Making your own wedding favors can seem a little daunting, especially if you’re having a large wedding. My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time. Crafting at the last second can be stressful. I also recommend choosing a project that suits your skill level. Wedding favors may not be the best time to try an advanced project if you’re a beginner. =)
Candles are a great favor option. They are relatively quick and easy to make, and who doesn’t love a candle? For this tutorial, I made five candles featuring two different color and scent combinations. One candle is scented with Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and colored a light pink for a feminine option. The other is uncolored and scented with Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil.
The recipe and tutorial below makes ten candles total. If you need to make a lot more, you may consider melting your wax in a large sauce pot over medium-low heat. This way, you can use a larger container than what may fit in your microwave. Then, use a ladle or smaller container to pour the hot wax into each candle container to cool and harden. I recommend pouring the wax on a counter space where the candles can cool and harden without moving them. Once the hot wax is in the container, moving the candles can be tricky!
What You’ll Need:
10 Candle Tins
40 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
10 WU-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks
1.6 oz. Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil
1.6 oz. Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil
Red Wax Dye Block
Optional: Wedding Favor Label PDF
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: Melt down 40 oz. of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave using a heat safe container. You can also melt the wax in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Once melted, add a few drops of wax into the bottom of each candle tin, and place the wick into the center of the candle. Cover the top of the wick with more wax to steady the wick to the bottom of the container.
TWO: Split the wax into two containers, each will weigh about 20 ounces. To one batch, add 1.6 ounces of the Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. Stir thoroughly.
THREE: To the other container, add 1.6 ounces of Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix in. Then, shave a very small amount of the Red Wax Dye Block using a cheese grater. Add the shavings to the melted wax and stir. The heat from the melted wax will melt and Red Wax Dye Block and give the wax a light red color. As the wax cools and hardens, it will lighten to pink. You can test the color by dropping the wax on a white piece of paper and allowing it to cool. Add more dye block shavings if you’d like a richer color.
FOUR: Allow the wax containers to cool slightly. Cut 10 straws in half and slide the wicks into the straws. This will help steady the wicks in the center of the jar after the wax is poured.
FIVE: Allow the melted wax to cool to about 110 ° F or cooler. The cooler the wax is, the less likely it will be to melt the wax holding the wick in place. Then, pour the red wax into half of the candle tins, and the uncolored wax into the other half. Allow to thoroughly cool and harden.
When the candle is cool, trim the wicks and allow the candle to cure for 48 hours. This allows the fragrance to set up properly. Enjoy!
Do you have any tips for making projects in large batches?
- 10 Candle Tins
- 40 oz. EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax
- 10 WU-250 Brown Cotton Candle Wicks
- 1.6 oz. Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil
- 1.6 oz. Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil
- Red Wax Dye Block
- Optional: Wedding Favor Label PDF
- Melt down 40 oz. of EcoSoya Advanced Soy Wax in the microwave using a heat safe container. You can also melt and wax in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Once melted, add a few drops of wax into the bottom of each candle tin, and place the wick into the center of the candle. Cover the bottom of the wick with more wax to steady the wick to the bottom of the container.
- Split the wax into two containers, each will weigh about 20 ounces. To one batch, add 1.6 ounces of the Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil. Stir thoroughly.
- To the other container, add 1.6 ounces of Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix in. Then, shave a very small amount of the Red Wax Dye Block using a cheese grater. Add the shavings to the melted wax and stir. The heat from the melted wax will melt and Red Wax Dye Block and give the wax a light red color. As the wax cools and hardens, it will lighten in color. You can test the color by dropping the wax on a white piece of paper and allowing it to cool. Add more dye block shavings if you’d like a richer color.
- Allow the wax containers to cool slightly. While they cool down, cut 10 straws in half and slide the wicks into the straws. This will help steady the wicks in the center of the jar after the wax is poured.
- Allow the melted wax to cool to about 110 ° F or cooler. The cooler the wax is, the less likely it will be to melt the wax holding the wick in place. Then, pour the red wax into half of the candle tins, and the uncolored wax into the other half. Allow to thoroughly cool and harden.
