How To Make Beeswax Candles With Essential Oil In 7 Easy Steps (2024)

Making your own beeswax candles can be a fun and rewarding hobby and they make such wonderful gifts! So today I’m going to show you one of the easiest ways to make a diy Beeswax candle with natural ingredients and, scented with your favorite essential oils.

These have no synthetic fragrances and are a great choice for anyone concerned with the toxins from many store bought candles.It’s easier than you think!

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Candle Making Supplies and Where to Get them

You’ll need a few supplies like jars, beeswax, and wicks.

• Beeswax – see below for more info on beeswax
• Cotton wicks (see below for more info on wicks)
• Essential oils in your favorite scents. See below for inspiration and blend suggestions.
• Containers for your candles – see below for some cute container ideas
• Pencil to wrap wicks around as candle is hardening
• Scissors
• wooden spoon
• spatula
• tape

You can choose to melt your wax in a mason jar placed in a pot of boiling water, or I highly recommend getting one of these pour pots. It makes things so much cleaner and easier.

Candle Making Pouring Pot

If you want to make it really easy and plan on making a bunch of candles, this candle pouring kit with warming plate will be worth buying to make it easier on yourself:

Candle Wicks for your Essential Oil Candle

Types of Candle Wicks

There are several types of candle wicks to choose from. The kind that are made from braided cotton material are the best for use in beeswax candle making applications.

• Flat wicks – These are made of knitted fibers such as cotton. They are the most common type of candle wick.
• Cored wicks – You may recall snipping the wick of a standard pillar candle to see that it has a “core” of metal or another type of substance. These wicks are not recommended for beeswax candles.
• Square wicks – Square plaited or knitted candle wicks prolong burning time and are the best choice for making beeswax candles because they help to distribute the wax evenly. Their shape is a bit more rounded than the traditional, flat type of wick.

Here are a few of the most popular candle wicks on Amazon:

Beeswax for your Homemade Candle

The type of wax used for your candle is important because you don’t want to use something that’s going to burn quickly, smoke heavily or give off toxins.

There are several types of high quality natural waxes to choose from. We are going to focus on Beeswax here.

Beeswax is naturally long burning, so it works perfectly for making candles at home.

Things to know about beeswax candles:

• They tend to emit a sweet, honey-like odor
• Color may vary depending on what the bees were pollinating at the time. As you know, there are darker and lighter honeys. Beeswax is no different.
• Beeswax candles need to be trimmed often to ensure that the wick remains exposed
• Beeswax candles that you purchase pre-made may contain hardeners. If you want the purest beeswax candles possible, purchase your own to make from scratch.

Here’s a few different beeswax pellet options that are what to you want to use in your essential oil candle:

What Types of Candle Containers to Use in Your Homemade Essential Oil Candles

Another key item in your list of candle-making supplies is containers. Obviously, you can’t burn beeswax in a plastic container that will melt. Wood or paper would be a big no-no for obvious reasons as well.

This Candle Making kit comes with everything you need including a pretty frosted glass jar with sealing lids, wicks, and labels!

Some additional great candle container choices are:

• Glass Mason Jars of different sizes
• Glass votives that have been painted for the holidays
• Mini tins with lids
• You can also pour your pillar candles into a form that will later be removed so that the candle stands on its own or can be set in a holder or dish.

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Essential Oil Blends for your Beeswax Candle

You can add any essential oil to your candle. Just be sure to use a true essential oil and not a “fragrance oil”. Most store bought “essential oils” that you can find at the drug store or grocery stores are actually synthetic fragrance oils.

The reason you don’t want to use these fragrance oils, even though they may smell fantastic, is that they are made with synthetics and fillers. These can be potentially toxic to breathe in and you may as well be using a store bought candle.

So what are the best essential oils to use in your candle? There really is no right or wrong answer to that. Use your favorite scent or add one based on if you want calming & stress relieving, immunity boosting, energizing, etc.

What is the right amount of essential oil to you use in your candle? Again, there’s no right or wrong answer.

The number of drops of essential oils in the blends below are a general guideline to follow. You can add as much essential oil as you would like.

Each of us has a different personal preference and what is a strong aroma for one person, might not be the same for someone else. For a stronger candle scent, add more drops of each oil.

Here are a few popular essential oil scents ideas for your candles:

(add more or less drops of oil depending on your preference)

A few of the best single essential oil choices:

• Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils and a good choice to start withif you’re unsure what to use. It has a wonderfully relaxing effect for calming stress!
• Eucalyptus oilis another great essential oil choice.
• Ylang Ylang is a great option if you love floral scents.

• Apple Pie scent: 7 drops ginger, 7 drops cinnamon, 7 drops clove
• Clean Linen scent: 7 drops Lavender, 7 drops Eucalyptus, 7 drops Lemon
• Anthropology candle: 10 drops Pink Pepper, 10 drops Siberian Fir, 10 drops Grapefruit
• Spa Vibes: 7 drops Lavender essential oil, 7 drops Siberian Fir, 7 drops Eucalyptus
• Vanilla (my favorite): See this article for blend ideas

The great thing is, you can have some fun and come up with your own blends for your candles. Simply try combining essential oils that have base notes with essential oils that have middle notes and top notes for a balanced blend.

For more on base notes, middle notes, and top notes, see THIS ARTICLE on how to make your own perfume blends. You’ll find a list of each category there.

