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Did you know that you can make delightful candles with ingredients you have in your home? Most people have essential oils laying around, considering the essential oil industry in the UK is worth £820 million.

From there, all you need is the right wax and molds to make fragrant and therapeutic candles to give out for gifts or enjoy for yourself. The best part is that it's even cheaper when you do it yourself! Let's talk about essential oil candle making and how to get it right on your first try!

Essential Oil Candle Making Materials

Generally, you will only need essential oils, wax, wicks, and molds to make candles. The molds are entirely dependent on your preferences, as they won't harm the integrity of the candle, and custom ones can look great!

Additionally, you may want to choose different coloring agents or organic materials to add to your candles. For example, adding dried orange peels can enhance the natural aromatic qualities of your candles! There's nothing wrong with experimenting, and this is entirely up to you and your imagination!

After that, you will simply need a wax melter, and you can do this with a double boiler on the stove or with a slow cooker like a small crockpot. Wax is easy to clean off with hot water, so don't worry if you use these materials for food, as long as you are thorough with cleaning!

Choose the Right Wick

A hot-burning wick with a slow-burning wax is the perfect combination for maximizing aroma, longevity, and overall benefits. You can choose any type of wick you want, but thicker wicks tend to burn hotter, as do wooden wicks. Wooden wicks are great for enhancing the natural aroma of the candle and limits debris and carbon buildup, but this is up to you.

Choose the Right Wax

For the best results, choose a slow-burning wax to maximize the therapeutic benefits of your candles. Beeswax is one of the best options that are natural, organic, and poses less risk of adverse reactions.

Choose the Right Essential Oils

Lastly, the majority of the scent from your candles will come from essential oils, so choose wisely. Find some essential oils for candles and test some of them to see which scents you like the best. Remember, always keep these oils out of reach from pets and children, as ingesting them can be quite harmful!

How to Make Candles With Essential Oils

Now that you have the necessary materials, it's time to get to work. Here's how to make DIY candles at home that smell fantastic and last for a long time! 

Set Up Your Heat Source

A crockpot or slow cooker is easy to set up. Just bring it to the right temperature and you're golden. For a double-boiler, boil some water and gently place the second pan inside. Don't overfill the water, as you may spill boiling water all over as you place the second pot in.

Add Wax 

You can fill up the pot as much as you'd like with the wax pieces, just don't overflow it. As they melt down, the volume will decrease.

If you want to be more precise with your candles, use a food scale ahead of time to see the weight and compare it to your mold or container. This will help ensure consistency with each candle, especially if you're making more than two or three.

Add the Oil

Once your wax is melted completely, bring it up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and add some essential oils to the mix. A little goes a long way, and you can easily experiment to find the right strength for your project. However. generally speaking, you should aim for 30 to 40 drops of essential oils per 8-oz candle.

This is also a great time to add anything else to the mix if you choose. From there, continue stirring and be careful not to allow the wax to settle.

Set Up the Molds

While the water is boiling or the wax is melting, set up the molds with the wicks at the bottom and rest them on the sides for now. You can put the aligners on, but you will be moving them soon.

Once the wax is completely melted, you can carefully pour your wax into your candle molds and allow them to rest. You will need to move the wicks and their holders out of the way and try to avoid making a mess.

Align Your Wicks

Using the aligners, you can center your wicks from top to bottom. If you don't have aligners, use a clothespin and a clear jar so you can spin it around and ensure that the wick is as centered as possible. Store these away from any bumping hazards (like pets) and allow them to cool at room temperature.

Keep Them Like New

Whether you're giving them away as presents or keeping them in storage for later use, do your best to keep the scent from fading. Keeping them airtight and covered is the best way to do this. For this reason, we recommend using Mason jars or something similar for DIY projects!

Light 'Em Up

Now that you have an easy DIY guide for essential oil candle making, make your home smell fresh today. The process of making and using them is equally therapeutic, so enjoy your new hobby along with the fresh scent! Stay up to date with our latest aromatherapy tips and feel free to check out our aroma diffusers for more delightful scents!