Who doesn’t love candles? These Homemade Aromatherapy Candles make the ultimate relaxation gift and the perfect use for all of those old mason jars. You just need wax, wicks and essential oils. That’s right! essential oils are what help you make homemade scented candles meaning you can customize them yourselves!
Just about the first thing that every person comments on when they walk into our apartment is our excessive collection of candles. C and I collect candles and spend an exorbitant amount on candles each month. Watching us in West Elm is like watching a kid in a candy store. I’m not going to tell you how much we spent on candles last month because it actually makes me want to shed a tear…but we just can’t resist!
In an effort to get our budget under control, I’ve been trying to make candles every couple of months to offset our spending. Once you’ve invested in the ingredients (just wax flakes, essential oils and wicks), it’s insane how much money you can save. Although, if I’m being totally honest candles are one of those things that I let myself indulge in because the process of making homemade candles isn’t always the easiest!
I don’t know if there’s some secret trick to candle making that I’ve yet to discover, but for some reason every time I make them something goes terribly wrong. Which is generally my fault because I’m known to rush the process or skip steps but in the end they always have a way of working out, which is why I keep on making them.
Today I’m sharing my best tips for making homemade aromatherapy candles (or essential oil candles because that’s pretty much what they are!) as well as ways you can avoid making the same mistakes I have the habit of making every single time.
STEP 1: Let’s Talk Soy Wax
In terms of ingredients, these scented candles are fairly easy to make. All you need are soy wax flakes and essential oils (plus your tools). Why soy wax? Candles made from soy wax burn cleaner with little soot released as the candle burns. They’re also non-toxic so they won’t release toxins as they burn.
Soy wax will melt fairly quickly and is easy to manage, however you will want to use some kind of disposable device for stirring as it sticks to everything and is difficult to remove once it’s set. I use a wooden chopstick that I can toss once I’m done the candle making process.
STEP 2: Add your Essential Oils
Aromatherapy candles are effectively essential oil candles. If you’re curious to learn more about aromatherapy check out this post on Essential Oils 101. You’ll need to add about 80-120 drops of essential oil. Yes, this seems like a lot but it’s divided across 4 candles. The amount will depend based on which essential oils you choose. Again, refer to this post for more information about the benefits of different essential oils. Feel free to mix-and-match too! Just add the oils directly to the melted soy wax.
STEP 3: How To Make Scented Candles
This is where mistakes happen so pay attention to these final steps in making your aromatherapy candles:
-Cut your wicks so they are longer in length than the vertical height of your jar. You can cut them down after they have set.
-Secure your wicks with “anchors” by placing a bit of wax at the bottom of your empty jar and then pressing it into place using a chopstick.
-Use a chopstick (a pen works too) and place it horizontally along the top of the jar. Tape your wick to it so that it’s upright, ensuring that it’s completely straight. If it’s not straight it will burn all funky.
-Pour your wax directly into the jar so that it fills to just below the lip and surrounds the wick. ALWAYS pour your candles into your jars over newspaper. Otherwise you will get wax everywhere. And cleaning wax off your stovetop is not fun at all (trust me!)
-Very important: DO NOT pour leftover wax down your drain <– this was not a fun lesson to learn
-You can leave your candles to set in a cool location and it will take about an hour. Cut the wicks down before burning.
Now that you’ve got all your tips, let’s make some homemade aromatherapy candles!
PrintHomemade Aromatherapy Candles
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 4 small candles 1x
Ingredients
- 6 cups soy wax flakes
- natural wicks (anchors optional)
- 80–120 drops of essential oil (I used lavender, grapefruit and eucalyptus)
Other supplies:
- 8 ounce mason jars (or jars of choice)
- wood stirring device
- pens or chopsticks for securing wicks.
Instructions
- Melt soy wax in a pot over low-medium heat. They should melt fairly easily but turn up heat slightly if taking more than a few minutes. Stir using wood stirring device (I used a chopstick)
- Once melted, add 80-102 drops of your favorite essential oils. Amount depends on type of essential oils and how potent they are.