DIY Beeswax Candle Recipe

Add Some Festive Holiday Touches to Your Homemade Beeswax Candles

Homemade candles make wonderful gifts!!

If you plan to use these candles to decorate your home for the holidays, or give as holiday gifts, then you may wish to add embellishments. Some easy ways to add a bit of holiday decorating style:

Add ribbon. Burlap ribbon wrapped around candle tins and Mason jars creates a rustic look. Red and green plaid gives a country Christmas feel. Velvet bows in a deep scarlet hue make for a rich presentation.

Paint your votives. Use red, white, green, brown, and black acrylic paint to add holiday pinecones, red painted ribbons, berries, holly and pine bows to your collection of Christmas candles.

Homemade candle gifts are quick, easy and fun to make. You can try this project with your children while supervising use of the stove of course. This type of natural, homemade gift from the heart makes a perfect holiday present for family, friends, and even school teachers, sitters, child care providers and bus drivers.

Whatever you do, be sure to have fun and relax while doing your homemade, candle making project. With any luck, you’ll soon be a pro at this.

Background on Beeswax Candles

The history of candles dates back to early human history. They were originally created as a way to provide light and as a source of warmth. These days, we use them for ambiance, mood, home scent, and they also make a great gift!

Candles can be made from animal fat, saps and natural oils. The first candle to use beeswax was born in Turkey in the 13th century. Candles started to be used as a means of decoration and ritual very recently, that is only the past few centuries ago.

Is making candles complicated?

Candles only require a few, simple ingredients to make. It’s much easier than you think!

They’re a fun gift idea for the holidays – think of how much your “crunchy” and health-conscious friends and family members will adore these!

If you’re into experimenting with different essential oil based holiday scents, then you’re going to love making your own, homemade scented candles that smell just like your favorite essential oil blends.

Benefits of Homemade Essential Oil Candles

Do artificially scented candles give you headaches? Are you searching for a natural and healthy option for making homemade, scented candles? Many “non-scented” people who can’t tolerate strong, chemical-based fragrances do really well with nature’s own perfume: natural essential oils.

Another great reason to make your own candles at home is paraffin wax. How healthy is it to breathe in the smoke from burned paraffin? Paraffin, for those who may not be aware, is mineral oil that has been highly refined from petroleum.

So, if you’re trying to avoid having your family breathe in petrochemicals, then making your own essential oil candles could be a great direction to go in.

What other harmful chemicals and additives could be off-gassing from your artificially scented candles?

Homemade candles will ensure that you know exactly what you are breathing in, therefore you can enjoy the relaxing scents and flickering flame without reserve.

For more information on reducing chemical stress in your home, check out this article on Porch.com that I contributed to. I specifically wrote about hidden sources of chemical stress in our home and how artificial fragrance and candles contribute to it.

Essential Oil Candle Aromatherapy Really Works

Maybe the word “aromatherapy” sounds like a made-up term to you? There is legitimate truth to this concept that the odors of different organic compounds can cause a change in your body chemistry that will in turn create different physical and emotional sensations for you.

There are so many options for combining the magical healing properties of pure essential oils to obtain delicious, one-of-a-kind scents for your own aromatherapy candles.

• If you suffer from anxious feelings or stress, you can use Lavender Oil and/or Vanilla in your candles. Both are known for their calming effects.
• Many of the traditional holiday spice scents that go into baking recipes — such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg– produce a feeling of well being and a calm sense of stable groundedness. These can also help boost your immune system.
• Citrusy Scents like Sweet Orange essential oil is known to be a mood lifter, and peppermint invigorates and cools.
• The clean, fresh scent of lemon works to increase mental clarity as it deodorizes and sanitizes your home.
• Cinnamon is known for its antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. So when you burn a cinnamon and lemon scented candle, you’re not only enjoying the warm, spicy aroma of home baked apple pie, but you are also triggering healing reactions in your body and imparting a sense of tranquility and well being.

DISCLAMER CONTENT:

Please consult with an expert/your physician before using essential oils with children less than 4 years of age.

If you are especially susceptible to allergies or sensitivities, you may wish to test your essential oils on a small patch of skin such as your wrist, to determine if they will be well tolerated.

If you find the scent of a certain oil to be overwhelming when used in a room diffuser or candle, you can either use fewer drops, or use only in combination with a calming or grounding such as lavender. Some essential oils may prove too overpowering for extremely sensitive individuals — in which case, discontinue use.

This information is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical advice. If you are experiencing unusual symptoms of any kind, please consult with your physician.

Wrap up of DIY Candles

Making your own candles is actually a fairly easy DIY. It sounds intimidating, but it’s not that hard. It’s not as difficult as it sounds to make a candle at home! All you need is some beeswax (soy wax will also work), organic essential oils for your candle scent, a jar, and a wick.

Homemade candles with essential oils are much healthier for you than plugins or candles made with synthetic fragrances – which includes pretty much all store bough candles.

Homemade candles made with beeswax and all natural candles are so much healthier for you and your family. Try making some for yourself and giving some as gifts!

Before You Go, See What’s New

• 10 DIY Homemade Body Scrub Recipes

• Hibiscus Deep Cleansing Scrub DIY Recipe

• 20 Natural Skincare DIY Recipes That Are Homemade

• Oatmeal Scrub DIY with Honey and Lavender Oil

• 8 Homemade Face Mask DIY Recipes with natural ingredients for your skin care routine

• Vanilla Bean Lotion Bars DIY Recipe

Dawn Goehring