How to Make a Scented Candle in a Glass

Co-authored by Claire Donovan-Blackwood and Jennifer Mueller, JD

When it comes to creating a cozy atmosphere, nothing beats a scented candle—but continually replacing commercial candles can get pricey. Want all the atmosphere without all the expense? Make your own! You can easily upcycle any old drinking glass or jar you have into a lovely scented candle for a fraction of the cost of a commercial candle. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this simple process so you can start making your own scented candles at home.

Things You Should Know

Make your candles with soy wax flakes, which are environmentally friendly and easy to work with.
Wash your glasses and glue a wick to the bottom to prep them for candle-making.
Heat the wax to about 185 °F (85 °C), then let it cool to about 120 °F (49 °C) before you add fragrance oils or essential oils for the scent.
Pour the fragranced wax slowly and carefully into the glasses, then leave them overnight so the wax can harden.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Prepping Your Glasses

1
Measure out soy wax flakes before you prep your glasses. For each glass, you need twice the amount of wax flakes that would fill the glass. Just fill each glass you want to use with soy wax flakes. Then, dump those wax flakes into a heat-resistant glass or metal measuring cup and fill the glass again. Dump those wax flakes into the container and you're good to go.^{[1]
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- While you can make candles with different types of wax, soy wax flakes tend to be less expensive than other types and are easy to work with. They're also more environmentally friendly than other types of wax.^{[2]
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2
Wash the glasses that you want to use. Even if they've been washed recently, any dust or impurities on the surface of the glass could cause bubbles in the melted wax. How you wash the glasses isn't important as long as they're clean.
- If you're recycling old glasses, inspect them carefully for cracks before you use them. A cracked glass might break apart when you pour the wax into it.
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3
Preheat your glasses for 5-10 minutes to dry them completely. Set your glasses on a baking sheet and place them in the oven on "keep warm" or the lowest heat setting possible. This ensures all moisture has evaporated from your glasses so the water won't mix with the melted wax and ruin your candles.^{[3]
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- Pouring wax into warm glasses also keeps the wax from pulling away from the sides of the glass, which can give you unsightly lines and bubbles.
4
Glue a wick to the bottom of each glass. Squirt a small drop of super glue on the little metal collar on the bottom of your wick, then press that into the dead-center of the inside bottom of your glass. Hold your finger there for a second or two until the glue has dried.^{[4]
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- If you have a wide-mouthed glass or jar, you might want to use two wicks so the candle burns more evenly. Just make sure they're evenly spaced in the glass or jar.
5
Stabilize the top of your wick so it stands up straight. Your wick needs to stand up straight and tall in the wax for your candle to burn properly. To keep it from flopping over, stick a strip of tape over the top of the glass, then poke a hole in the center. Thread your wick through the hole and you're all set.
- You can also use a dowel, pencil, or chopsticks to hold the wick in place—just wrap the end of the wick around whatever you're using and set it on top of the glass.^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Melting the Wax

1
Make a double-boiler to melt the wax. Put some water in a large pot—just enough that the measuring cup you're using for your wax can sit in it without floating or tipping over. Heat the water to boiling, then reduce the heat on the burner until you've got a slow boil. Place your cup with the wax flakes in the boiling water so it will gently melt the wax.^{[6]
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- If you're using a measuring cup for the wax flakes that has a handle, hook it over the side of your pot so it'll stay in place more easily.
- The container with your wax flakes will get hot. Always use an oven mitt to handle it.
2
Heat the wax to about 185 °F (85 °C), stirring occasionally. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of your wax. When it reaches between 170 °F (77 °C) and 185 °F (85 °C), take it out of the double-boiler and set it to the side to cool.^{[7]
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3
Use candle dye to color your candles. Add a few flakes or a dash of pigment powder to your hot wax and stir until all of the dye is melted and your wax is a consistent color. Continue to add dye until you get the color you want, stirring well.^{[8]
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- You might've heard that you can melt crayons to color your candles, but this isn't a great idea. Crayons are made from paraffin wax and pigments that can clog the wick and cause smoking and burning issues.^{[9]
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- Candle dyes might cost a little more than a box of crayons, but your color will be more consistent and your candles will burn cleanly and evenly.
4
Add fragrance when the wax has cooled to about 120 °F (49 °C).^{[10]
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Research source} Use fragrance oils (which are synthetic) or essential oils to give your candles a scent. Start with 15-20 drops of essential oil, but keep in mind the fragrance will be milder when the wax hardens.^{[11]
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- If you add fragrance before the wax has cooled, you run the risk of burning off all the fragrance immediately. Different fragrances have different flash points, but all of them are over 120 °F (49 °C).
- Go with a mix of lavender and vanilla oils for a simple, relaxing aroma. Citrus scents, such as lemon or orange, tend to be more energizing—for example, lemon and verbena are a popular combination.
- It takes a little experimentation to get the fragrance just how you like it. Keep a log of how much fragrance you use with each batch of candles you make so you can tweak your formula until you get it right.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Pouring Your Candles

1
Pour the wax slowly into the glasses. The key to a good-burning candle is a slow, controlled pour. This ensures that the wax settles in the glass smoothly and evenly without any bubbles or air pockets.^{[12]
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- Leave about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) at the top of each glass so the wax won't overflow the glass when you burn the candle.
- Spread out newspaper or parchment paper under your glasses to catch any wax drips for easier cleanup.
2
Let the wax set overnight. Leave your candles in a cool, dry place where the wax can cool undisturbed. Even though they might seem solid after a few hours, it's usually best to leave them overnight to make sure they're thoroughly and evenly hardened.^{[13]
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- In the first hour or so after you pour your candles, check the tops of your candles and make sure they're still even. If the wax is starting to sink around the wick, give the glass a tap or two on a hard surface to settle it evenly.
3
Trim the wick to ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) from the top of the wax before burning. Trimming the wick ensures that your candle will burn evenly without a lot of excess smoking. Whenever you burn the candle, trim the wick again to keep it at the same height over the top of the wax.^{[14]
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- If you want to decorate the glasses in any way, now's the time to do so! But you can also just leave them as they are.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you put a wick in a candle jar?

Claire Donovan-Blackwood
Arts & Crafts Specialist
Claire Donovan-Blackwood is an Arts & Crafts Specialist and CEO of Heart Handmade UK, a site dedicated to helping people live a happy, creative life. With over 13 years of experience, Claire uses art as a form of therapy and focuses on mindfulness in the making of art. She makes crafting easy and accessible for those she works with. Claire received her B.A. in Photography & Visual Imagery from The University of Huddersfield.

Claire Donovan-Blackwood

Arts & Crafts Specialist

Expert Answer

Trim the wick so it's the same height as your jar. Then, secure the wick it by attaching it to a stick placed over the mouth of the jar.
Question

Let's say I wanted some kind of flower scent. Can I just get some flowers (probably get their liquids out) and put the flowers (liquid, petals, or something) inside the candle instead of pouring oil?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

What you're talking about is getting the essential oil out of the flowers, which is a time-consuming, expensive, and complicated process. It takes hundreds of blossoms just to make a few ounces of essential oils. It's far easier and more cost-effective to simply buy essential oils.
Question

Can you use icing paste (colorant) to color the candles?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

No. You should only use dyes that were specifically created to color the wax that you're using. Anything else could cause the candle to smoke and not burn properly.