Every year we cut down our Christmas tree from a U-Cut lot. This has been a family holiday tradition for as long as I can remember, and each year we grab a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, and make the drive out to Oregon City, listening to Christmas songs along the way.
This year we were pretty excited to bring our son along, and he picked out our “tee” (in his 18 month old words) for us. The best part of having a freshly cut tree in your living room is the smell. Oh, the smell. Sadly, it fades so quickly, so in order to make that holiday smell stick around a little longer, I made some scented soy candles. It was my first time making them, and I was surprised at how easy and cheap they are to make instead of buying them pre-made. I bought my “Pine Cones” fragrance oil from Candle Science, and it smells like that of a fresh cut pine bough and pine cone wreath – super perfect for the holiday season!
- Glue dots
- Cotton candle wicks with tabs
- Water
- Medium saucepan
- Soy wax
- Candle making pitcher (or 4-cup measuring glass)
- Thermometer
- Essential oils for fragrance
- Small glass jars (I used the small wide mouth Mason jars)
- Chopsticks or wooden skewers
- Secure the cotton wick tabs to the inside bottom of your glass using glue dots (or double-stick tape).
- Once wicks are secure in the center of your glass, wrap the wick end around chopsticks to hold the wicks in place.
- Pour water into your saucepan until it is 2” high, then place on the stove over medium heat.
- Add 1 lb soy wax into a candle making pitcher. Then place pitcher in saucepan until the wax is melted.
- Once the wax reaches 180°F, remove from heat and stir in the essential oil. Use 1 teaspoon of essential oil per pound of wax.
- Cool the wax to 110°F and carefully pour into your jars.
- Once the soy wax has dried completely (4-5 hours ideally), snip the tops of your wicks to about ¼” height, and garnish with a custom tag.
Used In This Project:
- Small Diamond Hang Tags • I chose the “Winter Cheer” style in mint.
Stacy is the Art Director at Evermine. She is a new mother and lover of stationery, pie, and dark chocolate.
I was wondering if you have a cost breakdown. I.e. How much per candle to make. I’m considering making these as a wedding favor.
Hi Traci! Here is a breakdown of cost, assuming you make 80 candles for favors:
– 20 lbs of soy wax = $37.98
– 20 oz of fragrance = $23.98
– 80 wicks = $7.49
– 80 mason jars = $104.93
total cost per candle = $2.17 each
Good post. Thank you for sharing your Pine cone scented soy candle recipe. I love Soy Candles infused with essential oils.
Love this! Thinking of making them as wedding favors also. How many ounces is the wide mouth mason jar you used?
Hi Ashley, I believe Stacy used the 8 oz half-pint mason jars for these candles.
I love the smell of the forest so much. Thanks for sharing this DIY!