How to Make Candles with Essential Oils

Pouring melted wax into a little jar never gets old. Add a few drops of lavender or orange, and you end up with a candle that smells like a proper treat. Shop-bought scented candles cost a fortune. Half the time they smell like plastic vanilla. Making your own means you control the scent, the strength, and the ingredients. Ready to give it a go?

This project takes about an hour of hands-on time. It uses equipment you probably already own, and it gives you candles that smell genuinely lovely. No studio. No fancy tools. A saucepan, a jug, and a bit of patience will do. Let us make something warm and glowing together.

Materials List

• Soy wax flakes — roughly 500g makes four small candles. You can substitute with beeswax pellets (use about 10% less essential oil, as beeswax holds scent more stubbornly) or a soy-coconut blend if you want a creamier finish.
• Essential oils — choose two or three you love. Lavender, sweet orange, peppermint, eucalyptus, and cedarwood all work beautifully. Skip synthetic fragrance oils if you want the real plant-based thing.
• Cotton wicks with metal tabs — pre-tabbed wicks save a lot of fiddling. If you only have loose wick, you can glue a small metal tab to one end with a dab of hot glue.
• Heatproof containers — small jam jars, old teacups, or proper candle tins. Glass must be thick and free from cracks.
• A pouring jug — a clean, dry measuring jug or an old tin can with the top removed and a makeshift handle. Do not use your best china.
• A saucepan and a metal trivet or jar ring — for a double boiler setup.
• A thermometer — a cheap kitchen or candy thermometer is fine.
• Wick holders or two chopsticks — to keep the wick upright while the wax sets.
• Scales — digital kitchen scales that measure in grams.
• Paper towels and rubbing alcohol — for cleaning up spills and wiping containers.

Missing something? Do not panic. A clean tin can and a pair of pliers will do the job of a pouring jug. A wooden spoon can hold a wick steady if you tape it across the jar. Craft is about making do and learning as you go.

Step-by-Step

1. Prepare your workspace. Cover your table with newspaper or a silicone mat. Melted wax is a nuisance to scrape off wood. Set out your containers, wicks, and oils where you can reach them easily. This project moves fast once the wax is hot, so being organised matters more than being neat.
2. Weigh your wax. For each small jar (about 150ml), you will need roughly 100g of soy wax flakes. Wax expands when melted, so fill the jar with water first, pour that water out, and use that volume as a rough guide. I always add an extra 10% to allow for spillage. Better too much than too little.
3. Set up a double boiler. Put a metal trivet or a jar ring in the bottom of your saucepan. Add water until it reaches just below the trivet. Place your pouring jug on the trivet. The jug should not touch the water directly. Melt wax over a gentle heat. Never melt wax in a pan directly on the hob. Wax can overheat and catch fire. If you see smoke, turn off the heat immediately and cover the pan with a lid.
4. Melt the wax slowly. Stir gently with a skewer or an old spoon. Soy wax flakes melt at around 50°C to 60°C. It will look cloudy, then clear. Do not rush this. High heat damages the wax and makes your candles sink in the middle later. Patience pays off here.
5. Add essential oils at the right temperature. Once the wax is fully melted, take the jug off the heat. Let it cool to around 55°C. This is the sweet spot. If you add oils when the wax is too hot, the lovely scent evaporates before it ever hits the jar. For every 100g of wax, use about 20 to 30 drops of essential oil total. That is roughly 1ml to 1.5ml. Blend two or three oils for a more interesting scent. Lavender and sweet orange together are gorgeous. Stir gently for 30 seconds.
6. Attach your wicks. While the wax cools slightly, place a wick in each container. A dab of hot glue on the metal tab holds it flat. If you do not have hot glue, a tiny blob of melted wax on the tab works too. Press it down with a pencil. The wick should stand up straight and tall.
7. Pour the wax. Pour slowly and steadily into each container, leaving about 1cm of space at the top. Do not overfill. If you spill, wipe it up straight away with a paper towel. Once it sets, it is much harder to remove. Pour at around 50°C to 55°C for the smoothest finish.
8. Hold the wick in place. Use wick holders, or lay two chopsticks across the top of the jar and trap the wick between them. The wick must stay centred. If it flops to one side, the candle will burn unevenly. Leave the candles to set at room temperature for at least four hours. Overnight is better.
9. Trim the wick and cure. Once fully set, trim the wick to about 5mm above the wax surface. Now here is the hard part: resist the urge to light it straight away. Let your candles cure for 24 to 48 hours. This allows the scent to bind properly with the wax. Light it too soon and you will wonder where all the smell went.

