Whether you’re into wellness or interior design, candles are a great way to bring life and scent into your home. Buying candles ready-made can be expensive and the scents are often not quite suited to personal taste, which is why DIY candles in a jar are the perfect solution.
Turning your old jars into custom-made candles is a great way to create a charming rustic aesthetic in your home. Repurposing glass jars is also good for the environment, making the most use of our precious resources.
What You Need to Make Glass Jar Candles
If you want to make DIY glass jar candles at home, here’s what you’ll need:
- Glass jars
- Soy wax flakes
- Wax colourant (solid or liquid form)
- A wooden spoon
- Wicks and stickums
- Sticks and rubber bands
- Scented oils
- Decorations
Can You Use Any Glass Jar to Make a Candle?
You could make DIY candles in just about any jar. However, if you’re looking for a great style and want to ensure the candle lasts as long as possible, then picking a premium jar in the right shape can make all the difference.
We’d recommend our Verrine Jars for candles that make beautiful gifts. Alternatively, the Hex Jar is also great if you’re looking to create beautiful DIY candles for your home.
Once you’ve got your jars and ingredients, it’s time to get started!
Prepare the Wick
Getting the wick in the right place is key to ensuring that your candles will burn for as long as possible.
Measure the distance between the base of the jar and the point at which you want the wick to be visible and then cut to size. Smooth the wick and attach it to the stickum, then attach the stickum to the base of the jar.
Secure the Wick Before Pouring the Wax
Once the wick is in place, you’ll need to secure it before you pour the wax.
Put the wick between two sticks, bind them with rubber bands and lay them across the opening to the jar. Doing this will ensure that the wick remains in place and visible when you add the wax.
Preparing the Wax
Take your soy wax flakes and then melt them on low heat. It’s important that you don’t allow the wax to boil.
Once all the flakes are completely melted, you can add your preferred colouring and scents.
Be sure to note how much of both are required for the amount of wax you’re using so that you don’t end up with a candle that is under scented or over coloured.
Then, you need to allow the wax to cool slightly before pouring. It can take up to 30 minutes for the wax to cool enough to be ready to work with, so set this aside and leave.
Pouring the Wax
When the wax is ready, it should be cool and thick in consistency and should pour easily into the glass jar.
When pouring the wax, keep an eye on the wick to ensure the end is still poking out of the top.
Finishing the Candle
All that’s left to do once the wax is in place is trim the wick to around half an inch above the wax itself.
At this point, you can also add any finishing touches to the glass jar, such as ribbons or labels.
We have a range of glass jars that are ideal for DIY candles, as well as options for homebrews and jams – you’ll find them all here at JBC Online.