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How To Make Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils – And Scent Recipes

Find out how to make beeswax candle recipes with essential oils, and learn why you should consider swapping out store-bought candles for homemade!

a lit beeswax candle in a oui yogurt jar

It’s not only fun to make candles, it’s better for your health to make the switch from store-bought scented candles to your own naturally scented homemade ones.

Did you know that most store-bought candles are as bad for your family to be around as second hand smoke! Yikes, right?!

Paraffin wax, which releases chemical toxins when burned, is the most common wax used in store-bought candles. And the strong scents used in these candles emit harmful substances including formaldehyde!

Luckily, beeswax candles made with essential oils are a great alternative! There are so many scent recipes you can make to mimic your favorite candle smells.

Nothing says “cozy” to me quite like a beautiful little glowing candle smelling like Autumn on a rainy day.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Get my full disclosure here.

three beeswax candles in oui yogurt jars

What You Need To Make These Recipes For Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils:

ingredients

supplies

  • candle wicks – for candle recipes that use essential oils, its best to use wicks that burn nice and hot so that the candle gives off as much scent as possible.
  • small glass jars – choose a jar or container that isn’t too curvy on the sides so that the wax burns evenly. I used the leftover jars from Oui yogurts.
  • hot glue gun – for securing the wicks to the bottom of the jars.
  • scissors – or wick trimmers for trimming the wicks.
  • candle wick centering device (or wooden clothes pins) – wick centering devices are great for holding the wick in place while the wax hardens, but you can always use wooden clothes pins like I did.
  • melting pot (optional) – making candles is messy, and whatever pot you use is going to be very hard to clean afterward. Using a melting pot makes it easier to pour the wax into the jars without dripping it everywhere (been there!). It is optional, so if you’re only making a few candles, don’t worry about purchasing one. Check your local craft store for a better deal.

FAQ About Making Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils

can you add essential oils to beeswax candles?

Essential oils may smell strong straight out of the bottle, but they aren’t going to smell as strong when burned in a candle so you will need quite a bit of it.

For every 4 ounces of wax, you will need to use at least 60 drops of essential oils when making homemade candles.

Certain essential oils will throw a stronger scent:

  • pine
  • rosemary
  • orange
  • cinnamon
  • clove
  • eucalyptus

Of course you can use any essential oils you like though!

why put coconut oil in beeswax candles?

  1. Coconut oil used as an ingredient in beeswax candles can help them burn more evenly and prevent tunneling.
  2. Coconut oil also helps homemade candles scented with essential oils to smell stronger while they are burned
a beeswax candle made in a oui yogurt jar

how much essential oil do you put in beeswax candles?

As a rule of thumb, you will need at least 60 drops of essential oils for every 4 ounces of wax blend. You can use more, though. For a stronger scent use 2 teaspoons of essential oils in a 4 ounce candle.

how do you make stronger scented beeswax candles?

1. Choosing the Right Wax:

Use beeswax since it is a slow burning wax and will hold on to the scent longer and release it slowly as it burns down.

2. Choosing the Right Wick:

Make sure to use a good quality wick that burns hot. These are great for candles made with essential oils.

3. Using Enough Essential Oils:

Use plenty of essential oils. 2 teaspoons of oils is the recommended amount for every 4 ounces of wax when candle making. You can definitely use more, but essential oils are not cheap and your candle making can get pricey the more you use.

4. Letting the Wax Cool:

Add the essential oils when the wax has had a chance to cool a bit. Letting the wax get down to 180 degrees will help ensure the scent in your oils is not destroyed by the heat of the wax.

melted beeswax in two glass jars with wicks in the centers

Seasonal Essential Oil Recipes For Beeswax Candles:

Spring

eucalyptus + peppermint + rosemary

lemon + orange + spearmint

cedarwood + lavender + tangerine

grapefruit + pine + bergamot

Summer

lavender + lemon + grapefruit + peppermint

rosemary + peppermint + lime + lavender

lemon + basil + spearmint

orange + lemon + eucalyptus + peppermint

Fall

peppermint + eucalyptus + lavender + orange

nutmeg + cardamom + clove + ginger + pine + cinnamon

orange + lemon + cinnamon + clove

orange + juniper + cedarwood

Winter

rosemary + eucalyptus + orange + cinnamon + clove

clove + cinnamon + orange

orange + pine + cinnamon

pine + peppermint + grapefruit + cinnamon

glass oui yogurt jars with candle wicks into them. a wax melting pot is sitting behind them on the table

How To You Make Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils – Recipes:

Prep – Using a hot glue gun, secure the wicks to the center of your jars.

Melt – Using a melting pot or makeshift double boiler, melt the beeswax over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until it is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil until there are no chunks left.

