How do I make scented candles?

[happyscooter]

Anybody know how to make a regular candle into a scented candle?  We have a ton of candles, tapers, short, stubs, etc... and I would like to use them.  Anything I could place in a dish over the candle to create a scent?  Anything I could melt down with the candle and reshape?

[MarleyKeezy78]

Get some essential oils and add to the melted wax. You can find all sorts of yummy scents and you may even be able to find yankee scented oils 

[MarleyKeezy78]

To melt the candle use a double boiler and then you can fill a jar, easy peasy. If you need new wicks you can find those at a craft store.

[happyscooter]

sounds good.  thanks.

[Deleted]

The double boiler advice is good- my mother used to make candles and one thing I vividly remember is that wax will break into flame at a pretty low heat (well, that's why they make candles out of it!). We never had any accidents- Mom was pretty careful- but do not walk away from a pot of wax on the stove.

[Ava]

Is it really worth all that trouble when you can buy perfectly good scented candles at the store for not that much money?
I know you have the candles already, but they are a sunk cost. I wouldn't even bother.
I was watching a TV show the other day, DIY show. The guy wanted to find some use for some old discs. So he went to the store, bought a table, painted and varnished it, and then glued the discs on top as decoration. Wouldn't be easier to just throw them away?

[MarleyKeezy78]

I think repurposing items can be fun! Making candles is actually pretty fun 

[happyscooter]

ooohhh ava, what a terrible thing you said.  Throw out something that still has some good in it.  Not a very good YMer comment.

[sarcasticgirl]

There are candle scents you can purchase for candle making.
You add them to the melted wax.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards

[happyscooter]

Anybody over 50 years old?  Remember the Ronco candle making kits or the incense burning kits? 

[Jaguar]

Oct 20, 2013 18:56:27 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

Anybody over 50 years old?  Remember the Ronco candle making kits or the incense burning kits? 

I had the candle maker.

[ZaireinHD]

I love scented candles !!!
I purchase Yankee Candles, but that can be expensive!

not so sure I would make my own scented candle? lazy?

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I've made my own candles before. You can melt down the ones you're not going to use (as suggested using a double-boiler - I suggtet buying a cheap double boiler instead of using your good one - or else use a CLEAN tin can inside a pot - place the tin can with candle or wax you wish to melt in it, in the pot of boiling water and leave til melted. You can add some vanilla extract, almond extract, peppermint extract, etc, or scented essentials oil (available at craft shops along with wicks). Then pour the melted wax into a candle mold or heat-proof glass votive candle holder (also available at craft shops). The wicks can be cut to length and then just tie one end to a Popsicle stick or plastic straw and let the wick dangle in the hot wax over the container holding the wax until it's cooled and set. Cut wick leaving long enough to light.

It's a bit of work but you can also buy plain (uncolored) paraffin wax and add food coloring to color the wax and pour in different colored layers into the mold or glass container. As one layer is setting you can be heating/coloring the next layer of wax to create a candle that's layered with different scents.

It might be cheaper to buy them but if it's a craft you want to try, it's really not all that difficult.

[Deleted]

 You know how if you mix a whole bunch of colors together you end up with brown? A similar thing can happen when you indiscriminately mix various essences and attars. And if you indiscriminately melt together the various stubs and ends of various scented candles you may not be pleased with the results.
 Have you ever smelled six or seven varieties of incense all burning together at the same time? I have, and I was not impressed... it made me sneeze and sent me outdoors for fresh air.

[Deleted]

Oct 21, 2013 1:49:06 GMT -5 @patiencetried said:

 You know how if you mix a whole bunch of colors together you end up with brown? A similar thing can happen when you indiscriminately mix various essences and attars. And if you indiscriminately melt together the various stubs and ends of various scented candles you may not be pleased with the results.

Good points- there may be ways to mix in chunks of one color of candle and create swirl patterns.  What if you froze bits of another color and added them just as you poured the melted wax into the mold?  Or layered colors?

Since the OP is using candles she'd throw out anyway it might be fun to experiment.

[happyscooter]

I might try this later this week.  All of the suggestions sound good. 

I shouldn't have given my candle maker away.  But it left the attic the same time DH's pet rock left.

[HoneyBBQ]

I used to make my own candles, too, pouring the wax in all kinds of crazy things like sea shells, etc. You can head to good will and find tons of things to "turn" into candles if you want to be creative. 

Too be super YM worthy - buy wax from a sports store for skis. You can get huge blocks for a couple bucks.

Add food coloring to the wax if you want it colored.

And  yep, some yummy extracts for scents. You can also add herbs like lemongrass or real lime juice. That is ok, too.

Good lucky!

[Anne_in_VA]

I used to make candles too.  I used to weight the wick with something (can't remember what) because they always seemed to float out of the middle of the candle and then they didn't burn evenly.  Maybe it was a washer or something?

[Abby Normal]

We keep the scents that we don't like (that people have given us) and the "stumps" from larger candles.  We melt them down and reshape them and use them as emergency candles.