candle jar and pour. Remember, keep your pencil in place to ensure that the wick remains in the middle of the candle. Only pour your wax to halfway.
Why? When you pour, air pockets are created in the wax. This can cause the wax to collapse or crack once it's set. To avoid this, pour half-way and move onto the next step!
Note: For safety, wear gloves when removing the pouring pot from the boiling pot as it will be hot.
6. Poke
We take a skewer and create some air pockets in the wax. To do this, simply take a skewer and plunge the pointy end into the wax, until just before the bottom of the glass. Repeat this 3-4 times, not too close together.
5 Time To Pour Pt. 2 - Fill It Up
Place the lip of your pouring pot over the side of the candle jar and pour until your desired fill-volume. We used a second colour in our second pour to create two-toned candles.
6. Wait
Allow your wax to set overnight or for approximately 12 hours.
Note: do not remove the horizontal pencil stick that’s holding your wick upright, only do this once your wax is properly set!
7. Trim, Light, Enjoy
Once your wax has set, trim the wick down to approximately half a centimetre, above the wax line, light and enjoy! Your candles will make the perfect bathroom accessory.
