Jessie Taylor
Making candles in mason jars is a simple and inexpensive DIY project that can add a cozy touch to your home or a personal touch to your gifts. You can use soy wax, which burns cleaner and longer than paraffin wax, and add your desired colour and scent using dyes, essential oils, or fragrance oils. The process is straightforward: you melt the wax, add your chosen colour and fragrance, pour the mixture into the mason jar, and let it cool. You can also get creative with decorations like shells, glitter, or dried flowers. Making mason jar candles is an enjoyable way to create personalized decor or gifts while also repurposing old jars.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Materials | Mason jar, wax, wicks, glue gun, glue tabs, metal pouring pot, saucepan, double boiler, candle scents, essential oils, dye blocks or chips, scissors, pencil, spoon/fork, twine, clothespin, fabric |
| Process | Clean the mason jar, trim the wick, stick the wick to the bottom of the jar, melt the wax, add fragrance and dye, pour the wax into the jar, let the candle cool, trim the wick, decorate the jar |
| Time | 24 hours to cure, 4 hours to solidify |
| Tips | Use a low flame to melt the wax, stir continuously, fill the jar twice with wax flakes, use a wick holder or chopsticks to secure the wick, add shells or glitter for decoration, use a thin layer of wax to fill in imperfections, add a fabric cover to the jar |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Choosing the right wick
Before placing the wick, ensure it is centred and secured in the jar. Smooth out any crookedness in the wick by running your fingers along its length. Apply a small amount of hot glue or stickum to the metal base of the wick, then firmly attach it to the bottom centre of the jar. Alternatively, use a wick holder, such as two wooden dowels with tight rubber bands on each end, to hold the wick in place during the candle-making process.
When pouring the wax, be careful not to pull on the wick, as it may come undone. After the wax has cooled and solidified, trim the wick to a safe length for burning, usually less than half an inch. If the flame is too large, trim the wick again.
For soy wax candles, it is recommended to trim the wick to about a quarter to a half-inch before burning. This ensures a safe and optimal burning experience.
Joining Candles: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Preparing the wax
To prepare the wax for your mason jar candles, you will need to gather the necessary supplies and measure out the wax flakes. The amount of wax you will need depends on the size of your mason jar. For pint-sized mason jars (5" tall by 3" wide), you will need almost a full pound of wax flakes. If you are using a different size jar, you can fill it with wax flakes and then pour the flakes into your candle pouring pot to measure.
Once you have measured out the wax flakes, you will need to melt them. Place your candle pouring pot over low heat and stir the flakes until they turn completely liquid. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Alternatively, you can melt the wax in the microwave. Start by microwaving for 1 minute, then stir, and then microwave again in 30-second increments until the wax is completely melted. It is important to keep the heat low and never let the wax boil, as this can affect the final product.
After the wax is melted, you can add fragrance oils and spices to create a scented candle. The amount of oil you add will depend on how strong you want the scent to be; a good rule of thumb is to use around 1-1.5 ounces of oil per pound of wax. You can also add a small amount of dye to colour your candle. However, if you want a natural candle with no dye, you can use beeswax instead of soy wax.
Once you have added any desired fragrance and colour, your wax is ready to be poured into your mason jar. Slowly pour the liquid wax into the jar, being careful to hold the wick in place so that it stays centred. Fill the jar until the wax is about one inch below the brim.
Tea Candles: What Are They?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Adding colour and scent
Colour
When it comes to colour, you can use either wax blocks, chips or liquid dye. The amount of colour added will not harm the wax base of your candle, so you can experiment with adding a little at a time until you get the desired shade. It's worth noting that the liquid wax will look much darker when it's in liquid form than when it's cooled and set, so it's a good idea to test the colour by putting a small amount on paper—it will cool quickly and show the true colour. If you want a specific colour, you can use a colour wheel to mix shades. For example, two parts blue and one part yellow will give you a teal colour.
Scent
When it comes to scent, you can use essential oils, fragrance oils, or spices. The typical fragrance ratio is 1 ounce of scent to 1 pound of wax, but you can add more oil for a stronger scent. For a good strong scent, you can use around 1-1.5 ounces of oil per pound of wax. You can also add spices like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for extra fragrance and a unique look. Almost every major scent is now made for candle-making oil, so you can choose your favourite scent and get creative!
Where to Buy Homesick Candles: In-Store or Online?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pouring the wax
When melting the wax, keep the flame on the lowest heat possible. You want the wax to be warm enough to melt, but never hotter and never boiling. Stir the wax until it is completely liquid. This should take about 10-15 minutes. White wax will look slightly yellow once melted.
If you are using a microwave, put the wax in for one minute, then stop and stir it, then microwave again in 30-second increments.
If you are using a double boiler, place the pot over low heat and stir the wax flakes until they turn completely liquid. It is important to make sure that the wax does not come to a boil.
Once the wax is melted, add in your fragrance oils and stir until blended. The more oil you add, the stronger the scent will be. For a good strong scent, use around 1-1.5 ounces of oil per pound of wax. You can also add spices for extra fragrance and a cool look.
Now you are ready to pour the wax into the mason jar. Pour in a slow, steady stream while gently holding the wick in place. Be careful not to pull up on the wick or it will come undone. To make sure the wick stays centred, secure it with a wick holder, or by placing it between two pencils or chopsticks.
Fill the mason jar until the wax is about one inch below the brim. It will take about four hours for the candle to completely solidify. If the top of the candle becomes cracked or has a sinkhole, reheat the wax and pour a thin layer over the top to fill in any imperfections.
LED Candles: Remote Control Lighting for Your Home
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Trimming the wick
To trim the wick, use a sharp pair of scissors and cut vertically, ensuring the cut is straight and not at an angle. For best results, trim the wick when it is at room temperature, and always trim before each use. If you forget to trim the wick before lighting, simply let the candle cool down before cutting the wick.
Some wicks may be too short after trimming, and this can be corrected. Simply light the candle and let it burn for about 30 minutes to melt the wax pool. Once the wax is melted, extinguish the flame and dispose of the wax.
Hand-Poured Beeswax Candles: Do They Need a Follower?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
You will need a mason jar, wax (soy wax is a good option), a wick, fragrance oil or essential oils, a microwave-safe dish, a pencil, spoon/fork, a hot glue gun, and scissors.
Soy wax is a popular choice as it burns cleaner and lasts longer than traditional paraffin wax. Beeswax is another option and adding coconut oil can help the candle burn slower.
For a strong scent, use around 1-1.5 ounces of oil per pound of wax. You can also add spices like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for extra fragrance and a unique look.
You can melt the wax in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave, stirring occasionally to ensure it melts evenly. Alternatively, create a double boiler by placing a canning jar ring in a pot of water and setting the mason jar on top. Keep the flame on the lowest heat possible and stir until all the wax melts.
Use hot glue to secure the wick in the centre of the jar. You can also use a pencil, spoon, fork, or clothespin to hold the wick in place while the wax cools.
