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How To Make Scented Candles at Home

By Categories: Household

Candles are a great add-on for many occasions.
Foto: Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Unsplash - Autumn Hassett)

If you have bits of wax leftovers from old candles, why not make your own scented candles instead of throwing them away? We’ll look at how to make DIY scented candles and how to customize the scents. 

Making DIY Scented Candles: Instructions

Making scented candles is simple, but be careful with the hot wax. You’ll need the following:

  • candle scraps
  • organic essential oil of your choice (see more below) 
  • a piece of yarn made of cotton or hemp
  • a glass jar, e.g. an upcycled old jam or olive jar 

How to make a scented candle:

  1. Put all the candle scraps in an old pot.
  2. Place the pot in a water bath so that the scraps melt together.
  3. Add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice to the hot candle wax. 
  4. While the candle scraps are melting, you can make the wick. Braid the cotton or hemp thread to make it more stable. 
  5. Pass a toothpick or skewer through the tip of the thread and place it over the rim of the jar. This will help prevent the thread from falling into the hot wax later.
  6. Carefully pour the wax into the jar and let it dry — your DIY scented candle is finished!

Making scented candles at home means you get to control exactly how strong the fragrance is, and it also helps to reduce waste.

Using the Right Essential Oils for Your Candles

making scented candle s
Be sure to shop for organic essential oils that can be safely burned. (Photo: CC0 Public Domain / Pexels - Tara Winstead )

Make your DIY scented candles smell of your favorite fragrance by adding a few drops of natural essential oil. Be careful not to use too much — just a few drops is often enough for a pleasant smell. Different essential oils are good for different things:

  • Calming: lavender oil or rose oil 
  • Invigorating: grapefruit, ginger, or orange oil 
  • Bug Repelling: mix a few drops of citrus oil with eucalyptus to keep the bugs at bay
  • Winter: cinnamon, apple, pine or vanilla oil conjure up images of the snowy Christmas season

Looking for more ways to use the essential oils that have been sitting in your cabinet for ages? Try using them to make homemade deodorant, DIY body wash, or lip balm.

Feel free to combine scents to come up with something uniquely you. Some of our favorite combinations include: 

  • rosemary and lime 
  • lemon and lavender 
  • eucalyptus and mint 

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