Homemade candles have taken the DIY world by storm, and for good reason! After researching this craft for months, I can tell you that making your own candles is way easier and more rewarding than most people realize.
OK so picture this – it’s pouring rain outside, you’re in your comfiest clothes, and there’s this amazing vanilla scent filling your living room from a homemade candle that didn’t cost half your paycheck. Pretty nice, right?
I started researching homemade candles last year after watching my friend Sarah burn through a $32 fancy candle in what felt like three days. “There’s gotta be a cheaper way,” she said, and boom – down the candle-making rabbit hole I went.
What I discovered? Homemade candles are WAY easier to create than you’d think. After talking to a bunch of people who’ve been making candles for years (and spending way too many hours on candle-making Reddit threads), I can tell you the satisfaction factor is huge. There’s something kinda magical about someone walking into your house and going “What IS that amazing smell?” and you get to casually drop “Oh, just a homemade candle I whipped up.”
What You Actually Need to Start Making Homemade Candles
Listen, if you Google “homemade candles supplies,” you’ll get hit with a million things you supposedly “need.” But after comparing notes with actual candle makers (not just companies trying to sell you stuff), here’s what beginners actually need:
- Wax: Most people I talked to swear by soy wax for beginners. One lady told me, “I knocked over an entire container of paraffin once and nearly divorced my husband when he tried to help clean it up.” Soy is more forgiving!
- Wicks: Get the pre-tabbed cotton ones. Trust me on this. Life’s too short to be messing around with making your own tabs.
- Containers: This is where you can get creative and cheap. Empty pasta sauce jars, weird teacups from your grandma, whatever! Just make sure it won’t catch fire… obviously.
- Fragrance oils: Don’t cheap out here. A woman named Brenda from Milwaukee messaged me saying, “I tried to save $4 on fragrance oil and ended up with 10 homemade candles that smell like nothing. Worst $40 I ever saved.
- Essential oils: Lots of beginners try these first (I did too – seemed “healthier”), but apparently they don’t throw scent well in homemade candles. You can try, but don’t expect miracles.
- Coloring: Please don’t use crayons despite what Pinterest says. Actual candle dye exists for a reason.
- Double-boiler setup: Fancy term for a pot of water with another pot or bowl sitting on top. You probably already have this in your kitchen.
- Thermometer: Any kitchen thermometer works. One guy told me he ruined his fancy meat thermometer and his wife still brings it up 3 years later, so maybe get a separate one.
- Stirring utensils: Don’t use your good kitchen spoons unless you want your spaghetti to taste like “Summer Breeze” forever.
- Kitchen scale: Super helpful for getting measurements right, but if you’re really just testing the waters, measuring cups can work OK too.
How to Actually Make Homemade Candles Without Messing Up
First Things First: Don’t Skip the Prep
Almost everyone I interviewed had a horror story about rushing this part. My favorite was from a guy who said his cat jumped on the counter mid-pour and he ended up with what he called a “wax disaster that took three days and a lot of swearing to clean up.” So yeah, maybe put the pets in another room when making homemade candles.
Most people recommend putting down newspaper, turning on some music, and making it a whole little ritual. Sounds cheesy but apparently it helps avoid mistakes.
Step 1: Measure Your Stuff (Please Don’t Wing It)
Here’s a direct quote from someone who’s been making homemade candles for 5 years: “I eyeballed it ONCE. Just once. And I had to throw away everything and start over.” For a regular 8oz mason jar, you need about 10oz of wax flakes since they melt down to around half their volume.
Step 2: Melting Wax Without Drama
Pop your wax in the top part of your double boiler and heat it to around 180°F. This part is boring – it’s literally watching wax melt. But please don’t wander off to check TikTok. A woman from Ohio told me she did that and came back to smoke and a ruined pot. Just saying.
Step 3: Get Your Containers Ready
While your wax is melting, wash and COMPLETELY dry your containers. Even tiny water droplets can mess up your homemade candles. Most people use a little dot of hot glue to stick the wick to the bottom of the container. Then do the pencil-across-the-top trick to keep the wick centered. (I thought this was just a Pinterest thing but turns out everyone actually does it!)
Step 4: Making It Smell Good
Once your wax cools down to about 140°F, it’s time for fragrance. According to pretty much everyone, beginners are WAY too stingy with fragrance oils. You need about 10% of the wax weight – so for an 8oz jar, use around 0.8oz of fragrance.
One woman told me, “My first batch of homemade candles smelled amazing in the jar but couldn’t scent a matchbox once lit.” Apparently this is super common.
Step 5: Pouring Without Cursing
Pour slowly and try not to create air bubbles. Leave about half an inch at the top – candles need this space when burning or they’ll overflow. If you see bubbles, gently tap the sides of the jar like you’re trying to wake someone up without scaring them.
Step 6: The Waiting Game
This is apparently where most people mess up. You’ve gotta wait AT LEAST 24 hours before lighting your homemade candle. For gifts, most people recommend waiting a full week to let the scent properly bind to the wax. I know, I know – it’s like waiting for paint to dry, but way more annoying because it already LOOKS done.
