Candles are one of my favorite things to have on hand, especially during the cooler months. There is something so inviting about escaping the cold and walking through the door to a warm home where you’re met with delicious smells. Plus, they make great gifts–and even better if you make them yourself. Everyone can appreciate the thought and time that goes into a handmade gift.
Candle making is fairly simple & cost effective. I buy all of my supplies from candlescience.com -they offer all of the supplies you need, video instructions & a good selection of scents with thorough descriptions of how they smell.
What you will need:
- Containers for your candles (I used Linda Renee Pottery ceramic containers)
- Hot glue gun
- Pre-tabbed wicks (I used 6″)
- Wax (I buy shaved soy wax)
- Scent oils (this time I used Merry Mistletoe, Caramelized Pralines, and Cypress & Bayberry )
- Tape to keep wick upright
- Candy thermometer
- Glass or metal 2-4 cup measuring cup
- Stovetop pot to melt wax
Be sure to watch the instructional video on the candlescience site. Something very important about adding fragrance to hot wax is that each fragrance has a specific “flash point” at which you could have a fire on your hands. Having a way to monitor the temperature of the wax as it melts & before you add in your fragrance is a top priority.
Once you’re prepped & ready to go, gather your containers & glue the wicks down.
Then, add a piece of tape across the top to keep the wick from falling while the wax cools.
Next, you will heat your wax to a safe temperature, add your scents & allow the wax to cool a bit before you pour into your containers. As the wax cools, it will turn milky white again.
Once your candles are set & completely cooled, remove the tape & trim the wicks.
See? So easy! And my house now smells heavenly.
One thing I love about pouring candles into beautiful containers is that they can be used again once the candle has burned all the way through. These small vessels that my mom made are timeless, beautiful & one-of-a-kind. I love that when they are lit, the white glaze glows from the inside creating a lantern effect.
What kind of handmade gifts do you enjoy giving during the holidays?
XO-
Lauren
