DIY Non-Toxic Soy Candles
The holiday season is officially here, and that means partys, festive meals and time spent with loved ones. When your struggling with gift ideas, I think going homemade is a sweet and inexpensive way to show someone you’re thinking about them.
I’m someone who loves the calming ambiance that candles create, but haven’t used them much in recent years because typically store bought candles come littered toxic chemicals. Most conventional candles are made with paraffin wax (a known carcinogen) which is derived from petroleum and has been linked with respiratory issues. Many also contain several toxic scents and dyes that release chemicals into your home when burned. There are plenty of beautiful non-toxic candles you can purchase if making your own isn’t your jam. These are my favourite Calgary-made candles from Field Kit. If you are up for the task of making your own, I find it more cost effective and a little more fun because you can create your own scents.
I wanted to share steps to create your own candles so we don’t have to give up our love of their calming ambiance, and its easier on your pocket book! Plus, they make cute little gifts for those you love.
In this recipe, I use soy wax which is a safe, natural alternative to a paraffin wax. Soy wax is made from soybeans and doesn’t burn toxic chemicals into your air. They are also biodegradable and a great vegan option to beeswax.
When it comes to creating your scents, you can purchase perfume-based fragrance oils which tend to help the scent last longer, but I still prefer to use essential oils so that my candles burn as clean as possible.
What you’ll need:
Saucepan, double boiler or crockpot (I used a crockpot)
Wicks - lead has been banned in wicks since 2003, so looks for 100% cotton wicks or wicks made of wood
Clothes pins or thin pencils
Containers - you can use unique containers you have laying around the house or check out Anthropologie for cute little niknacks that could be used, like these. Here, I use amber jars because I love the way they look, and they have cute little lids
Essential oils - use 100% pure essential oil. You may have to play around with the amount of oil you use depending on the size of the jars
*Note on essential oils -
To Make:
Melt wax in your crockpot on low (note - you can purchase crockpot liners which make cleaning super easy, but I chose to just clean mine right away before the wax hardened)
While the wax is cooling, place your wick in whatever candle holder you’re using. I like to drop a little bit of melted wax in the bottom, before placing the wick to help it stick.
Use your clothes pin to help secure the wick in the centre of the jar and pour in the melted wax
Let your wax cool close to room temperature before you add your essential oils
For this recipe I wanted to achieve a Christmas scent so I used equal drops of cedarwood, pine and cinnamon essential oil
My jars were about an inch and a half tall, so I used 30 drops of essential oil per candle. You can experiment with more or less depending on your preference. For larger containers, you’ll want to add more.
Let your candles cool over night before burning
Voila, you’ve made your very own candles!
You can add little labels or ribbon to make them look more festive, but for a waste free option, they look super cute as is!
Happy Holidays!