Our team here at Gem Studio LOVES DIY projects. We believe that putting our own ideas and creativity into our projects makes them so much more meaningful, no matter what that creation is! Our team decided to test this theory and DIY our own candles, and we loved the process SO much we wanted to share it with our blog! Follow the process below to find out how to make your own unique candle along with us.
P.S. You can expect many more of these kinds of fun blog posts to come your way this year!
Materials Needed:
1. A cute jar or two!
2. Candle wax, clear or solid. We'll be trying clear next time so you can better see the florals!
3. Scented Oils
4. Anything you'd like to mix in your jar with your wax! We used gems, dried flowers, and some fresh leaves from a bouquet we got at Harmon's, but you can get creative! (examples: orange rinds, cinnamon sticks, sea shells, really whatever!)
5. Candle color dye (If you'd like to change it from white wax)
6. Candle wicks
7. A stove top + a way to steam the wax pot
Ok, now you've got your materials. Let's get started!
Step 1
Pick the perfect jar
One of the most important parts of the candle is the jar that you choose to put it in! This could be anything from a mason jar to a cute piece you thrifted years ago. For the candle featured below, we picked a simple clear jar that would display the details of our candle better, but you can really choose anything!
Step 2
Prepare your base wax
This step might take some time, so we would suggest that you start early! First, you are going to get a large pot of water and set it to boil on your stove. While this water heats up, you are going to get a smaller pot and add the base wax chips to it. After the water in the larger pot is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and place your smaller pot with the wax chips inside. This will allow the wax to melt without burning.
Step 3
Size and super glue your wick to your jar // glue whatever you're wanting to the sides!
For this next step, take you'll take your wick and secure it to your jar. Hold the base down for 1-3 minutes to make sure that it is fully attached. After the glue dries and the wick is secured to your jar, add whatever else you'd like to glue in to decorate your jar! Our silversmith Jayde decided to deck out her jar in gems! Then trim your wick to be about 1 inch taller than your jar.
Step 4
Pick your add-ins
This is our personal favorite part. Next, you are going to want to pick the other add-ins for your candle. These add-ins include your colored wax chips to add color, and any dried/fresh flowers, leaves, or whatever else you'd like to be floating in the wax throughout the candle!
As you saw, Jayde chose to add some favorite gems to the sides of her candle, and some violet colored wax chips to give it a slight violet tint.
Step 5
Pick your scent
This may be the hardest part of the whole process! For this step, you are going to choose an essential oil to add to your candle. With so many good options, it was hard to choose which was going to be in our candle! After you choose which scent fits you best, add it to your jar along with your add-ins. There is no right amount to add for this process, we just like to say that more is better! Wanna get wild? Try mixing different scents together to create a new smell! Maybe don't go too crazy there....but yolo.
Step 6
Add your base wax to your candle & mix
This is where the wax that you prepared earlier comes to play. Carefully remove the melted wax from the stove and pour it into your jar. Once it is filled to your liking, take a popsicle stick and stir your mixture so that the colored wax chips melt to create your desired coloring and fills the scent throughout the wax. After the wax is mixed, use a popsicle stick to keep the wick in its desired place.
Step 7
Let it rest
Now that your candle has been poured and mixed, let it sit for about 20-30 minutes before adding anything to the top. This process can be sped up by placing your candle in a bowl of very cold water (only let water go up to rim and not get in candle), however, this is not recommended unless you are short on time. If the temperature difference is too drastic, it could potentially crack the candle holder. If you’re wanting to add pieces that stick out of the wax on top, pull out before it’s completely solid on top!
Step 8
Add decor to the top
If you are wanting to add anything to the top of your candle, now is your chance! First, Make sure that the top layer of the candle is firm enough to hold whatever you would like to add without breaking. If it is not firm enough, give it about 10 more minutes to rest. Otherwise, add anything you would like! Jayde chose to add some more favorite gems to the top, but you could add anything, from flowers to leaves, to glitter! The world is your oyster with this step.
Step 9
Wait 24 hours before you enjoy!
After your candle is complete, it will take 24 hours to completely set. Once a full day has passed, light your candle and enjoy what you made! Here's a photo of what our silversmiths made yesterday!
Final Step
Enjoy!!!
Hope you enjoyed this project! At the Gem Studio we LOVE sharing experiences with you. So you can expect a lot more of these kinds of posts from now on! :)