Beginner Tips

The first time you make candles, a few things will almost certainly go slightly wrong. That is completely normal. Here are the mistakes I see most often in my workshops, so you can sidestep them.

Do not add oils to wax that is too hot. This is the number one scent killer. If the wax is steaming, it is too hot. Wait until you can hold your hand just above the jug without flinching. Around 55°C is perfect.

Do not use too much essential oil. More is not better. Essential oils are potent. Overdoing it can clog the wick, cause the candle to smoke, and waste your precious oils. Stick to 20 to 30 drops per 100g of wax.

Do not pour wax down the sink. Ever. It will set in your pipes and cause a blockage that a plumber will charge you a fortune to fix. Wipe jugs and tools with paper towels while the wax is still warm, then wash with hot soapy water. Keep a dedicated jug for wax only.

Do not skip the curing time. I know, I know. You want to smell your creation immediately. But curing is not optional. The scent needs time to marry with the wax. Two days makes a world of difference.

Do not use a container that is too thin. Thin glass can crack when the hot wax hits it. Thick jam jars and proper candle tins are safe. If in doubt, place the container in a shallow dish of warm water before pouring, to bring it up to temperature gently.

Here is a counter-intuitive one: do not stir your essential oils in like you are making a cake. A gentle swirl for 30 seconds is plenty. Vigorous stirring introduces air bubbles, which create tiny holes in the set wax and make the surface look pitted. Slow and steady wins here.

Have you ever wondered why your first candle sometimes has a crater in the middle? That is called a sinkhole, and it happens when wax cools too quickly. Pouring at a slightly lower temperature and letting the candles set somewhere draught-free helps enormously. If it does happen, do not worry. Just melt a little extra wax and top it up.

Creative Variation

Once you have nailed the basic method, try a layered candle. Pour a base layer scented with cedarwood, let it set for about 20 minutes until it forms a skin, then pour a second layer scented with sweet orange on top. The layers create a beautiful visual effect and the scent shifts as the candle burns down. You can also add a pinch of dried lavender or crushed dried mint to the top of the wax just before it sets. It looks like something from a posh gift shop, and it costs pennies. Another favourite of mine is to use a teacup from a charity shop as the container. It feels personal, and when the candle is done, you can clean it out and use it for tea again.

Troubleshooting

The candle has a crater in the middle. This is a sinkhole. It happens when the wax cools too fast. Prick the surface with a skewer, then pour a little melted wax over the top to fill the dip. It will look perfect once set.

The scent is barely there. Either you added the oils when the wax was too hot, or you did not cure the candle long enough. Next time, check the temperature and wait the full 48 hours. You can also try adding a few drops of a stronger oil like peppermint or clove to the blend.

The wick keeps going out. The wick is probably too short or clogged with oil. Trim it to 5mm and try again. If it still struggles, the wick might be too thin for the size of the jar. Use a thicker wick next time.

The candle smokes or flickers wildly. The wick is too long. Blow it out, let it cool, and trim it down. Also check for a draught in the room. Candles hate draughts.

The wax has pulled away from the sides of the jar. This is called wet spots and it is purely cosmetic. It happens when the wax cools at a different rate to the glass. It does not affect how the candle burns. You can warm the outside of the jar gently with a hairdryer to re-melt the wax and stick it back to the glass. Do not use a naked flame.

The essential oil has separated and sits on top. You did not stir enough. Scrape it off with a spoon and remelt the candle, stirring gently for longer this time. It is a fixable mistake.

Making candles with essential oils is one of those crafts that feels intimidating until you actually do it. Then you realise it is just melting, stirring, and waiting. The worst that can happen is a slightly wonky candle that still smells lovely and still burns. And honestly, a wonky handmade candle is far more charming than a perfect factory one. So gather your jars, pick your oils, and give it a go this weekend. Your future self, curled up with a book and a soft lavender glow, will thank you.