How to Make Scented Candles

Scented candles are more than just creations of art; they are timeless gifts you can give someone you really care about.  You see scented candles used as decorations on a table, or used as focal points in an otherwise bland living room.  Some people use them to relax before a massage or before they start meditating.

Scented candles don’t contribute much to a room’s light, but it adds poetry and beauty to a room’s ambiance.  If you’re wondering how to make scented candles that stimulate a person’s romantic mind, you’re not alone.  Many entrepreneurs are on the prowl for the best methods of creating the most elegant and fragrant scented candles at home.

First, decide on the fragrance oil you’re going to use.  Oil based fragrances are better for homemade candle making compared to water or alcohol-based perfume because oil blends easily with wax.

If you use fragrant oils to add scents to your candles, the fragrance from your candle will continue to spread across the room while the candle is lit.  This is because the aromatic components are thoroughly interspersed with the wax.  Moreover, the fragrance from oils will pervade any room even after you stop burning the candle.

In reality, the process of handmade scented candle creation is similar to the process of making ordinary candles.  The only difference is the addition of scented oils.

You have to be extra careful with the type of wax you use for making your scented candles.  Some wax types already have an innate fragrance, which could blend with the scent of your oils and create a strong aroma that is hardly pleasing.  You can choose between soy, beewax, palm, paraffin, and gel types.  Most of the inexpensive scented candles you see being sold in shops are made of paraffin.  This is the most common type, and the easiest to make.

However, if you want classier scented candles, you must invest in getting gel waxes as your raw ingredient.  High density gel wax types can hold more fragrance, and can last longer than low density gel wax types.

Steps to Creating Your Scented Candle

  • Melt your wax.  Begin by using a double boiler to melt your wax.  If you don’t have a double boiler at home, you can use two pots, one smaller than the other.  Fill the bigger pot with water, but do not exceed the middle line.  The water will overflow when you place the smaller one inside the bigger pot.  Next, slice the wax for easier melting and place the wax inside the smaller pot and turn up the heat.  Watch the wax melt as the water around the smaller pot heats up and starts to boil. 
  • The double boiler set up is for protecting your wax.  Never heat the pot with the wax in it directly because the wax will burn instead of melting gently.
  • When the wax is melted, pour the scented oil according to the proportion stipulated in your recipe.  If you don’t have a recipe, just use an ounce of oil per pound of wax.  Be careful not to use too much oil so that the wax will not be too soggy.  Wax that is too soft is hard to mold in the right shape.  This is also the best time to add dye.  Stir the wax and then pour in candle molds (don’t forget to add the wick before the wax solidifies).
  • Let your scented candles cool for the rest of the day.

You should keep a record of how you did the last batch of scented candles so you can replicate the process again.  If the scented candles come out beautifully, you can mass produce your candles just by using the same process and proportion of materials.