Make Natural Candles in Your Favorite Fall Scents

Everyone wants their home to smell fresh and clean, but the type of air freshener you use makes a big difference. After all, chemical air fresheners are harmful, from kitchen aerosol sprays to paraffin wax candles to the air freshener plugged into your bathroom outlet.

Fortunately, soy wax candles are a non-toxic, chemical-free way to fill your home with your favorite fall scents this Thanksgiving. Best of all, with this DIY guide, you can make your own natural candles at home! Master the art just in time to make candles in bulk as holiday gifts for family and friends.

Pick a Container

The first step is to pick the right container to set the mood. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive—just make sure the container is glass, ceramic, or metal for the sake of durability and withstanding high temperatures. Here are some popular choices:

• 4- or 8-ounce Mason jars
• Drinking glasses
• Empty baby food jars
• Teacups or coffee mugs
• Small metal containers

Purchase Your Other Supplies

To find all the perfect ingredients and supplies at the right price, we suggest shopping around online and in local stores. The shopping list here is enough to make one 4-ounce candle. We recommend making five at a time. You can also increase the amounts as necessary to make 8-ounce candles.

Here’s what you need:

• Slow cooker
• 1 1/2 cups soy wax per candle
• Boiling water
• Tongs
• Hot pads
• Stir stick (such as a chopstick or Popsicle stick)
• 50 drops of essential oil per candle (we suggest lavender essential oil, rosemary essential oil, or any combination of your favorite oils)
• 1 tsp virgin coconut oil per candle
• One wick per candle (small wicks for 4-ounce jars; large wicks for 8-ounce jars)
• Clothespins

Make Natural Soy Wax Candles

While there are several options for Heating candle wax and pouring it into Mason jars, Simply Living shares an easy, mess-free way to make non-toxic candles at home using a slow cooker. Just follow these steps:

1. Spoon soy wax into each container. Press the wax down with the back of the spoon and continue to add more until the containers are almost completely full. (For 4-ounce Mason jars, this may take about one cup of wax.)
2. Set the containers in your slow cooker and turn the appliance to the high setting.
3. Pour boiling water into the slow cooker until the water level comes halfway up the sides of the containers.
4. Cover the slow cooker and let the wax melt for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Check on the wax and spoon more into each container as it melts, pressing down gently to compact it. (There may be room for another one-half cup of wax.)
6. Place the lid back on the slow cooker and allow the wax to melt for another 50 to 60 minutes (longer for larger containers).
7. Once fully melted, carefully remove the containers from the slow cooker with tongs and set them on hot pads.
8. Combine the coconut oil and 50 drops of essential oil. Pour the mixture into the melted wax and mix with a stir stick. Let the candles sit for 10 minutes.
9. Insert a wick into each candle, holding the top in place with a clothespin. Let the candles rest until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
10. Remove the clothespin and cut the wick to one-half-inch long. The candle is now ready to use or give away as a holiday gift.

With this guide, your home will smell sweet and fresh without putting harmful chemicals into the air! For more about the importance of indoor air quality, please contact Aire Serv®.