From Melting Pot to Scented Haven: The Art of Handmade Candle Making at Home

By Stefanie Michaels

When I’m on the road, I always seek out special items from local places to bring back home. Everywhere one goes, there’s candles, right?

Cities all over the world have facilities to create them. Grasse in France is considered the “perfume capital of the world,”—known for its production of high-quality candles. A USA candle-making city of Kringle Candle in Massachusetts, is known for its hand-poured, highly scented candles.

This got me thinking about candle making at home. How fun it would be to take the candles I see from my travels and turn it into a fun activity at my house for family and friends to participate in.

Here’s what I learned and the basic steps to make candles at home:

1. Gather materials: You’ll need candle wax, wicks, a double boiler or a heat-safe container for melting the wax, a thermometer, and fragrance or essential oils you want your candle to smell like.
2. Prepare the wicks: Cut the wicks to the desired length of your candle and tie one end of the wick to something like a chopstick. This will help keep the wick in the center while the wax sets.
3. Melt the wax: *You’ll need a double boiler to melt the wax or you can create a homemade one by putting a heat-safe container into a pot of simmering water. Stir the wax occasionally.
4. Make sure to use a thermometer to ensure the temperature does not exceed 185°
5. Add fragrance or essential oils: Once the wax is melted, add fragrance or essential oils to the wax—ratio is 1 ounce of fragrance per pound of wax. You can also skip this step and leave the smell natural.
6. Pour the wax into the container: Carefully pour the melted wax into the container or your choice. Make sure to keep the wick in the center as you pour.
7. Allow the candle to cool and set: The candle needs to cool. Let it set for at least 2-3 hours, or until the wax has hardened.
8. Once the wax sets, trim the wick to about 1/4 inch above the wax. Leaving it too long will make the candle smoke as the wick burns.

Items you can add to customize a candle:

1. Herbs and flowers: Add dried herbs and flowers such as lavender, rose petals, or chamomile to the wax before pouring it into the container.
2. Glitter: Put in a small amount of glitter to the melted wax. It will add a sparklyness. For the holidays, it will lend to a festive touch.
3. Small objects: Add in small objects such as tiny shells, stones, or even small toys. Makes for a unique customized candle.
4. Essential oils: Essential oils such as lavender, vanilla, or peppermint can be added to the wax for a more aromatic candle.
5. Food items: Small food items such as coffee beans or cocoa nibs can be added to the wax. As the wax warms, warm and homey smells will emit.
6. Color dye: Candle dyes can be added to the wax to create candles in different colors. Add in drops, lightly stirring to create a tie-dye look.
7. Personalized label: A personalized label on the candle with the recipient’s name or a special message inside makes for a special gift.

It’s not recommended to add metal charms to candles— they can get very hot when exposed to the flame and may cause a fire hazard. Additionally, metal may not melt or burn properly, and may release potentially harmful fumes.

TIP: *Always use caution when working with heat and melted wax, and never leave a burning candle unattended. Make sure to research if the item you want to put in the candle is safe to burn and how much of it you should add.