- When the candle is cool, trim the wicks and allow the candle to cure for 48 hours. This allows the fragrance to set up properly. Enjoy!
How do I prevent the soy wax from frosting?
Frosting on the candles is usually temperature related. Try increasing or decreasing the pour temperature by 10 to 30 degrees. While the candles cool, ensure the ambient room temperature remains fairly consistent. A room temperature of about 70 degrees is recommended.
Hello,
Could I add a few drops of aromatherapy oil instead of fragrance oil ?
That should be OK! You may want to make a small test candle to be sure. Some fragrances can smell odd when burned. If the oil smells fine, you can make a full batch. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
How to prevent my wax from solidifying while adding the fragrance oil, I used beeswax instead of soy wax, also what is the best way to clean the container afterward as the wax is hard to take -off
Hi Maryam!
You can heat your fragrance up a bit so it’s not as cold! Putting it in a hot water bath before adding it will help prevent the wax from solidifying. 🙂
Once you have poured your candle, immediately wipe out as much wax as you can while it’s still warm. Then, spritz with rubbing alcohol and wipe again. That will help remove a lot of the stubborn wax! Then you can wash with dish soap and warm water. If you have leftover melt and pour soap, you can also use that to clean your containers! Learn how in this video: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lip-products/clean-oily-containers/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi!
When i tried to make candle in a glas jar with soybeen wax (did not order the wax from you), it looked good at first but when i blow out the candle the soybeenwax swelled up and covered the wick so i couldnt light it again. Have this happend to you or is my soybeen wax special? i love your site! do you ship tp sweden?
Best regards Crissy Andersson
Hmm, that’s strange! How tall was your wick? If it’s cut a bit too short the wax can cover it as it hardens. Let me know!
We do ship to Sweden! You Wish Soap Supplies in the Netherlands carries Bramble Berry products. That may be an option for you as well. 🙂
Read more about international shipping options here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bramble-berry-news/soaping-world-resources-international-soapers/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
The wax used in this tutorial for the tins–can it be used for Mason jars? Or is there another wax bramble berry carries for jars? And which wicks would be used for 8 oz mason jars? I can’t find a decent listing on any website that says straight out. Use these…. Wicks….. For this sized glass containers. Help please! Also, I have Ben to the teach soap.com forum and checked out the bramble worry candle making techniques, but not one had temperatures for when they melted the wax, added the fragrance or poured the wax into the jars/tins. I would like to make a candle for me. Using the correct wick and wax and my mason jar. Please and thank you in advance!
Hi Ginger!
You can use this wax for mason jars! We love this wax because it has excellent scent throw and and even burn pool. It melts at 111F. Find out more about the wax here: https://www.brambleberry.com/EcoSoya-Advanced-Soy-Wax-P4698.aspx
The size of the wick you need depends on the diameter of the jar. We have a really handy chart that shows you what wick to choose! You can find that here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Wicks-C22.aspx
We also have a really helpful post that shows you how to make candles, and also has lots of helpful tips. I’ll link that below. 🙂
Orange Blossom Candle Tutorial + Candle Tips: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/candles-q/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
This could be a crazy question but I was not able to find the answer anywhere.. So trying to ask here as I usually find all the information I need on this site..
Can flavouring oils be used in candles? I am trying to make a natural candle with apple cinnamon smell and I was not sure if flavouring oils can be used in soy candles..
It will be great if you can tell me an answer..
Thanks,
Je..
Hi Je!
I’m not entirely sure! We haven’t tested the flavor oils in candles before. I would recommend making a small test candle to see how they smell. If you notice any odd scent, I would recommend using fragrance or candle and soap fragrances. 🙂
Read more about scenting candles here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/can-add-fragrance-oils-candles/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey,
Thanks.. I did try a small batch, did 2 candles and It turned out fine.. I mean it did set firmly and all that.. I have not tryed to burn them.. Planning to leave it for few days before doing that.
Regards,
Je..
Sounds great! Let me know how they smell when burned. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I had to give it to a customer, I made a small sample for me and she took that too.. 🙂 It was smelling really good and didn’t hear a compliant from her so I guess it was fine..
Oh that’s great, I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry