If you love the smell of lavender as much as I do, this easy craft activity is for you. Home-made beeswax lavender candles are a fun, natural and pretty cost-effective way to fill your home with the relaxing scent of lavender. You can make them in leftover jars (Gu ones work very well!) or tins (how about one of our large hand cream tins?) and other than that all you really need is beeswax, wicks and lavender oil. Read on for instructions and some useful tips.
You need:
Leftover glass jars/ tins
Beeswax pellets (about 1 and ¾ the volume of the jar you want to use)
Lavender essential oil (1 drop per gram of beeswax)
Candle wicks (you can buy these online)
Wick holder (also called a centring tool) OR two chopsticks per jar
Superglue (not essential but handy)
A spare measuring jug you don’t mind sacrificing for candle making, as it will get waxy!
Method
1. Use the jars to measure out the wax.
2. Weigh the wax and put it in the measuring jug.
3. Place the measuring jug in a pan of simmering water and leave it there until all the wax has melted.
4. Meanwhile, centre your wicks in the jars (you can use the superglue to stick it in place if you like) and hold it vertical with the wick holder or two chopsticks placed horizontally across the jar.
5. Add the lavender oil at a dilution of 1 drop per gram of beeswax.
6. Stir.
7. Pour the hot wax into the jars or tins, taking care not to knock the wicks out of place.
8. Leave to cool – then you’re done! Light the candles and enjoy the beautiful natural smell.
This post first appeared in our January 2023 newsletter.