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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31 Comments
Emilie @ Emilie Eats
November 30, 2015 at 11:19 amUgh I love candles. Every time I see a vanilla candle, I have to make the impossible decision of whether or not to buy it. I think I currently have 6 vanilla candles in my little box of an apartment.
Davida Kugelmass
December 1, 2015 at 7:01 amI go weak at the knees for vanilla candles too…they get me everytime!
suse
May 25, 2019 at 6:38 pmsomebody can help me , what is the best temperature to mix my fragrance oils in soy wax for a good aroma ?
Brittany
November 30, 2015 at 10:15 pmMaking my own candles has been on my crafty to-do list for years. This post make me want to run to the score for some wax! 🙂
Davida Kugelmass
December 1, 2015 at 7:00 amyou got this, lady!!
Marisa @ Uproot from Oregon
November 30, 2015 at 10:28 pmThis looks so easy! I love all your comments on how we can succeed 😉 I know those came from a place of frustration! Haha!
Davida Kugelmass
December 1, 2015 at 6:59 amso much frustration…each time I make candles it gets easier but it’s definitely a learning curve!
Dani @ Dani California Cooks
December 1, 2015 at 5:47 pmLove this!!! Bet your apt smells amazing. I always have a ton of candles going and fresh flowers – makes the whole apartment that much more homey.
Davida Kugelmass
December 1, 2015 at 7:17 pmTotally…and masks the smell of curry and fried onions that seem to take over our apartment on the daily haha
Janelle @ Wholly Healthy
December 1, 2015 at 6:07 pmWhat a great idea!
Davida Kugelmass
December 1, 2015 at 7:17 pmThanks, lovely!
Alison
December 10, 2015 at 9:45 pmLove this! Where did you get those mason jars? I’m trying to find something similar but am struggling! Thanks!
The Healthy Maven
December 11, 2015 at 10:50 amI got them at a craft store but you can also order them online 🙂
Heather
November 19, 2017 at 12:07 amCheck thrift stores! People just give those things away.
Molly Whitman
May 14, 2016 at 11:03 pmJust curious if you feel the oils lose their benefits when warmed up. Thanks!
Davida Kugelmass
May 16, 2016 at 10:56 amI haven’t found that at all!
sue
October 12, 2016 at 11:17 amI reuse old glass candle containers, and the glass jars that my pasta sauce comes in,saved for new candles. then just melt wax,add EO,wick. done
Lauren M.
December 14, 2016 at 1:52 pmI have had really bad luck with scent throw from homemade soy wax candles and I see there is no temperature levels in your recipe. Does the temp not matter? And how is the scent throw using this recipie? Thanks so much!!!
Candle Junkies
March 13, 2017 at 8:54 pmGreat tutorial and lovely pictures Davida! I’m gonna pin this one to our Pinterest board =)
andrea
February 3, 2018 at 12:40 pmhow well did these burn? what about the scent? was it long lasting? i always read its a bad idea to use aromatherapy essential oils for candle making. were your oils specifically for candle making? or just regular essential oils. if so where did you purchase them from!! thanks 🙂
Jennifer Duke
April 12, 2018 at 3:36 pmI have always bought my essential oils from https://www.bulkapothecary.com and I’ve never noticed a difference between the different oils in my quality. They also have good prices and high quality results.
Matt
April 5, 2018 at 10:22 pmVery nice gift idea.
I’m gonna get them for my GF!!!
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!
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!
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!
Leila Oil
February 15, 2019 at 6:00 amAmazing , Good Job
thank you !!
Janelle
June 29, 2019 at 1:15 pmHave you tried cutting wine/liquor bottles to make candles in?
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!
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.