Few things soothe our senses like the calming glow and aroma of candles. Living with five males, two with tails, I keep candles handy in every room of our home, especially for those times I become overstimulated (every day) and need help channeling calm. If you happen to be a candle lover, and who isn’t, you’ll be thrilled to learn about the DIY candle kits I discovered. They’re an innovative, creative, sustainable, and affordable alternative to expensive and wasteful store bought candles. And I’m completely obsessed.
“It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
—Chinese Proverb
I think we can all agree the only downside to being a candle aficionado is the litany of jars left behind. As a society of consumers, we often buy more and more without contemplating the mounds of waste we produce. As I tossed yet another empty jar the other day, it occured to me there has to be a better way. That’s when I stumbled upon these DIY candle kits.
These delightful DIY candle kits are offered in two sizes: 8 oz. and 16 oz. I chose to purchase two 16 oz. bags of wax in Bourbon Brown Sugar and Marshmallow Fireside. One bag created almost three candles – for under $20. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The soy wax and cotton wicks are slow-burning and last for hours and hours. I haven’t yet burned them all and I’m chomping at the bit to order more scents. I smell Teakwood Cardamom in my very near future.
And if you happened to toss all your used candle jars and don’t have any visually appealing containers to reuse, I love the idea of filling handmade pottery or a wooden dough bowl with candle wax. You can find some fun ideas via my Etsy profile. You might even find creative options at your local thrift shop. You’re only limit is your imagination.
How to Use DIY Candle Kits
Contrary to what you might be thinking, candle kits are a quick, simple, and mess-free process. I made three candles in less than ten minutes and it required no in-depth labor or messy clean-up. The hardest part of the DIY candle kit process was selecting a scent. For me, Bourbon Brown Sugar and Marshmallow Fireside were a sweet change of pace from my go-to favorite scent, Palo Santo.
For those who aren’t necessarily in touch with their crafty side, the candle-making process is super simple. All you need is the candle kit, microwave, empty container, a couple of pencils and two rubber bands. The first step is to cut open the bag of wax and pop it in the microwave. While the wax is melting, adhere the wicks to your container with the provided adhesive stickers. You can use two pencils or chopsticks connected by rubber bands to keep the wick upright, but I opted to thread the wick through a wooden craft stick with a hole drilled in the center. It’s a smidge of initial extra effort, but you can reuse the craft stick again and again. And trust me, you will be making these candles again and again. The final step is to pour the melted wax into the prepared container and allow it to solidify.
So, discover a scent that lights your fire. Find some interesting containers that warm your soul. Flex those creative muscles and let your imagination run wild. And while you enjoy the fruits of your labor, pat your sustainable self on the back for being less wasteful.
Look at you go; you’re so damn lit.
Candle Kit Scents
Apple Maple Bourbon: apple, cinnamon, orange, bourbon, butter, maple and vanilla
Autumn Leaves: citrus, cinnamon, chrysanthemum, apples, berries, leaves, pecan and cedar
Blueberry Pumpkin Patch: blueberries, pumpkin and brown sugar
Bergamot Ginger: citrus, ginger, sandalwood, cedar and sweet basil
Birchwood: bergamot, orange, lemon, geranium, lily, rose and vetiver
Black Currant Absinthe: saffron, apple, black currant, blackberries, anise, patchouli and amber
Black Linen Amber: amber, musk and patchouli
Bourbon Brown Sugar: bourbon, oak, brown sugar and vanilla
Black Raspberry Vanilla: blackberries, raspberries and vanilla
Bamboo White Grapefruit: white grapefruit, petitgrain, mandarin, tangerine, bamboo and juniper berries
Beautiful Day: amber, apple and pear
Calla Lily: lemon peel, lily, hydrangea, cherry blossom and amyris
Cannabis Green Tea: green tea, jasmine, chamomile, vanilla, cinnamon and cedar
Champagne: pear, lime, orange and vanilla
Chardonnay: peach, strawberry, sweet violet, lily of the valley, melon, and rose blossom
Cranberry Joy: cranberries, clementine, pomegranate and sugar
Crimson Pear: bergamot, pear blossom, apple, jasmine, lily, rose, gardenia and vanilla
Crisp Fall Day: oak, citrus and golden amber
Cactus Sea Salt: cactus flower, bergamot, water lilies and jasmine
Coastline: citrus, sea salt, jasmine, violet and cedar
Cozy Sweater: berries, spearmint, pine and vanilla
Eggnog: vanilla, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and rum
Eucalyptus Spearmint: eucalyptus, spearmint, lemon, lavender and sage
Fig Leaf: fig, passion fruit, vanilla, jasmine, freesia and vanilla bean
Flannel: bergamot, mahogany and musk
French Lavender Honey: lavender, honey and sandalwood
Fresh Cut Roses: roses
Fraser Fir: pine, cedar, clove, citrus and berry
Frozen Margarita: lime, orange, grapefruit, lemon, guava and mint
Georgia Sunrise: peach, raspberries and vanilla
Gingerbread: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla
Hazelnut Cafe: hazelnut, coffee, brown sugar, vanilla and caramel
Honeydew Melon: honeydew melon, strawberry, sugar and vanilla
Hot Maple Toddy: buttered rum, maple, vanilla and caramel
Jamaica Me Crazy: mandarin, lime, tangerine, kumquat, watermelon, green apple, cantaloupe and honeydew melon
Lemongrass Kiwi: lemon, lemongrass, apple, kiwi, orange, bamboo, gardenia, hyacinth, cassis, eucalyptus, green tea, water lily and cedar
Lemon Poppyseed: lemon, lime, bergamot, poppyseed, brown sugar and clove
Lavender Sage: french lavender, lime, sage, dill, pepper, ginger, pine, musk and patchouli
Lilac: lilac
Love Spell: raspberry, cantaloupe, watermelon, jasmine, violet, grapefruit and kumquat
Magnolia Peony: cherry blossom, bergamot, magnolia, peony, freesia, amber and musk
Marshmallow Fireside: marshmallow and vanilla
Mahogany Teakwood: jasmine, rose, lily, mahogany and musk
Mulled Cider: apple and lemon
Oatmeal Stout: butterscotch, orange, almond and vanilla
Ocean Mist: lily of the valley, hyacinth, oakmoss and musk
Oakmoss Amber: sage, orange, grapefruit, lavender, oakmoss and amber
Peppermint: peppermint and vanilla
Pumpkin Apple: apples, pumpkin, cinnamon and clove
Pumpkin Crunch: pumpkin and spice
Pina Colada: pineapple, banana, coconut, rum and vanilla
Rain Forest: lily of the valley, rose, sandalwood, orange, lemon and petitgrain
Sandalwood: cedar, sandalwood, amber, rose, jasmine and musk
Sea Salt Orchid: sea salt, jasmine and lily of the valley
Santal: musk, cardamom, vetiver and sandalwood
Sweet Orange Chili Pepper: orange, bergamot, tangerine, cassis, neroli, chili pepper and musk
Teakwood Cardamom: teakwood, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cedar, amber, sandalwood and patchouli
Tobacco Whiskey: vanilla, bourbon, scotch, jasmine, heliotrope, bergamot, cedar and musk
Vanilla Bean: vanilla bean and caramel
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