Scent Combos That Won’t Make Your House Smell Weird
Seasonal Stuff That Actually Works
After reading through approximately 8 million forum posts about homemade candles, these combinations kept coming up as crowd pleasers:
- Fall Mix: Pumpkin + cinnamon + vanilla. Basic? Yeah. Makes your house smell amazing? Also yeah.
- Christmas-y Stuff: Pine + cranberry + a tiny bit of orange. Someone described this as “smelling like decorating the tree with a cup of hot cider” and honestly that sounds perfect.
- Spring Cleaning Vibes: Lavender + lemon + fresh cotton. As one person put it, “Smells like you’ve been cleaning all day when you definitely haven’t.”
- Fake Vacation: Coconut + lime + sea salt. A lady in Minnesota says she makes these homemade candles in February when she’s “sick of looking at snow.”
Making Them Look Nice (Because We All Know You’re Gonna Post Them)
People get REALLY into decorating their homemade candles:
- Layer different colors: Pour one color, wait 30 minutes until it’s partly set, then pour another. Looks fancy, isn’t actually hard.
- Stick stuff in them: Dried flowers, cinnamon sticks, whatever. Just make sure it’s not going to catch fire!
- Wrap them up: Even just a piece of twine tied around the jar apparently makes homemade candles look “boutique worthy” according to several Etsy sellers.
- Labels: This is where people go nuts. One woman makes custom labels with her friends’ names and gives them as gifts – “Sarah’s Happy Place” or “Mike’s Man Cave” – and said people lose their minds over how thoughtful it seems.
When Things Go Wrong With Homemade Candles (And They Will)
The Tunnel Problem
OK so this is super common – your homemade candle burns straight down the middle and leaves this sad ring of wax around the edges. It’s called “tunneling” and it happens when you don’t burn new candles long enough the first few times. You need to keep them lit long enough for the entire top layer to melt – about one hour per inch of container diameter.
The Dreaded Sinkhole
Ever made a perfect-looking homemade candle only to come back later and find a crater in the middle? Almost everyone mentioned this problem. The fix is simple though – save a little melted wax, and once your candle has cooled completely with its annoying divot, reheat that extra wax and pour a thin layer on top.
The “No Smell” Disappointment
This one hurts the most – you make a gorgeous homemade candle that smells amazing in the jar but releases zero scent when burned. After reading through dozens of frustrated posts about this, the consensus is: you need candle-specific fragrance oils (not just any essential oils), and more of them than you think. Quality matters here – the super cheap oils just don’t work well no matter how much you use.
Why Homemade Candles Beat Store-Bought Every Time
You Control What’s In Them
Lots of people got into making homemade candles because they got headaches from store brands. Turns out many commercial candles contain paraffin (basically petroleum byproduct) and synthetic fragrances that can be irritating. With DIY versions, you pick the ingredients.
One mom told me, “I started making homemade candles when my kid developed asthma and our doctor suggested removing commercial air fresheners and candles. Now I use soy wax and carefully selected fragrance oils, and we haven’t had issues.”
The Money Thing
Let’s be real about the costs. That fancy candle at the mall? $35. A homemade candle? About $6-7 in materials once you have the basic supplies.
I made a spreadsheet comparing costs (yes, I’m that person) and found you break even after making 5-6 candles. After that, it’s all savings. Plus, as one person put it, “My Christmas gift budget goes three times further now that I make homemade candles for everyone.”
Nobody Else Has The Same Ones
The customization factor is huge. One story that stuck with me was about a woman who made a special “New Home” homemade candle for her brother when he bought his first house – a blend of clean linen, sandalwood, and vanilla that she named “Fresh Start.” He apparently keeps asking for the same scent years later.
You just can’t get that level of personalization from Bath & Body Works!
Final Thoughts: Are Homemade Candles Worth It?
After all this research, talking to dozens of candle makers, and reading enough forum posts to make my eyes cross, here’s my take: if you’ve ever enjoyed a good-smelling candle and don’t mind a bit of a learning curve, homemade candles are totally worth trying.
The startup costs aren’t crazy high, the process isn’t as complicated as it first seems, and there’s something satisfying about creating something practical that you actually use. Plus, based on the passionate responses I got when researching this article, the homemade candles community is super welcoming to beginners.
Ready to Try Making Homemade Candles?
Start simple! Get some soy wax, a few wicks, and one fragrance oil you absolutely love. Use jars you already have, and don’t stress if your first attempt isn’t perfect. As one veteran candle maker told me, “My first homemade candle had a crooked wick and way too much lavender oil. I still felt like a wizard when I lit it.”
There are tons of Facebook groups dedicated to homemade candles where you can ask questions (seriously, these people LOVE converting newbies to their hobby). And hey, worst case scenario, you end up with some weird-looking candles that still smell nice.
I’d love to hear how your homemade candle adventures go! Drop a comment below with scent combinations you’re thinking of trying or questions you have. And if you end up with any spectacular candle fails, please share those too – apparently they’re a rite of passage!
