23 Best DIY Candle Tutorials for Beginners

One of the most common crafting hobbies is candlemaking. Many crafters will agree that the best DIY candles are the ones that don't take a ton of time and energy to make. If you're just getting started, it's wise to stick to projects that are simple and easy to complete.

You might think that it's intimidating to make your own candles from scratch, but the process is not as daunting as it seems. These tutorials will show you how to make candles to sell or gift without needing to invest a lot in supplies.

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Learn How to Make a Basic Jar Candle

The Spruce / Caylin Harris

The first candle you'll want to master when you get into candle making is a basic jar candle. Keep the fragrance and color simple and practice until you feel comfortable with the process.

You Will Need
- Wax
- Wick
- Container
- Fragrance and color
Homemade Candles for Beginners from The Spruce
02 of 23
Pour Candles Into Vintage Glassware

Hello Glow

Just about any glass vessel can be remade into a wax candle. Look around your home for mismatched glassware and get creative.

You Will Need
- Small bowls or glasses
- Candle wax
- Wicks
- Coffee beans
- Vanilla beans (chopped)
DIY French Vanilla Candles from Hello Glow
03 of 23
Incorporate Lemon and Rosemary for a Fresh Scent

Craft Berry Bush

Once you master the basics of candle making, try to experiment with different fragrances. Need some inspiration? You can't go wrong with a combination of rosemary and lemon.

You Will Need
- Paraffin wax
- Wicks
- Mason jars
- Rosemary and lemon essential oils
Rosemary Lemon Candle from Craft Berry Bush
04 of 23
Keep Bugs Away by Adding Citronella

The Spruce / Caylin Harris

Citronella candles can get expensive and could have a bunch of unnecessary fillers that aren't the best for you or the environment. Learning how to make your own is a simple and straightforward process.

You Will Need
- Shaved wax
- Mason jars
- Wicks
- Citronella essential oil
DIY Citronella Candles from The Spruce
Continue to 5 of 23 below.
05 of 23
Dress up a Candle With a Printable Label

Fall for DIY

If you want to start selling your candle creations, take the time to print out attractive scent labels. You can find many free examples online or use a free graphic design program like Canva to make your own.

You Will Need
- Candle votives
- Soy wax
- Essential oils
- Wicks
DIY Scented Gift Candles With Printable Labels from Fall for DIY
06 of 23
Find Some Old Advertising Tins

Sugar and Charm

Vintage advertising tins are highly collectible. If you find an unusual tin for this candle project, chances are you'll never want to burn it and that's okay.

You Will Need
- Old candles
- Candle wax
- Wicks
- Tins
- Citronella and grapefruit essential oil
Recycled Tin Citronella Candle from Sugar and Charm
07 of 23
Roll a Simple Beeswax Pillar Candle

James Merrell / Getty Images

This candle making project is so simple that even a child could do it. Once complete, decorate a dining room table centerpiece with a variety of beeswax pillars in varying heights and widths.

You Will Need
- Beeswax sheets
- Primed wicks
- Knife or razor blade
Simple Rolled Beeswax Candle from The Spruce
08 of 23
Use Blown out Eggshells to Make a Candle

Hello Glow

These cute candles make an excellent Easter centerpiece, but they also would look cute all-year-round on a kitchen shelf.

You Will Need
- Blown out eggshells
- Soy wax flakes
- Wicks
- Wax paper
- Dixie cups
- Crayons (optional)
- Essential oils (optional)
DIY Colorful Egg Candles from Hello Glow
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09 of 23
Press Herbs Into the Sides of a Candle Jar

Adventures in Making

It's easy enough to add essential oils to your candle. Take the candle DIY one step further by pressing herbs against the glass jar.

You Will Need
- Glass jars
- Beeswax
- Wicks
- Pressed herbs
DIY Pressed Herb Candles from Adventures in Making
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Stamp Patterns on Existing Candles

The Spruce / Kate Pullen

If you are apprehensive to pour a candle, start with one of the most basic candle transformations. Search for plain pillar candles throughout your home and decorate them with rubber stamps.

You Will Need
- Plain candle
- Tissue paper
- Rubber stamps
- Dye ink
- Heat gun
Rubber Stamped Candles from The Spruce
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Make Charming Candles in Vintage Teacups

Yes Missy

Do you know someone with an affinity for all things antique? These cute teacup candles make great gifts for vintage-lovers.

You Will Need
- Teacups
- Wax flakes
- Wicks
DIY Teacup Candles from Yes Missy
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Create Small Glitter Candle Favors

Something Turquoise

This candle tutorial will teach you how to make small tin candles that are the perfect size for party favors. Make them extra glitzy by adding tons of glitter to the wax.

