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If you want to enjoy cozy Christmas candles during the holiday season but want to avoid the chemicals in conventional candles, then try homemaking them! It’ll only take you about 30 minutes and you have a cozy-smelling candle for weeks or even months depending on how often you use it. These candles are also the perfect DIY gift to give for Christmas.
Benefits of beeswax candles
- Less chemicals. The ingredients are beeswax, coconut oil, and essential oils, so not only is it not made with chemicals, but it also does not create any toxic byproducts when being burned.
- Beeswax is a natural air-deodorizer and purifier.
- You can make your own unique scents – instead of choosing pre-made scents, you can create your own combinations and get creative.
- Hormone friendly – Candles loaded with chemicals are pretty bad for our health, and specifically our hormone health. Opt for natural, beeswax candles for a healthier alternative. It’s even better than soy, too, since soy is known to alter estrogen levels.
Is it difficult to make candles at home?
It’s actually so easy and not as messy as you may think! It takes less than 30 minutes. Then after you pour the wax into the candle jars, you’ll let it sit for a few hours to harden and you can use it the next day. Easy peasy, right?!
A tip for easier cleanup:
One thing I figured out while cleaning up was that it’s super easy if you place the pot that had the melted wax in it back into the pot that has the hot water after you pour the wax into the candles. Why? Because it re-melts any residual wax, then you can easily wipe it all off with a paper towel. Then wash with hot and soapy water as normal.
Equipment needed
Naturally refined coconut oil* – This helps the candle melt evenly.
Essential oils – I used cinnamon leaf, but use anything you like. You can also make combinations with several if you want.
Candle jars – this recipe makes about 12-14 oz of candle wax, so you can use one large jar or several smaller ones, just make sure there’s room for 14 oz overall.
Why refined coconut oil?
I used refined coconut oil because I didn’t want any coconut scent when the candle was burning (considering I went with Autumn essential oils). However, if you want coconut in the scent of the candle, then I recommend using virgin, unrefined coconut oil. It’s great for a spring and summertime scent!
How to make sure the candle has enough scent
This is all about how much essential oils you use, as well as the quality of the essential oils. Higher quality oils will hold their scent better when in the hot wax. I call for 2.5 mL of essential oils for this recipe, which is 1/2 tsp. For most scents, this will give off a noticeable scent but may not fill the entire room with the scent. Keep in mind, some essential oils are stronger than others too (I find that warm ones like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. are stronger than fruity ones like orange). If you are wanting a strong candle that fills the room with scent, then opt to use 1 tsp of essential oil instead. I would especially opt for more if using a very mild smelling scent.
What brand of essential oils should I use?
You definitely need to be cautious about the brand of essential oils you buy, because some companies use fragrance and other chemicals in their oils unfortunately. Quality control and ethical sourcing can also be questionable with some companies as well.
I personally love Revive! They have high quality oils that are tested and honest. They are transparent about everything, including where they source their essential oils. They’re also way more affordable than some of the popular brands like Doterra and Young Living (both of which are still great to use if you have them!). And I love that Revive always has free shipping and free returns. I also love Plant Therapy as well, although I haven’t used them as much as Revive for candles, but I think they work.
A tip for wooden wicks
The wooden wicks I have make pretty high flames, so I learned to trim the wick very close to the wax. It helps with keeping the flame lower as well as burn the wax slower. Be sure to trim it before every use. As the candle burns over time, you’ll notice that it’ll be hard to trim the wick with straight scissors, so a wick trimmer will come in handy for trimming it lower into the candle.
I love using regular wicks as well – but you have to use use 1 for every couple inches in the candle because they don’t burn as hot, so candles can tunnel more easily. You also won’t want to cut them as short as wooden ones.
A tip for working with beeswax
I have made candles dozens of times over the last couple years and I’ve learned a few important lessons with beeswax:
- It’s good to opt for smaller candle vessels, especially when you’re first starting out on the candle making process. Use a jar that has a 3-4″ opening. Beeswax doesn’t melt quite as easily as other waxes, so it’s helpful to not require the melt pool to be quite as big.
- Do not let the water boil when melting the wax in the double boiler. I find that this can damage the beeswax, and it ends up cratering when hardening in the candle. It creates air pockets that are not only unsightly but also makes the candle not as functional if the crater is too big. I keep track of the temperature of my wax/oil mixture as it’s melting and make sure it doesn’t get above 145ºF. It takes longer to melt, but the wait is worth it.
- Choose your wicks wisely – I’ve had the most success with wooden wicks – they burn hot and help create a bigger melt pool. They also sound delightful! If using cotton wicks – I have found that the smaller tea light wicks are actually best, but you need one for every 1-1.5″ of space in the candle or else you won’t have the full melt pool.
What jars to use for candles?
I found these candle jars and I think they are perfect! You can also use small, wide mouth mason jars if you have them on hand, or you can use any thick glass or ceramic container.
Please be sure to let me know if you tried out homemaking candles! I would love to hear how it went and what scent you chose to use. The engagement also helps my website significantly, so I really appreciate it! 🙂
PrintHomemade Christmas Candles (with beeswax)
These candles are the perfect DIY gift to give for Christmas, or just a non-toxic gift to yourself to enjoy a cozy candle during the holidays without all the chemicals!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cool Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 (6-oz) candles 1x
- Category: DIY
- Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
8 oz (226g) beeswax
75g refined coconut oil* (1/3 cup)
2.5 mL cinnamon leaf essential oils (1/2 tsp)
Two 7-oz candle jars with 3-inch opening
Instructions
- Prepare the candle jars: Stick the wicks to the bottom in the center of the candle. If the candle jar is wider than 4″, then consider placing two wicks in it to make sure the edges melt as well. The wick will likely be too long, but you’ll trim it as needed. I prefer to trim it now because it makes it much easier (just remove it and cut with scissors to desired length).
- Set up a double boiler on the stove with the heat on med-high. You want the water to be hot or to very lightly simmer, but do not boil. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can create your own by putting water in a large pot (about 1/3-1/2 full), then placing a smaller pot into the water.
- In the top pot, add the beeswax and coconut oil and stir until melted. It’ll take about 15 minutes. You don’t want it to get too hot, so a slow melt is good. If it gets too hot, then it may damage the beeswax and it will end up drying incorrectly in the jar. If you have a kitchen or candy thermometer, then keep it in the wax and make sure it doesn’t go above 145ºF.
- Once melted, remove from heat. Add the essential oils and stir until incorporated. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Carefully pour the wax mixture into the prepared candle containers, making sure the wick stays straight. Leave about 1/4-1/2″ of wick above the wax. Let the candle rest for an hour or two for the wax to harden. Trim the wick as needed. Let the candle sit for at least a day before lighting.
- Be sure to trim the wick after every use.
- Tip for easy cleanup: Put the top pot (that had the candle wax in it) back onto the bottom pot of hot water – this will melt any residual wax in the pot, then you can wipe it off with a paper towel. Then clean as normal with hot water and dish soap.
Notes
*You can used unrefined coconut oil, but keep in mind that it’ll have a coconut scent to it. This is great if you want a fruity candle! Since I was making an Autumn-inspired candle, I opted for refined coconut oil.
