DIY CHRISTMAS CANDLE GIFT IDEAS

Tis the season to immerse yourself in the soft ambiance of beautifully scented candles. Whether you are in search of the perfect hand-made gift or looking to spruce up your home in time for the holiday get togethers, candles add a warm glow that enhances everyday moments in the home.

Scented candles can be enjoyed anytime of the year. However, the holidays are an especially great opportunity to indulge in warm, spicy, and subtly sweet festive aromas. Ginger, Cinnamon, Fir Needle, and Pine are synonymous with Christmas and shine a light on the best elements of holiday cheer. Before you head out to purchase candles, consider taking the DIY route with all-natural candle waxes and aromatic essential oils. Soy wax and beeswax are natural alternatives to paraffin, which is known to release chemicals that can harm human and environmental health. Conventional candles may also possess a scent that some might find irritating or too strong. Creating handmade candles with essential oils allows you to control the strength of your preferred scent, resulting in a clean-burning candle that you or your loved on will enjoy lighting. Continue reading to explore DIY Christmas candle ideas, plus the perfect festive decorations that are sure to be a showstopper in any home.

HOW TO BLEND NATURAL CANDLES

Step 1: Melt your chosen candle wax in a double boiler

Start with 3 cups of candle wax pellets, such as soy wax, soy/coconut wax, soy/palm wax, or palm pillar wax. This is enough to fill one 8 oz glass jar or 2 votive candle holders. The wax pellets can be boiled using a glass measuring cup and placed in a saucepan with a few inches of boiling water. The spout of the measuring cup will make pouring the melted wax easier.

Step 2: Add the Oils

Add the essential oils to the mixture while the wax is melting. For 3 cups of wax, 30 drops of each essential oil is recommended for a scent that is subtle and not overly potent. If you wish to create a stronger smelling candle, gradually increase the oil amount to 45 drops each.

Step 3: Add the Wick

While you wait for the wax to fully melt, prepare the candle wick by pouring a teaspoon of wax at the bottom of the glass containers. Quickly follow up by placing the wick before the wax solidifies.

Step 4: Pour in the Scented Wax

To hold the wick in place, use a metal wick sustainer tab or hold the wick until the teaspoon of wax cools and hardens at the bottom of the glass jar. You can also do this by using two wooden popsicle sticks or wrapping the wick around a pen at the top of the jar. Carefully pour the melted wax until the jar is full.

Step 5: Let the wax fully harden

The wax should take up to 45 minutes to fully cool and solidify in the jar. Make sure the jar does not get bumped or moved around while it is cooling, this will shift the shape of the candle. To cut down on the cooling time, the jars can be placed in the refrigerator.

Step 6: Trim your Wick

Once the candle is cool and solid, the wick will be ready to be cut.

A NOTE ON SCENTING CANDLES WITH AROMATIC OILS

Although essential oils are highly concentrated, their potency becomes diminished when mixing them into thick candle wax such as soy or beeswax. Therefore, the recommended amount of essential oils for a scented candle is double or even triple the amount used for diffusing. For an 8-ounce candle, between 15 and 30 drops of essential oil is recommended, but feel free to adjust the amount of oils to suit your needs.

If you would rather not use oils to scent your candles, an alternative is to create unscented candles and run a diffuser with your desired scent while burning the candle. That way, you won't have to use as many drops of essential oils.

THE BEST ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS FOR CHRISTMAS CANDLES

Peppermint Candy (source: Our Oily House)

• 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
• 10 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
• 5 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil

Merry and Bright

• 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
• 10 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
• 5 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
• 5 drops Fir Balsam Essential Oil

Spiced Cider

• 10 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
• 7 drops Clove Bud (India) Essential Oil
• 5 drops Cardamom Essential Oil
• 3 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Tree Farm

• 10 drops Fir Needle Siberian Essential Oil
• 10 drops Cypress Essential Oil
• 5 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil

Traditional Christmas

• 10 drops Clove Bud Essential Oil
• 10 drops Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
• 5 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

Holiday Candle Blend (source: Hellonest)

• 10 drops Ginger Essential Oil
• 10 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil
• 5 drops Cedarwood Essential Oil
• 5 drops Balsam Fir Essential Oil

For a festive, one-step essential oil blend, consider sprucing up your holiday candles with New Directions Aromatics' very own Holiday Spirit Synergy Blend. Cinnamon, Spruce, Ylang Ylang, Pine, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Orange, and Grapefruit Essential Oils synergistically harmonize to create a unique holiday scent that is exotic, warm, spicy, and subtly sweet. Holiday Spirit is the perfect blend for adding a shimmering atmosphere to any candle.

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR CHRISTMAS CANDLE GIFTS

For a truly memorable gift, get creative with the finishing touches of your handmade Christmas candles! The holiday theme presents a plethora of showstopping decoration ideas that will be eye-catching and memorable for the recipient. For a simple, classic decoration, you can create labels that are holiday or chalkboard theme and print them on sticker paper. If you have leftover Christmas ribbon from gift wrapping, you can wrap your jars in a classic wide bow or curl thinner ribbon into curls with the inner edge of a scissor.

Strips of burlap and sprigs of pine can be found at most arts and crafts stores, and they give any gift a rustic holiday vibe. Simply hot glue pieces of burlap and pine that are varied in size lengthwise on the jar. For a showstopping snowflake aesthetic, consider dipping your candle jars in a coat of glitter and Epsom salt. If you choose this option, be sure to line your space with newspaper to reduce any mess and to use disposable plates for the glitter mixture. Apply a thin layer of glue around the glass jar, making sure it is not too thick. Then, sprinkle the glitter and Epsom salt mixture around the circumference of the jar. Place the jars on top of a surface that is covered in newspaper or wax paper to ensure easy clean up afterwards and allow the jars to dry for several hours or overnight. Complete your sparkling Christmas candles by gluing small pieces of fresh or faux greenery and tie a tasteful bow at the mouth of the jar.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

When melting any type of candle wax, it is important to use a thermometer to always stay mindful of the temperature. Overheated wax can exhibit fumes that can lead to serious illness, especially if the room is not properly ventilated. To prevent fire hazards, keep the wax away from open flames and never leave the wax unattended (even when using a double boiler). Wax is an oil and can splatter when in contact with water, so in the case of a wax fire, do not put it out using water or a water-based extinguisher. Any tiny fires that accidentally occur inside the melting pot can be extinguished by putting the lid on it. The most important candle making equipment is a fire extinguisher.

To prevent skin burns, use heat-resistant gloves or potholders when handling the melting pot, hot containers, or heated equipment. Wearing loose clothing will also be beneficial in the event that hot wax sprays onto clothing, as tightly fitted clothing will allow the heat to travel immediately through the fabric onto the skin. Skin that comes in contact with heated wax should have cold water applied to it immediately and the wax should be peeled off.

Ensure that the candle making routine is always mindful.

Check out our whoelsale glass candle jars section. 

CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR NDA'S CANDLE WAXES

To ensure optimal performance, we strongly recommend that first-time users conduct a test run on a small batch before using the wax in full-scale production.

Do not use copper or brass tools or containers when working with soy wax, as the copper and brass will discolor the wax.