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Making candles is a fun, rewarding hobby. Few things are more romantic than scented candles, and they also make great decoration. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too much time or effort to create beautiful homemade candles to your exact tastes and specifications. With a few tools that you can find at any arts and crafts shop, you’ll soon have candles in any colour and shape you choose, and you can even add your favourite fragrance to them. Contrary to popular opinion, moreover, there are few scented candle types which you can purchase in a shop, that you cannot make on your own at home.

Basic supplies

Before you get started making candles, there are a few basic supplies you should pick up. You will need wax, wicks, a mould or some containers, fragrances, dyes, and olive oil for your moulds. If you don’t feel like buying all of these supplies, purchase a basic candle making kit, which will contain everything you need to get started.

What type of wax?

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The first decision you need to make when you make homemade candles is what kind of wax you are going to use. In a candle making kit, you will most likely find paraffin wax, as it is the wax most commonly used in making candles. Soya wax is a great alternative, though, as it’s all natural and water soluble, making it a very convenient option. Beeswax is also all natural, and easy to use. No melting is required – you simply wrap the beeswax around a wick, and seal it. Finally, melting old candles together is also a good idea. Just be sure to use colours that will go well together.

Colour and fragrance

Before starting to melt your wax, you will want to think about colour and fragrance. An easy way to add colour to candles, if you don’t want to buy colours from a craft shop, is to use wax crayons. For fragrance you can also be creative. To make homemade candles with a floral scent, try using pot pourri, or cinnamon powder for a cinnamon-scented candle. Aromatherapy oil is also always a good choice for scented candles.

Getting started

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When you make homemade candles, you don’t want to make a big mess. So spread some newspaper over the surfaces you will be using. Then put a pot, half filled with water, over a burner and add a melter. Candle wax needs to be melted in a double boiler, so it doesn’t reach too high a temperature. Then take some olive oil and line your moulds. This will stop the wax from sticking.

Making the candles

To make homemade candles that are moulded, cut the wick about two inches taller than you want the candle to be, then thread it through the bottom of the mould. For votive candles, special pre-tabbed wicks can be bought and placed in the middle of the container. Tie the wick to a pencil and rest it over the mould, to keep the wick in place. Use a candle or cooking thermometer to check the temperature of the wax. For making candles in cardboard, plastic or glass moulds, heat the wax to 130 degrees Fahrenheit before pouring into the mould. For metal moulds, heat the wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Leave the candle to stand so that the wax can set. Let it cool for twelve hours in a cool place, then put it in the fridge for a further twelve hours. Once the candle has been removed from the mould, trim the wick to a quarter of an inch in length, and enjoy your new creation.