Learning how to make scented candles is so much fun, with their soft glow and gentle perfume. There is nothing quite as relaxing as curling up on a cold winter evening to read a few pages by candlelight of extravagant scent you crafted by yourself. Frankly, there are several reasons you’ll love discovering how to make scented candles at home no matter the season. It all comes down to knowing how to make scented candles to suit your needs, wants and likes. Scented candles are one of life’s little luxuries and helps many of us feel calm and comforted. Like it has always been in the past, it might be in our genetic code to light fire to keep harm away at night or lighting candles to chase dark away and extend our days. Either way, candlelight has been a mainstay in human history and we’ve got so accustomed to it. In modern times, fragrance has become the most defining characteristic of a candle and if you want to learn how to make scented candles at home, it’s essential you start with candle fragrance terms and types as well as how to calculate how much fragrance a candle needs. At some point in the early 2000’s, candles went from nice-to-have-around to a home decor status symbol, thanks to the onslaught of luxury perfumers and candlemakers.
CANDLE MAKING SCENTS
Making scented candle is a wonderful way of turning a boring pillar into a beautiful, luxury candle. When you light your candle and the wax begins to melt, the fragrant oil will vaporize with the wax and infuse the air with a lovely aroma.
• Fragrance Oils
Fragrance oils are by in large, the most widely used fragrance agent for diy scented candles. They’re relatively cheap and very easy to get hold of, making them extremely attractive for the budding candlemaker. Unlike essential oils, the synthetic nature of the fragrance oils means it is relatively easy for industry professionals to manufacture a lot of different types of fragrances. Fragrance oils is specific fruits, flowers, foods, woods and spices are all available to buy online or at your local aromatherapy or craft store. You can also buy blends of fragrance oils that mimic the scent profiles of different designer perfumes or colognes.
• Essential Oils
So, we’ve talked about fragrance oil for making scented candles, but what about the luxurious and sacred aromas of essential oils? You absolutely can make use of them but there are relatively some factors to consider before we dump a whole bottle into the wax. Essential oils are the concentrated oils that are extracted from various plants, seeds, spices, wood and fruits. They have lots of active properties for the body but also for the mind by utilizing techniques used in aromatherapy. Although, essential oils are fantastic way to make use of a more natural fragrance agent, they can be exceptionally expensive depending on the type of oil you buy. Candle making can be a relatively cheap craft but using essential oils can really put a little pressure on your wallet. Because of this, i wouldn’t recommend using essential oils to scent a large candle. Essential oils are however, excellent in beeswax tea lights. The guide for how much essential oil is to be used is about 1 ounce of oil for every pound of wax you use. This works out at between 6 to 7 percent. Keep in mind that, different essential oil will vary in strength, so add a little less (about 5%) if you find the aroma too strong. You’ll also want to add tHe oil after you’ve colored your wax.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR SCENTED CANDLES
Supplies needed:
• Candle wax
• Heat-resistant glass jar
• Double boiler pot
• Silicone spatula
• Essential Oils
• Candle Wicks
• Wick centering device or chopsticks
• Wick trimmer
Step 1: Prepare your container
Before you start melting or mixing your scents, you’ll need something to pour wax mixture into. For safety, we recommend only sturdy glass containers. If you already have a candle jar, you can also clean out the wax from the jar and repurpose the container. Once your candle jars are clean, dry and ready to go, it’s time to melt the wax.
Step 2: Measure Wax
You can purchase all the candle making materials separately but it has been found to be more economical to buy a candle making kit that includes all the wax, wicks and wick-centering devices you’ll need for a whole set of candles. Also, this kit uses natural soy wax flakes which are cleaner-burning than many scented candles you’d buy at the store. It’s easy to determine the amount of wax you’ll need for each candle; Fill your container with wax flakes up to where you want the candle surface to start. Pour the flakes into a pot and measure the same amount again because the flakes melt down so much, you’ll need two containers’ worth of flakes for each candle.
Step 3: Melt Wax And Add Scent
Once you’ve measured out the wax flakes, melt them on medium heat using a double boiler or you can use a metal bowl on top of a saucepan filled with water. Slowly stir the flakes using a silicone spatula. Once the wax is completely melted, add 10-20 drops of essential oils and 6 drops of lavender oil for a 16-ounce candle.
Step 4: Attach The Wick And Pour Wax
Before you pour the candle, you’ll need to attach the wick to the bottom of the vessel. Each wick should come with a flat metal bottom; dip the metal part into the melted wax and place it in the bottom of your jar or container. Hold it in place until the wax hardens and the wick stands up on its own.
Step 5: Let it set
It will take several hours for the wax to completely harden again so, it’s advisable to let the candle sit overnight. When your candle has completely set, you’ll need to trim the wick. You can use scissors but a wick trimmer is the best. Once you’ve trimmed the wick to about 1/4 of an inch, your candle is ready to burn.
