Are you looking for a simple gift or baby shower party favour? Look no further! Homemade soy candles are budget friendly, beautiful and who doesn’t like getting a pretty candle? I paired up these homemade soy candles with my coconut soap as Christmas gifts to my girlfriends and also used them as baby shower party favours.
Supply List for Homemade Soy Candles
- Pot
- Spatula
- Wicks:
- Wooden wicks and metal wick holders
- regular wicks (pictured above)
- Soy wax
- Glue gun
- Candle vessels (mason jars)
- Optional:
- Essential Oils (I did not use Saje for this project due to the expense but found a cheaper essential oil from supply store).
- Crystals I picked up from Michaels Craft Store
Why Choose Soy Wax Over Paraffin?
- Doesn’t contain nasty chemicals contained in paraffin wax
- can throw off scents better (if you like scenting your candles)
- burns longer/evenly
- less soot factor
How Much Wax Do I Need For Homemade Soy Candles?
- 1 pound of Soy Wax will fill 16 oz
- I filled 12 Mason jars (125ml/4 oz) so I needed approximately 3 pounds of Soy Wax which you can get on amazon.
Candle Vessels Options
I bought these 120 ml/4 oz glass mason jars from Amazon. Feel free to use any candle vessel you want. The thrift store is also a great place to find unique vessels or save containers from packaging at home.
Candle Wick Options
I became slightly obsessed with wooden wicks for this project. If you want to make this project easier you can purchase wooden wicks or you could just buy standard candle wicks instead. I was debating over the price when my handy husband offered to rip me some wooden wicks on his table saw with some left over maple he had in the garage.
DIY Wooden Wick Tips
If you are using wooden wicks not from the store I recommend soaking the wicks in olive oil for a couple of hours before hand. Also I recommend placing 2 wicks into your wick holder for every candle because your candle will burn more evenly.
Make sure you trim your wooden wicks after your candles have set. If there is too much wood material between the wax it may not light or the candle will self extinguish. To ensure this doesn’t happen all you need to do is measure with a ruler 5 mm/0.2 inches up from the wax and cut.
Scissors will not cut properly and I didn’t have fancy “wick trimmers” so I raided my husband’s garage for a pair of diagonal cutting pliers. They worked amazingly!
5 Simple Steps to Homemade Soy Candles
- Hot glue gun candle wicks in place. If using wooden wicks, I recommend placing 2 wooden wicks into holder for each candle. If using standard candle wicks you need to hold them in place for pouring (see image below).
2. Fill up your pot with chucks of Soy Wax to melt down. Stir frequently on low heat. I used an old pot from the thrift store but you can also use a double boiler technique.
3. When soy wax is completely melted pour into candle vessels. I wanted a bit more control so I used an old coffee pot as my pouring container. I recommend using something with a spout.
4. Let the wax cool for about 30 mins and add fragrance. Candle makers recommend 10 percent fragrance but if you are using Essential Oils as your fragrance you need to add in so much more than 10 percent. Essential oils just don’t throw fragrance into a room like artificial scents. This was for Christmas so I used Peppermint Essential oil. I added about 20 drops to each 4 oz candle vessel.
5. I let the wax cool for about an hour and then added my final touches of crystal and silver glitter to the top. Viola!
Why did I add Crystals?
Besides looking pretty crystals have meaning and earth energy. Purple crystals encourage self love, can help with insomnia and headaches. They promote stress relief and spiritual wisdom. While pink crystals can help with healing, represent love and compassion. They are perfect if you want to bring kindness into your life or mend a broken heart. Maybe you think of this as woo-woo but I thought it added an extra something something. Lets’s spread light, love and healing with a candle!
I really loved they way they turned out! They were perfect for Baby Shower party favours and I gave them away at Christmas time too. Who doesn’t love a pretty candle? Let me know how this worked for you? Leave a comment below.
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