Easy Honey: Vanilla Candle Recipe
Also filed inAutumn DIYsLivingCandles
Homemade beeswax candles are simple to make, cozy up any space, and are made with all-natural ingredients. Made with a beautiful honey vanilla fragrance oil, these honey vanilla candles are sure to warm up any room.
We love lighting candles in the evening after a long day. It just sets the mood, too relaxing and cozy. We used to buy candles from the store until we found out what was in them.
Most conventional candles are filled with synthetic fragrances, toxin-filled waxes, and even the wicks contain chemicals. Yes, they smell nice, but not without a price.
Lighting these chemical-filled candles can reduce the air quality in your home while making your own candles, on the other hand, do just the opposite!
Honey Vanilla Candle
If you love the sweet aroma of honey and the warm scent of vanilla, you are going to love these candles.
After making this honey vanilla candle recipe, we can tell you that “honey vanilla” is moving up the list as one of our favorite scent combos.
It is similar to our beeswax candle recipe in every way, except that we are using a candle fragrance oil to scent these instead of essential oils.
If you want to see the rest of what we make, our DIY candle recipes are all rounded up in one post.
Best Wax to Make Candles
Both beeswax and soy wax can be used to make candles such as these DIY mason jar candles. We most often use beeswax, but we have made soy wax candles, too. The recipe will be the same no matter which wax you choose.
Beeswax, which you can learn more about the benefits of beeswax here, makes a hard, dense candle and lasts longer than soy wax candles. It has a higher smoke point than soy wax and burns brighter. Beeswax also gives off a more natural light with a warm tone.
Soy wax is a great option when going the vegan candle route.
Paraffin wax can be used to make candles as well. However, paraffin wax can be altered, and you will want to check the purity of the ingredients before purchasing.
How to Scent Candles Naturally
The best part about making your own candles is scenting them. This is the fun part, and the options are endless. You can get super creative or leave them plain.
Burning pure beeswax smells good on its own, or you can add herbs, essential oils, or abstracts to scent them more.
Strong-smelling herbs such as peppermint, rosemary, cinnamon, clove buds, or lavender are very common choices to scent candles with.
To do this, add the fresh herbs into the wax as you are melting it, and once the wax is melted, simply strain the herbs out.
Homemade Honey Vanilla Candles
This note has been updated to use fragrance oil instead of pure essential oils and honey for easier mixing. If you prefer the original recipe, you can find it in our video tutorial.
Ingredients
- 16 oz of beeswax (or soy wax)
- 0.8 oz of honey vanilla fragrance oil
Tools
- Wax melter (or double boiler)
- Heat resistant containers (mason jars, coffee mugs, etc.)
- Candle wicks
- Candle wick centering tool (optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Melt the beeswax in your wax melter or double boiler. We do prefer using a wax melter because we can simply wipe it out when we're done. If you do use a double boiler, ensure you don’t let any of the wax go down your sink drain when cleaning!
Step 2: While the wax is melting, glue the candle wick to the bottom of your candle jar.
Step 3: Once the wax is melted, remove it from the heat to cool to around 160°F and stir in your fragrance oil.
Step 4: Allow the wax to cool to around 150°F, and then carefully pour the wax into your jar. Center the wick using a wick-centering tool, or you can wrap the end around a pencil or bamboo skewer and lay it horizontally across the top center of the jar.
Step 5: Once the wax is completely hardened, you can trim the wick, and it is ready to light. It should be about a 1/4 inch long.
NOTE: It may take 24-48 hours before your candle is completely hardened and ready to light. Make sure it fully hardens before lighting it to ensure the longest burn time.
Beeswax Candles with Essential Oils
As mentioned above, you can add essential oils to your honey vanilla candles if you want to. Personally, we think they smell amazing on their own!
Lavender, chamomile, jasmine, or any other floral oils do pair well with the honey vanilla aroma. We also love the scents of Siberian fir, sandalwood, and cedarwood in our candles.
These woodsy scents are especially great for making DIY Christmas candles.
If you decide to add essential oils to your candles, you will notice that you need a lot in order to smell the scent.
This is why many homemade candles are made with fragrances and not essential oils.
How to Make the Scent Stronger
The main reason homemade candles don’t have a strong scent is that the herbs, oils, or fragrances are added to the wax when it is too hot.
It is important to wait until the wax is cooled down to at least 160°F degrees before adding in scent.
The second reason is that not enough herbs or oils were added. It takes a lot of essential oils and herbs to scent candles naturally.
Lastly, pay attention to where you place your candles in your home. Place them in smaller rooms and away from air vents in order to get the most out of the candles.
How Long do these Candles Last?
Candles don’t really expire as food does. However, they can lose scent and color over time. Most candles can last about one year after opening and lighting.
Homemade candles are no different and should be good for about a year before losing scent.
The best way to test your candle is by lighting it and smelling it. If it smells off, then throw it out and make new ones.
Recipe Notes
Fragrance oil: When choosing a fragrance oil to scent your candles, look for a natural or organic fragrance so that you don’t add synthetic fragrances to your recipe.
Beeswax scent: Beeswax naturally emits a fragrance, which is quite beautiful, in our opinion. Feel free to reduce the amount of fragrance you add to your candle so you can enjoy the beeswax scent as well.
Choosing the right jar: Be sure the jar or container you use is safe for burning candles. You can make two 8-ounce candles or one 16-ounce candle using this recipe.
4.97 from 61 votesEasy Honey Vanilla Candle Recipe
By the studio Ascher Prep: 5 minutes minsActive: 1 hour hrTotal: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins Yield: 16 oz candle
SaveSaved Pin Print Homemade beeswax candles are simple to make, cozy up any space and are made with all-natural ingredients. This note has been updated to use fragrance oil instead of pure essential oils and honey for easier mixing. If you prefer the original recipe, you can find it in our video tutorial. Equipment
- Wax melter
- Heat resistant container
- Candle wick
Ingredients
- 1 pound of beeswax, or soy wax
- 0.8 oz honey vanilla fragrance oil
Instructions
- Melt the beeswax in your wax melter or double boiler.
- While the wax is melting, glue the candle wick to the bottom of your candle jar.
- Once the wax is melted, remove it from the heat to cool to around 160°F and stir in your fragrance oil.
- Allow the wax to cool to around 150°F and then carefully pour the wax into your jar. Center the wick using a wick-centering tool, or you can wrap the end around a pencil or bamboo skewer and lay it horizontally across the top center of the jar.
- Once the wax is completely hardened, you can trim the wick, and it is ready to light. It should be about a 1/4 inch long.