Add Oils – Let the wax cool to 180 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Stir in essential oils of your choice.

Pour – Carefully pour the melted wax into the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the tops.

Cool – Using wick centering devices or a clothes pin, make sure the wicks are all centered in the wax. Let cool until the candles are completely hardened. Trim the wicks to 1/4 inch above the wax.

beeswax being poured into a glass jar with a candle wick in it

Tips:

The First Burn: let the candle burn until the wax is completely melted across the top for even burning.

To Use: make sure the candle wick is trimmed to 1/4 inch every time you burn your candles.

Store: to keep the essential oil scent strong, cover or seal your candles between burning times.

melted beeswax in two glass jars with wicks in the centers

Common Candle Making Mistakes and How To Avoid Them:

1. Sinkhole

Wax shrinks as it cools and when it cools too quickly it can cause holes in your freshly made candles. The way to keep this from happening, is to allow the wax to cool just a bit before pouring it into your containers.

Using a candy thermometer, just check to make sure the temperature of the wax isn’t over 180 degrees before you pour it. If you don’t have a thermometer, just give the wax a few minutes to cool after melting it.

2. Drowning Wick

Drowning wick can happen for a number of reasons:

  • you used a container that isn’t straight enough on the sides
  • the wax comes too close to the top of the container, not leaving enough room for the wax pool; to form
  • your container is too wide for one wick or the size of wick you chose

Unfortunately candle making is a learning experience and we just have to learn from our mistakes as we made them.

3. Tunneling

Tunneling can happen if you don’t allow the candle to burn long enough each time you light it. (this can happen to any candle you buy too!) Try burning your candles until a pool of melted wax forms across the entire surface before blowing it out.

4. Candle Top Not Smooth After Cooling

Homemade candles can end up with little holes after cooling is the wax was poured too cool, or if any water got into the wax while it was melting. Using a melting pot can keep this from happening. If you do use a double boiler, just be very careful not to splash any water into the wax.

three beeswax candles in oui yogurt jars

More Handmade Ideas You Might Enjoy:

If you liked this tutorial, I think you’ll really enjoy these other homemade ideas on the blog!

If you try making homemade beeswax candles with essential oils yourself, I would love it if you use the recipe 5 star rating in the comments below! It helps me so much!

Recipe For Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils

Recipe For Beeswax Candles With Essential Oils

Yield: 4 - 4 ounce candles
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Homemade beeswax candles with essential oils are such a fun thing to make and give as gifts, or just use throughout your home!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound beeswax pellets
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 240 drops of essential oils or 8 teaspoons for a stronger scent

Instructions

  1. Prep - Using a hot glue gun, secure the wicks to the center of your jars.
  2. Melt - Using a melting pot or makeshift double boiler, melt the beeswax over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until it is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil until there are no chunks left.
  3. Add Oils - Let the wax cool to 180 degrees. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Stir in essential oils of your choice.
  4. Pour - Carefully pour the melted wax into the jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the tops.
  5. Cool - Using wick centering devices or a clothes pin, make sure the wicks are all centered in the wax. Let cool until the candles are completely hardened. Trim the wicks to 1/4 inch above the wax.

Notes

The First Burn: let the candle burn until the wax is completely melted across the top for even burning.

To Use: make sure the candle wick is trimmed to 1/4 inch every time you burn your candles.

Store: to keep the essential oil scent strong, cover or seal your candles between burning times.

There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting At Home on the Prairie, it helps keep this blog keep going.

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13 Comments

  1. This is such a fun DIY! We love having candles burning, it makes the house so cozy. I want to make some of these this year to add in with gifts! Thank you:)

    1. I used to make 100% beeswax candles as a small shop! Mine weren’t in containers, so this is a fun twist on it! I’m for sure going to have to give these a try! And all the scents sound so good!

  2. Excellent tutorial, thank you! I’ve been experimenting with beeswax candles and really appreciate the tip of adding coconut oil. Will definitely be trying that out next time.

  3. Have u had any success using sunflower oil instead of the coconut oil? We have a sunflower farm and would like to use more of our natural product in our Candles. Thank you so much for your ideas and recipes.

  4. Additionally, the combination of essential oils with the natural scent of the burning wax can create a unique and soothing fragrance that fills the room. It’s important to note that when using essential oils in candles, it’s best to follow safety guidelines and ensure that the oils are suitable for burning. Overall, burning essential oils in a candle can be a delightful way to enjoy their fragrance without the overpowering intensity experienced when sniffing them directly from the bottle.

  5. I’ve made these a couple of times, and they turned out great! Thank you for sharing the recipe!

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