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Homemade Candles

Source of Recipe

From "The Year of Cozy" by Adrianna Adarme


Recipe Introduction

"I have a bit of an obsession with candles. I'm not sure when it became en vogue to buy fancy candles, but I jumped on that bandwagon very quickly. I love them all: girly and floral, woodsy, musty, and spicy. And unfortunately for me, I love to burn these pricey candles all the time! So to curtail my expensive candle-buying habit, I figured it might be time I begin making them at home. At this time of year I love candles to smell like pine needles and cinnamon. It's in anticipation of what's to come. Feel free to customize them according to your liking - there's no wrong way to make candles. The ratios below will give you something that smells like the air a few days before Christmas. If you like, double the batch and have them ready for those last-minute gifts that often come in handy this time of year."

List of Ingredients

• 4 candlewicks
• 4 (½-cup) vessels of choice (glass jars or ceramic pots)
• 8 skewers
• 1½ cups soy wax or beeswax pellets
• Candle-making pot or double boiler
• 1 Tbsp cedarwood essential oil
• 4 drops lime essential oil


Recipe

To start, set one wick in the center of each of the vessels.

Rest the skewers closely on both sides of the wicks. When we pour in the hot wax, the wicks will want to move around a bit and these skewers will help stabilize them.

Add the wax to your candle-making pot or double boiler top. (You can create a makeshift double boiler by placing a stainless steel bowl over a large pot filled with a few inches of water.) Turn the flame to medium.

Heat the wax until melted, about 6 to 8 minutes, being sure not to overheat, which will cause cracking in the final product (if this does happen, not to worry - the candle will still smell delicious and work just fine). When the wax is melted, pour in the cedarwood essential oil and lime essential oil. Mix. Give it a whiff and add a bit more if you like. Pour the hot wax into each of the vessels.

Allow the wax to cool completely, 2 to 4 hours, before using the candles.

Makes 4 candles