Have you ever thought about those beautiful and fragrant wax jars that look like delicious sweets? With this guide, you will learn how to create them: it’s easier than you think, and once you understand the method, you can unleash your creativity by changing the colours, scents, and other ingredients!

What you need

Before we start, I remind you that the completely plant-based nature of soy will enhance both the fragrances you use and the pigments; moreover, the containers you use for melting the wax and for holding it, once washed, can be reused for food purposes, which is not possible with petroleum-based waxes.

First, prepare the container; choose a transparent jar or a special jar (shabby chic styles are very trendy), then choose the wick; you can opt for either a natural cotton wick or a pre-waxed one.

Candle wicks

In the case of a natural wick, you will need to wax it yourself; in the second case, you just need to place the wick in the container.

Wicking the wick and preparing the wax

Wick waxing

Wick after waxing

Dip it several times in the melted wax and then let it cool on a piece of baking paper, standing upright: it will take a few minutes to harden.

It is important to calibrate it according to the diameter of the container and cut a piece slightly longer than the height of the jar.

Now, melt the wax in a water bath, do not exceed 60/70 degrees (if you have a thermometer, use it; it will be useful!)

Wax in a water bath

Thermometer

Place the wick in the centre of the jar and make a first pour that is a bit scant just to hold the wick in place: check that it does not move. Once the wax has cooled, after about 20 minutes, secure the wick at the top of the container with a skewer.

With the waxed wick

With the natural cotton wick

Now you can pour a generous amount of wax into your jar, leaving a little space to fill, and if you want, you can already add a few drops of essence, but not all of it; you will need some for the last layer of wax.

After about two hours, the wax should have cooled, but always check: the time can vary depending on the amount of wax used, the size of the jar, and the ambient temperature.

Making multiple pours means taking more time, but the result will definitely benefit; you will also avoid having candles with unsightly indentations near the wick.

Here is the result of the two pours

Do you want them coloured?

If you want to colour them with pigments, make sure to melt all the wax you will need at once, as this will result in a uniform colour; if you add more wax later, you risk having stripes of wax with different intensities.

The pigments should be added gradually to ensure you reach the desired colour shade; remember that as it cools, the colour will lighten.

At this point, we are ready for the last pour, the most fun one: pour the wax to the desired level, add the essences, give it a stir with a wooden stick, and before it solidifies, add dried flower buds, star anise, berries, or whatever your imagination suggests!