I don't consider myself the crafty type, but attempting to make my own candles was a project I decided to take on for my monthly clean living column in Clean Eating Magazine. It actually turned out to be pretty easy, and you can make 6 candles for $5 each!
These vanilla scented soy candles are a great gift idea for any occasion. Or you could just make them and give them to friends or family as a nice little surprise. Tie some colored ribbon around each to make them extra gift-worthy!
vanilla scented soy candles
These vanilla soy candles are a great idea for a homemade gift, or just a nice addition to your own home!
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. soy wax flakes (1 ½ qt melted)
- 3 tablespoon vanilla essential oil
what you need
- glue gun
- 6 pre-tabbed naturally coated wicks
- 6 8 oz jars or containers
- 6 clothespins
- double boiler or a pot and a heat safe bowl
- pouring pitcher
- spatula
- scissors
Instructions
- Glue the wicks to the bottom center of each jar.
- Position a clothespin horizontally across each jar to hold the wicks in place.
- Melt wax in a double boiler or in a heat safe bowl over a pot of boiling water. If you can't fit all the soy wax flakes into the pot at once, then just add them gradually as they melt.
- Once all the flakes are melted transfer the liquid wax to a pouring pitcher and add 3 tablespoons of vanilla essential oil and stir with a spatula until it's no longer separating. You could also use other seasonal scents like lemon, pine, or cinnamon.
- Carefully pour the wax into each jar filling it just below the top edge. Use the spatula to get all the wax from the sides of the pitcher.tip: if you spill wax, don't worry! Soy wax scrapes off surfaces easily and can be removed from fabric in the wash. Save any leftover wax in the same pitcher. You can melt it again if you need to fill a hole or level off the candles.
- Once the wax has been poured do not move the candles. Allow them to set for 24 hours.
- Once set, trim the wicks to ¼".
- Decorate the jars with lids, ribbons, and personalized gift tags... and now you fancy and crafty!
Notes
If you can't find pre-tabbed wicks, you can buy the cotton wick and cut it down to size. Then dip each wick into melted soy wax to coat them, feed them through metal tabs, and glue a small piece of the end down. Then you can glue that to the bottom of the jar/container.
Edith
I'm excited to make these but am having trouble finding the wicks! I also live in Toronto.. can you recommend where I could get the pre-tabbed wicks? Thanks!
Lauren Toyota
you can order them online easily or craft stores should have them. OR just buy the natural cotton wick and separate tabs and coat them in melted wax before you do the candles. I mention this option above and it's actually very easy. I saw in most art/craft stores they sold the tabs and the uncoated wick as separate items.
Denise R.
These looks awesome! I love making gifts at Christmas time. I was wondering, where can you find the soy wax chips? I do live in the GTA.
Lauren Toyota
I got them at Above Ground - the art store near OCAD. You can also order online at a number of places. Michael's might have but they are more expensive there.
Saga Vigre
Hi Lauren! I LOVE you and your videos, they make me so happy 🙂
I'm from Sweden and I tried to find soy wax but the soy wax itself is tested on animals 😮 How does this make sense? Do you know of any international websites that sell cruelty free soy wax? Lol...
Lauren Toyota
oh really?! That seems crazy. I honestly assumed that it wouldn't be tested on animals. I don't know!
Sophie
made these and they turned out so well <3 for sticking the tabs to the bottom of the jars i just lit a little tea candle and dumped some of the hot wax to the middle :)) it worked a lot better as i used big jars. thank u so much for the solidddd recipe!!!
Lauren Toyota
Oh awesome! So glad you liked them 😀