You Will Need
- Metal tins
- Soy wax flakes
- Glitter
- Wicks
- Essential oil
DIY Poured Glitter Tin Candle from Something Turquoise
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13 of 23
Melt Old Crayons to Create New Candles

Warm Hot Chocolate

If you want to add color to your candle wax without spending extra money on supplies, check to see if you have any old crayons. This candle tutorial is designed to be so easy that a child could make them with you.

You Will Need
- Crayons
- Soy candle wax
- Wicks
- Dixie Cups
- Glass candle holders
Crayon and Wax Candles from Warm Hot Chocolate
14 of 23
Experiment With Different Scents to Set the Mood

A Ballad of Bright

When candlemaking, try out a ton of different scent combinations. If you get stuck, look to candle tutorials for inspiration. The combination of sandalwood and fig in this candle DIY is woodsy and perfect for winter.

You Will Need
- Soy flakes
- Amber jars
- Sandalwood and fig essential oils
- Wicks
- Kraft labels
DIY Fig and Sandalwood Soy Candles from A Ballad of Bright
15 of 23
Learn How to Make a Candle Without Using Wax

The Kinnard Homestead

If you don't want to have to mess around with melting and pouring wax, try out this candle tutorial that uses olive oil instead.

You Will Need
- Olive oil
- Lantern wicks
- Floral wire
- Container
- Fruit or herb filler
Lemon Filled Olive Oil Lanterns from The Kinnard Homestead
16 of 23
Skip the Wick and Make Wax Melts Instead

LW Vogue

In this "candle" tutorial, you won't have to worry about placing a wick perfectly. Instead, make extremely easy wax melts that can be used in any wax melter.

You Will Need
- White beeswax pellets
- Grapefruit essential oil
- Red liquid dye
- Mold
Pink Grapefruit DIY Wax Melts from LW Vogue
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17 of 23
Turn Your Favorite Tea Into a Candle

Fall for DIY

Brewing tea fills your kitchen with amazing smells, but why not have that scent linger throughout your entire home? Pick any tea that you love to savor and convert it into a candle.

You Will Need
- Tea
- Extract flavors
- Soy wax
- Mugs
- Cord
- Olive oil
DIY Tea Infused Scented Candle from Fall for DIY
18 of 23
Create a New Candle From All Your Old Ones

Man Made DIY

In most cases, a candlewick will stop burning before all the wax is spent. In this case, you can either toss the candle or reuse the wax. While it may be smart to pair like-scents with one another, get creative. You might be surprised how nice the new hodgepodge candle smells.

You Will Need
- Spent candles
- Wicks
- Glue gun
- Mason jar
Recycled Candle from Man Made DIY
19 of 23
Opt for a Wood Wick Instead of a Cloth One

Life-n-Reflection

Pouring candle wax is relatively simple. However, styling your candle well is what's going to set it apart and make it more easy to sell. To make your candle more rustic, consider using thick wooden wicks.

You Will Need
- Wood wicks
- Soy wax flakes
- Candle pots
- Blue spruce essential oil
Blue Spruce Candles from Life-n-Reflection
20 of 23
Make Your Candle Look Edible

Candle Tech

Taste and smell are so closely linked that it makes sense why so many candles smell like food and drink. Tempt your taste buds with a DIY candle that smells and looks like your favorite warm drink.

You Will Need
- Wax
- Pre-tabbed wicks
- Eggnog glasses
- Eggnog fragrance oil
- Vanilla liquid dye
- Ground cinnamon/nutmeg
DIY Eggnog Candles from Candle Tech
Continue to 21 of 23 below.
21 of 23
Use up Some Lemon Peels

Twine and Table

Beeswax burns very evenly and is perfect for unusual heat-safe vessels like lemon peels. Never leave a candle unattended but keep a careful eye on these DIY candles because they could burn completely in one sitting.

You Will Need
- Organic beeswax
- Lemons
- Wooden wicks
Lemon Beeswax Candles from Twine and Table
22 of 23
Use a Silicone Ice Cube Tray to Make Tea Light Candles

Adventures in Making

Tea lights are easy to make when you have the right kind of mold. Simply reuse a silicone ice cube tray to make these little candles in various shapes. Just be sure to burn responsibly.

You Will Need
- Silicone heart mold
- Soy wax flakes
- Wicks
- Essential oils
DIY Heart Soy Candles from Adventures in Making
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Melt Crayons on an Existing Pillar Candle

Kimspired DIY

This DIY candle is more about the process than it is about the end result. It's fun to watch crayons melt and make a piece of art on a candle instead of a canvas. If you want to change up the design, work with two or three crayon colors instead of an entire rainbow.

You Will Need
- Crayons
- White pillar candle
- Hot glue gun
DIY Rainbow Candles from Kimspired DIY