DIY candles are easier than they look, and they make lovely gifts. Below is a simple soy candle tutorial with safety tips for beginners, followed by 20 ideas for scented candles, homemade gifts and rustic candle decor.
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How to Make DIY Candles (Beginner Soy Tutorial)
Supplies You’ll Need
- Soy container wax flakes
- Cotton or wood wicks sized for your jar (check the supplier’s wick chart)
- Candle-safe fragrance oil (optional)
- Heat-safe jars or tins
- A double boiler or a pouring pot in a pan of water
- A thermometer
- Wick stickers and clothespins or a wick holder
Steps
- Prep: clean the jars, stick a wick to the center of each, and cover your work surface.
- Melt: melt the wax in a double boiler, never directly over the heat, using the temperature your wax supplier recommends.
- Add fragrance: stir in fragrance oil at the supplier’s recommended temperature and amount.
- Pour: let the wax cool to the recommended pouring temperature, then pour slowly and center the wick with a clothespin.
- Cure: let the candle set overnight, then trim the wick to about 1/4 inch. Soy candles often smell stronger after curing for a week or two.
Safety Tips and Mistakes to Avoid
- Never leave melting wax unattended, and keep a lid nearby. Don’t use water on a wax fire.
- Use only heat-safe containers and candle-safe fragrance oils. Don’t use cracked or thin glass.
- Don’t pour leftover wax down the drain.
- Test-burn a candle before giving or selling it, and add a safety label. Never leave a lit candle unattended.
Easy Homemade Candles
These easy homemade candles are great first projects.
1. Basic Soy Jar Candle
Follow the tutorial above with a simple jar. Start unscented or with one fragrance to learn how your wax behaves. It’s the best way to get a feel for the process.
2. Travel Tin Candles
Pour wax into small tins for candles that are light and unbreakable. They’re ideal for gifts and for shipping. Add a simple round label.
3. Beeswax Rolled Candles
Roll sheets of beeswax around a wick for tapers with no melting at all. It’s a great project with older kids. They smell naturally sweet.
4. Layered Color Candle
Pour one colored layer, let it set, and add the next. Use dye made for candles. Tilt the jars for an angled look.
5. Citronella Patio Candle
Use citronella-scented fragrance oil in a tin or terracotta pot with a heat-safe liner. It adds summer patio ambience, though don’t count on it to fully keep bugs away.
DIY Scented Candles
These DIY scented candles use popular blends that smell great.
6. Vanilla Bean Candle
Use a candle-safe vanilla fragrance for a warm, sweet scent. Don’t add real vanilla beans or extract to the wax, since they can be a fire hazard. It’s a crowd-pleasing scent.
7. Christmas Balsam Candle
Blend balsam and cedar fragrance oils for a fresh-cut tree scent. Add a sprig on the outside of the jar only, not in the wax. Great for gifts.
8. Pumpkin Spice Candle
Use a pumpkin spice fragrance oil for a cozy fall candle. Pour into a small amber jar for a warm look. It’s a fall market favorite.
9. Lavender Calm Candle
Blend lavender and chamomile fragrance oils for a relaxing bedtime candle. Keep dried flowers out of the wax, since they can catch fire. Tie a dried sprig to the outside instead.
10. Coffee Shop Candle
Use a coffee fragrance oil and tie twine around the jar. Don’t embed coffee beans near the wick, since they can burn. It’s a good scent for gifts for coffee lovers.
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Homemade Candle Gift Ideas
These homemade candle gift ideas look boutique for very little money.
11. Teacup Candles
Pour wax into thrifted teacups that are free of cracks. Check that the cups are heat-safe and sturdy. Each one is unique, and it’s a lovely gift for tea drinkers.
12. Candle and Matches Set
Pair a tin candle with a decorated matchbox and a small wick trimmer. Tie it with twine. It looks like a boutique gift set.
13. Scent Sampler Trio
Pour three small tins in different scents and box them together. Label each one. It lets the recipient find a favorite.
14. Personalized Label Candle
Print custom labels with a name, an inside joke or a wedding date. Add burning instructions on the bottom. Great for wedding favors and showers.
15. Mason Jar Candle Gift
Pour a candle in a small mason jar and top it with a fabric lid and ribbon. See more ideas in our mason jar crafts. Use jars rated for heat.
Rustic Candle Decor DIY
This rustic candle decor DIY adds a cozy glow without complicated candle making.
16. Wood Log Tea Light Holder
Drill shallow holes in a birch log to fit metal-cased tea lights. Use battery tea lights for extra safety. Never leave real flames unattended near wood.
17. Dough Bowl Candle
Pour multiple wicks into a heat-safe metal liner set inside a wooden dough bowl, rather than directly in the wood. It’s a popular farmhouse look. Trim the wicks and never burn it unattended.
18. Birch-Wrapped Candle
Wrap birch bark paper around a glass holder with a battery candle inside. Tie it with twine. Keep bark and paper away from real flames.
19. Rustic Lantern Candle
Set a pillar candle in a lantern with greenery around the base. See our DIY Christmas decor for more ways to style it. Use a battery candle if greenery is close.
20. Hurricane With Sand and Pillar
Fill a glass hurricane with sand or coffee beans and nestle a pillar candle in it. It’s simple, stable and pretty. Trim wicks and keep it away from drafts.
DIY Candles FAQ
What wax is best for DIY candles?
Soy container wax is beginner friendly and cleans up easily with soap and water. Beeswax sheets are the easiest of all, since no melting is needed.
How much fragrance oil should I use?
Follow your wax supplier’s maximum, often given as a percentage of the wax weight. Too much can cause poor burning or a safety problem.
Why did my candle sink or crack on top?
It’s usually from pouring too hot or cooling too fast. Let the wax cool before pouring and let candles set at room temperature. A second thin pour or a heat gun can smooth the top.
Is it safe to add dried flowers to candles?
It’s safer not to put flowers or herbs near the wick, since they can catch fire. Tie them on the outside of the jar instead.
More ideas: crafts to sell, mason jar crafts, and more easy crafts for adults.
More Ideas You’ll Love
Want more? Browse all Easy Crafts for Adults ideas →
Photos are illustrative stock images from Pixabay. Prices are approximate and were checked at the time of writing.
