DIY homemade candles in mason jars are great because you can completely customize them to whatever scent, jar, or wax you’d like. After some practice, they also make great gifts for friends and family. Whether you believe in aromatherapy or not, they’re still a fun project.
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What you’ll need to make DIY homemade candles in mason jars:
- Soy or beeswax
- Jars of your choice
- Hot glue gun
- Wicks
- Essential oil of your choice
- A pot you don’t care about (you will not be able to cook with it again)
- Chopsticks, skewers, or pencils (to hold the wicks in place)
- Paper towels or newspaper
- Coconut oil (optional)
- Pouring pot (optional)
Most of these supplies can be found at the big box craft stores or you can also order them on Amazon. I bought my candle making pot at a garage sale. The amount of wax you need depends on the jar you’re using and how many candles you wish to make. I used 2 cup mason jars because that’s what I had on hand and I used 4 cups of grated wax for each candle (the rule of thumb is to melt twice as much wax as the container will hold). I’ll link to supplies you can buy on Amazon below.
Step by step instructions on how to make your homemade candles
Start by measuring out how much wax you’ll need which will be twice as much grated wax as your container will hold. Then begin setting up the wicks in your jar.
Use the hot glue gun to hold the wick into the middle of the jar by placing hot glue on the bottom of the wick and carefully setting it in the middle of the jar. Keep it in place using chopsticks or another such utensil.
While the hot glue is drying you can begin melting your wax on a low temperature. Be sure that you use an old pot you no longer care about because you won’t be able to cook with it again.
Consult the instructions on the specific bag of wax you’re using and use your thermometer to determine the correct temperature. At this step you can add a tablespoon or two of coconut oil which will help bring your essential oil scent out while burning your candle.
It should look like this when it’s thoroughly melted and ready. Let the wax cool for about five minutes and then add your essential oils. I would recommend using a strong scent like peppermint if you are using soy wax. Beeswax tends to hold scents better.
As for how much essential oil to use, it depends on how strong you’d like your candles to be and what kind of essential oil you are using. I made lavender candles and used about 20 drops of essential oils. Lighter scents made need more drops than stronger scents.
Go ahead and put some paper towels or newspaper down and transport your jars near the pot.
Carefully transfer the wax to the jars and let them sit undisturbed for about two to five hours or when wax has hardened. Voila, you just made your first candle!
Rayford Hebenstreit says
I really appreciate your help with my project!