Make Lavender Scented Candles
Today we are making lavender scented candles with essential oil from Provence. We received a bottle of lavender essential oil from the host of the Airbnb where we stayed in Chamaret, France. The owners have lavender fields, and grape vines and the entire property is so lovely. You can read more about Maison Achard & Fils on our sister site, Most Lovely Things.
You will need a few basic supplies to make homemade candles.
- Duralex Picardie Glasses
- Natural wax
- Cotton wicks
- Popsicle sticks (I used these that have a hole in the center as a wick holder)
- A candle-making pitcher or melting pot
- Lavender essential oil
Step-by-step guide to DIY candle-making process
- Make sure you have enough clean jars or cups. We are making four or five.
- Place a glue dot at the bottom of each cup and quickly place the silver part of the candle wick onto the glue dot. I prefer to use hot glue because it dries fast and holds securely. If you do not have a hot glue gun, they do sell wick stickers.
- Popsicle sticks with a hole acts like wick-centering devices to keep the wick in place. I discovered them while watching the television show, With Love, Meghan. I used to use pencils and wrapped the wick around the pencil, but the popsicle sticks work much better!
- Melt the wax in a candle-making pitcher. You could use the double-boiler method. If using this method, ensure your bowl is heatproof, and know it will ruin the bowl.
- Once the wax is liquid, remove it from the heat and add your essential oils for fragrance.
- Pour into each cup and position the wick upright, ensuring it is in the center of the cup or glass.
- Allow melted wax to harden at room temperature.
- Trim the wick once the wax cools.
- Wrap it up!
Make it a little French
I used Duralex Picardie glasses for my candle containers. They are durable glass cups made in France and very reasonably priced. They make excellent drinking glasses for everything from water to wine, but they are also perfect to make your own candles.
How much essential oil will I need to make my candle fragrant?
Start with a small amount of a lavender essential oil, and add as needed. For a 4-ounce candle, I used about 20 drops of essential oil, but how much you use is really a personal preference.
How much candle wax will you need to make 4-6 candles?
If you are making a 4-ounce candle, you will need about 20% less wax for a 4-ounce cup or jar. So if you are making four 4-ounce candles, you should be okay with one pound of wax. This is the package of soy wax flakes or beads that we used. It also comes in a five-pound package. There are lots of options for different waxes, American Soy Organics is my favorite. It burns clean and leaves no residue inside the glass, even after burning it almost entirely to the end.
Why natural soy candles?
Natural soy candles are considered better than paraffin wax for a few reasons. Soy burns cleaner and more slowly. Soy wax is made of soybeans, which are natural and renewable.
Wrap up your finished diy candles to give as a gift
To make these container candles into little gifts, I placed a round piece of cardboard on top of the container. I used an old-fashioned label maker to create labels, and some ribbon to tie them up. It’s a good idea to secure the ribbon on the bottom of the cup with tape, and then tie a bow on top of the jar. You could also wrap in linen or cloth and secure it with twine. Store-bought candles always make a nice gift. A homemade scented candle in a pretty French cup is even better!
