How To Make Soy Candles in Canning Jars

The holiday season is in full swing! Have you crossed all the items off your gift list yet? If not, don’t panic. With just a few supplies, you can make your own soy candles in no time. They are adorable and practical (winter power outages, anyone?) gifts to give to friends, family, coworkers, and hosts.

These candles don’t ask much of you — just an hour or so of your time, and you can crank out eight (or more!) beautiful gifts. They’re also customizable, as you can make different sized and scented candles. Know someone who loves lavender? Add in some lavender essential oil! Does your best friend love elegant taper candles? Pour the wax into a tall, 24-ounce canning jar for a similar look.

If someone is averse to fragrance or you’re not sure of their signature scent, you can just leave out the essential oil.

• CandleScience Natural Candle Wick, Small, 50 piece, $8.97 from Amazon
• Natural Soy 444 Wax 2 Lb, $12.44 from Amazon

Makes 8 (4-ounce) candles

Supplies
2 pounds soy wax flakes
8 (6-inch) wicks with wick tabs
Eucalyptus essential oil (optional)
8 (4-ounce) canning jars

Equipment
Microwave-safe bowl with spout (or liquid measuring cup)
Skewers
Sharp scissors

1. Prepare the jars. Gather the canning jars in one, easily accessible place. Open jars and set rings and lids aside.
2. Melt the wax. Working in batches (1 pound — or 2 cups — at a time), melt the wax flakes in the microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring vigorously between each interval, until completely melted. At this point, if you want to add essential oil, you can! I added 30 drops for each pound of wax and the candles were not too heavily scented.
3. Secure the wicks. Dip the wick tabs into the melted wax and place in the bottom center of each jar. Hold in place for 30 seconds or so, until the wax hardens and the base of the wick is completely secure. Wrap the top of the wick around a skewer and rest it on top of the jar to keep the wick upright.
4. Pour the wax. Carefully pour the melted wax up until the first-closest “lip” of the jar. (You want to leave enough room for the lid to close without the wick getting in the way!)
5. Let the wax set. Let the candles set at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Slide the skewers out and unroll the wick. Trim wick to about 1/4 inch. Light the candle and enjoy!

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