How To Make The Perfect Candle At Home: Materials, Method & Master Tips

Ready to make your home a little brighter? Here's everything you need to know about making DIY candles.

The following method is an easy-to-follow process that even beginning DIYers can tackle. It's something you could even accomplish with older children and supervision. Don't overthink it or try to perfect it the first time—that's what practice is for. 

Only a few supplies are needed to make DIY candles at home, and while they may not be regular household items, they're easy enough to find and source online.

Use a measuring cup of water to accurately measure by filling the vessel with water and then pouring it into the measuring cup. This is how much melted wax you'll need. Another method of measuring is to fill the container with the dry wax flakes and multiply by two. 

If you're using just one wick, place it in the middle of the bottom of your vessel. If you're using multiple, place them evenly throughout. At this point, you'll want to attach your wick so that it remains straight. An easy option is to use masking tape and popsicle sticks to form a brace at the top of your vessel to hold the wick in place.

Heat the wax in a saucepan on the stove until it is the consistency of a liquid oil. You can clean the saucepan and use it for food again afterward, but if you're concerned about the mess, you can also use a double boiler for this step. Fill your pan with water and place a heat-proof container with your wax in or on the water bath. Bring the water to a boil and stir until your wax has melted. Carefully remove your wax from heat.

If you're using any essential oils to scent your candle, now is the time to add those. Make sure your wax has cooled down to below 140 degrees Fahrenheit or the essential oil could be damaged. Add up to 20 drops for a 16-ounce candle. You'll often need more scent than you anticipate.

Once it has cooled completely, trim the wick down to about one-quarter inch, light, and enjoy your deliciously scented and economical candle!

When you're eager to dive in and learn the ropes of candlemaking, the best place to go is the experts. Keeping candlemaking simple and fun is important, recommends Roxanne Kwiecinski of The Honeycomb Home, but to make things more interesting, she says, "I experiment with different molds and other accessories!"

And, don't get discouraged if a scented candle appears to be a fail. Sproul-Latimer says, "Be patient. Wait a week, at least for the scent to fully cure. Then, burn test the candle to see exactly what you've made."

You can usually find your supplies at a craft store, big-box store, or online shop. The supplies needed are straightforward, but you can make it even easier by purchasing a DIY candlemaking kit. As you begin to figure out what works best for you, then you can branch out and try other items.

Beeswax candles are slow-burning and a much cleaner option than petroleum-derived paraffin wax candles, but they do have a subtle fragrance, even without scent. Soy wax also burns cleaner than paraffin and holds its scent, but it is often blended with other oils, so you have to do your homework before you buy.

Any heat-proof container is fair game. You can use glass jars, travel tins, or ceramic options. (If you do use glass, just make sure it is thick enough to stand up to the heat.) You can even reuse your old store-bought candle containers! 

Then, you can test scent combinations by placing your blend on a cotton ball and taking a whiff. Adjust the ratios as needed before you choose to add the oil to your wax.

Yes! Putting a layer of aluminum foil on your counter before you get started will make for easy cleanup. Be sure to clean any oil that does make it onto your home's surfaces quickly: As long as the oil is still liquid, it will be easy to wipe up. Once it solidifies, that's when things get dicey. At that point, you'll want to scrape the wax off or try to freeze it with an ice cube, at which point it should shatter. 

Make sure to avoid short burns in the future too; aim to leave your candles going for at least an hour at a time but no longer than four hours as they'll lose their scent after that.

Candlemaking is also a fun hobby that is easy to level up: Try out new scent combinations and vessels to find a signature candle that will give you the warm fuzzies every time you light it.