DIY soy candles that come in at only a few dollars per candle, burn for hours and hours, and can be customized to your favorite scent and color!
The other day we were making a batch of homemade candles in mason jars that I took a picture of and put up on social media. You all emailed and commented like crazy asking me to show you how to make them!
You got it! Soy candle making comes in a variety of ways and difficulty. I don’t claim to be an expert on the subject, in any way. In fact, this version of the homemade candle remains the only one I’ve ever made. Frankly, probably will be the only version I ever make.
These candles are just that easy.
You can utilize your microwave, a large glass measuring cup, and mason jars to whip up a batch of scented homemade candles for far less than you would pay for its counterpart in the store.
The best part…these make easy unique gifts!
Although, having a little stash of homemade candles makes me so giddy that I am reluctant to gift them. Selfish!
To make multi-colored candles:
To make multi-colored candles you simply need to wait for each layer to cool before placing the next color on top. This isn’t a difficult process but IS time consuming. Give yourself a full day to make these sort of candles. Pour a layer of color, go do another task or two, and then come back to pour the next layer.
Does the wick I choose matter?
Absolutely! Wicks are made out of varying materials and burn at different temperatures. They make a big difference in how fast your candle will burn and how cleanly. The wick I’ve chosen doesn’t put out a black smoke (some candles will burn with a black plume of smoke in the air and turn the jar slightly dark in color) AND it burns at a low temperature which means it burns LONGER.
Does the wax I choose matter?
The kind of wax you choose determines how long your candle lasts. Soy wax lasts much longer than typical, cheap candle wax and still has a fairly low melting point. This means it is fairly easy to work with AND gives you a long-burning candle. Beeswax burns even longer than soy BUT has a higher melting point which makes it a bit trickier to work with.
Soy and Beeswax are eco friendly (especially homemade because, in the US, a candle only has to be 51% soy to be labeled as such.)
Soy, however, is more budget friendly than Beeswax and my preferred wax. But try your hand at. both and see which you prefer!
Homemade Soy Candles
Equipment
- 4 cup glass measuring cup
Ingredients
- 3 cups soy wax 10 lb bag was 28.29
- 1 piece organic hemp wicks & wick tabs this is a 200 ft roll for $23.99
- 2 pieces soy wax candle dye only a couple chips goes a long way! This stuff will last forever! $19.99 . —-optional
- 1 pint mason jar buy them in a pack and they are less than $1 each.
- 5 drops essential oil —optional. price depends on your essential oil
- 1 candle wax sticker —optional but make it much easier to keep your wick straight!
Instructions
- Measure a piece of wick that is about 1 inch longer than the jar.
- Insert the wick into the tab, pull it through and wrap about 1/4 inch around itself on the other side.
- If using the sticker, add the sticker to the bottom of the tab and then gently press the sticker with the wick to the center of the bottom of your jar. Press down gently to stick it well.
- Using the glass 4-cup measuring cup; In 1 minute increments, melt your soy wax with 1-2 pieces of colored wax chips (the amount you use depends on the deepness of the color you want–a little goes a long way!) in the microwave until completely melted.
- If desired, add several drops of essential oil and stir well.
- Carefully pour the hot wax into the jar (be sure to hold the wick up so it doesn't fall into the wax) until the candle is the fullness you want.
- Either hold the wick until the wax has set enough to be firm OR use a clothes pin and pinch the wick in the very center of the clothes pin and set the clothes pin across the jar OR use a wooden skewer and twist the wick up around it until tight and set the skewer across the jar.
- Let the candle cool completely over night before using.
Video
Notes
The coloring will last for dozens and dozens (unless you use up all of one color) of candles! Buying these materials and making as many candles as possible means your cost is: about $5 per candle. For a long-burning, soy, scented pint-sized candle…that is a really good price!
Save these project instructions to your Pinterest board for later…