- Anchor wicks to bottom of mason jars using a bit of wax.
- Tape wick upright to a horizontal chopstick or pen (see picture above).
- Pour wax into mason jar and then repeat until all jars are full. Depending on size of mason jars you may have some wax leftover.
- Let stand until solid (about 1 hour).
- Cut wick to desired length.
Like this post? Here are a few other homemade DIY projects you might enjoy:
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39 Comments
Kevin
February 25, 2021 at 11:02 amGreat idea, easy and simple! I love your candles. We will try it.
Sedrick
January 16, 2021 at 1:34 pmThis looks so simple! I love candles.
Ondrej
December 8, 2020 at 4:49 pmHi, do you have any experience with Bipol? I’ve done some reading and it is used commonly as a stabilizer. Its effect should help bind the essential oils so they don’t lose their scent. Any info on that please?
Doug
November 4, 2020 at 8:24 pmOK why would you expect a hot throw from a soy candle with essential oils? It’s not a yankee candle that is designed to make your house smell like synthetic sugar cookies. Its natural wax. Different sort of purpose altogether in my opinion.
VINEVIDA
October 15, 2020 at 4:57 pmHi, thanks for the insightful article above on making homemade candles. My partner and I are trying to do the same, but it seems the hot throw isn’t quite that strong… We are using pure essential oils only (no fragrance) to keep things all natural. What do you recommend? You can check my post about the best essential oils for candles here https://www.vinevida.com/blogs/our-blog/10-best-essential-oils-for-candles-make-your-candle-and-bring-the-target-scent
Thanks!
Taylor
December 4, 2019 at 11:29 amI’ve always heard not to heat essential oils as heat degrades them and can even make them unsafe. Did you research this before making these candles?
Davida Lederle
December 4, 2019 at 3:43 pmYes, heat can degrade the potency of the essential oils but will not make them unsafe. There is a high amount of essential oils so the potency factor isn’t a big deal given how many drops there are. I should add that I am not a certified aromatherapist though I am a certified herbalist and in my education nothing indicated that the EOs would be unsafe. If you’re concerned you can always add the oils while the liquid is still wet but has cooled slightly.
Crystal
November 22, 2020 at 12:44 pmEvery candle recipe calls for essential oils or fragrant oils. Hence how they get their scent.
Louise
November 16, 2019 at 4:02 amI have been looking for ideas for homemade gifts can’t wait to try this today
Davida Lederle
November 16, 2019 at 9:13 pmEnjoy!
Janelle
June 29, 2019 at 1:15 pmHave you tried cutting wine/liquor bottles to make candles in?
Leila Oil
February 15, 2019 at 6:00 amAmazing , Good Job
thank you !!
Justine Lynne
December 13, 2018 at 1:27 pmThis is so easy! I decided to go with homemade gifts for Xmas this year, and having just gotten some amazing new EO blends I was super excited to try this out! Super easy to follow and my candles have been turning out great. I can’t wait to give my sister-in-laws a set of mini mason jar candles for Christmas!
Louis Clark
November 20, 2018 at 12:25 amI love candles. This looks so simple! I’m working to get something similar but am struggling!
Shawndal
October 28, 2018 at 12:12 pmTemperature and the wick play a huge part in the candle making process also the pour temperature and how long they cure .It isn’t an easy process to just throw a candle together Trying to get a good cold throw and hot throw is important takes a lot of testing to get it just right even then you worry about the room temp , frosting and not sticking to the jar properly also the burn pool and time it burns . It truly is an art to get it just right!
Kayla S.
July 15, 2020 at 9:26 amDo you have any advice? I’ve tried so many times but my candles don’t burn right. At first I thought it was the dye but even with just soy wax & essential oils they don’t stay lit. I’ve tried two or three types of wicks also. Very frustrating because I’ve spent hundreds on wax, wicks, jars, oils, dyes & with very little to show for it :/