The answer is, of course, yes! Making your own candles at home is not only economical but fun. It’s one of those gratifying projects that gets you back to basics and connects you with past generations of people who’ve made things with their own two hands. Plus, it allows you to control exactly what ingredients go into your clean-burning candle. The following method is an easy-to-follow process that even beginning DIYers can tackle. It’s something you could even accomplish with older children and supervision. Don’t overthink it or try to perfect it the first time—that’s what practice is for. Combining scents is also part of the fun of making candles, and it’s something that Anna Sproul-Latimer has become passionate about in pursuing her candlemaking hobby. However, scents aren’t always what they seem. She says, “Scent test every combination of fragrance oils or essential oils before making a candle. They never combine the way you think they will.” And, don’t get discouraged if a scented candle appears to be a fail. Sproul-Latimer says, “Be patient. Wait a week, at least for the scent to fully cure. Then, burn test the candle to see exactly what you’ve made.” Then, you can test scent combinations by placing your blend on a cotton ball and taking a whiff. Adjust the ratios as needed before you choose to add the oil to your wax. Make sure to avoid short burns in the future too; aim to leave your candles going for at least an hour at a time but no longer than four hours as they’ll lose their scent after that.
