Scented Candles: How to Make them yourself

Scented candles are a feature that can generate a sense of warmth and coziness in the home. Their charming scents make your home smell nice when you light them, and they can even add a homely handcrafted touch to the room. These are the principal reasons why many people decide to include scented candles in their decor.

Even when they’re not lit, scented candles can be used as decorative items. This works well when they are of a bright or striking color or texture.

While you can find them in decor shops, supermarkets, and in various other places, it’s fun to create your very own scented candles. The result can be a completely personalized decor item, according to how imaginative you are.

Scented candles made with paraffin

To make scented candles, you should first decide how many you want to make. This is so you can collect together the following materials, according to the number of candles you want.

Materials

• Containers
• Plasticine
• Waxed candle wicks
• Paraffin wax
• Release agent for candles
• Candle scent or essential oils (the scent you prefer)
• Colorant for candles (the color you prefer)
• Candle molds (in the shape you want to make: cylindrical, square, etc.)

Optional

• Salt
• Leaves
• Glitter
• Coffee beans
• Fruit peel
• Flower petals

How to make your own candles

• Melt your candle wax at a temperature of 85°C, no higher.
• Once the paraffin is completely melted, take it away from the heat. Now is when you will need to stir it a bit to make sure it’s melted right through and mixed together well.
• Oil the candle molds with a little of your release agent for candles. Make sure you don’t put too much on the sides of the molds, because it could stain your candles.
• Hang the wicks, and put a little plasticine on the tips of the wicks, to make sure that they stick out of the paraffin wax.
• Next, you should add your essential oil or candle scent and the colorant to the paraffin wax, little by little. The more colorant you add, the more intense the color of your candles will be.

• Then, stir in the scent and the colorant, slowly and in circles, to mix it into the paraffin wax completely.
• Pour a little wax into the molds and let it solidify for a moment.
• Then, tip the rest of the paraffin wax into the molds and put them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
• After this time you should carefully take the candles out of the molds. They will have shrunk slightly.
• Lastly, cut off the extra wick that’s sticking out with the plasticine.

What to consider

When you make scented candles at home for the first time, it might be a good idea to choose a simple design. Once you’ve mastered the techniques, you can go on to create more ornamental candles, or use different materials.

Here’s a thought on using essential oils or scents for your candles. Don’t use too much scent, especially if you are going to be burning various candles at the same time. The idea is to give a nice touch to your home, not drench it in a strong smell. You don’t want to overdo it.

The most common natural candle scents are: coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, eucalyptus, lavender, and a combination of these.

Scented candles made with beeswax

Instead of resorting to paraffin wax to make your own scented candles, why don’t you use a simple natural ingredient? You could try making them with beeswax. The greatest advantage of using beeswax is that even if you just make it without any added color or scent, the candle will still turn out perfectly.

Materials

• A saucepan
• Scissors
• Sheets of beeswax
• Cotton twine
• A glass container
• A hair dryer

How to manufacture

• Firstly, in the saucepan, put your glass container into a water bath and melt a little beeswax.
• Next, prepare some sheets of beeswax and cut them to the size you desire (the bigger and wider the sheet, the more sturdy your candle will be).
• Then, proceed to cut pieces of cotton twine the height your candles will be and dip them in the melted beeswax. Immediately afterward, stick one on one edge of each sheet of beeswax. It’s crucial that the cotton is completely stuck down the length of the sheet.
• Roll up your sheets of beeswax, starting with the edge where your cotton twine is. During this process, you will need to apply heat using the hair dryer, to make it easier to bend the beeswax.
• Proceed to create the shape of the candles. Apply some force to make sure the candle is compact.
• Lastly, let the candles go cold in the refrigerator for a couple of hours without touching them and you’re ready to go.

Scented candles can be placed in the living room on a table, above the fireplace or on a shelf. You could also put some in the bathroom to add a pleasant touch to this corner of your home.