If you ask me, candles are one of life’s little luxuries. Nothing makes a home feel warm and inviting quite like the soft glow of candlelight combined with a fresh, relaxing scent.
Especially around the holidays, they can really set a festive mood when sprinkled throughout your home. These DIY crockpot candles take the guesswork and the mess out of making your own candles.
You no longer have to worry about using a double boiler (and setting your house on fire) or getting melted wax everywhere. Simply place a few wax-filled jars in the base of your slow cooker (is there anything the slow cooker can’t do? You can even use it make essential oils!), turn it on and come back in a couple hours to mess-free candles.
How to Make DIY Candles in the Slow Cooker
I’m sure we’re all pretty familiar with the health issues that come with commercial candles by now, yes? These slow cooker candles are just as pretty but they’re also non-toxic candles, which means you don’t have to worry about any nasty ingredients.
They’re made with non-toxic soy wax and 100% cotton wicks, so you don’t have to worry about creating toxic fumes when you burn them. And for a fresh, subtle scent, use essential oils like cedar, peppermint and lavender to fill your home with holiday cheer.
Since you’re using essential oils as opposed to artificial fragrance, you need to measure with a pretty heavy hand in order to achieve a noticeable scent. I have recently started measuring my oils by the teaspoon as opposed to the number of drops.
Once the wax cools, you’ll be amazed by how subtle the scent really is, so don’t be afraid to add more oils than you think you might need. If you’re measuring the essential oil in drops, start with at least 15 drops and go up from there.
Supplies
Supplies- 4 pounds of soy wax
- 10 cotton wicks
- 10 (4-ounce) mason jars
- Essential oils
- Slow Cooker
- Boiling water
Start by filling your mason jars to the top with wax. Place the jars in the bottom of an empty slow cooker and slowly pour boiling water around the jars until it reaches about halfway up the sides. Place the lid on your slow cooker and set the temperature to high.
After two hours, the wax will have melted down to about half the volume of when you started, so go ahead and add more wax and stir. If you would like to add color to your candles, do that now. Then place the lid back on the slow cooker and let sit for another hour.
Once all the wax has melted, remove the jars from the slow cooker and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add your essential oils. When the wax just starts to set, insert your wicks (you may need to use a knife or chopstick to make a hole in the wax).
To keep the wick upright while the wax cools, tie a piece of twine around the wick and secure it to either side of the jar with tape. You can also insert the wick through the hole in the center of a wooden clothespin, then rest it on top of the upper rim of the jar while the wax sets.
Let your candles cool for several hours before trimming the wicks, putting the lid on and decorating with twine and fresh herbs. For a last-minute Christmas gift, stack two or three candles together and secure with pretty ribbon and a small a gift tag.
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How to Make DIY Candles in the Slow Cooker
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 4 pounds soy wax
- 10 cotton wicks
- 10 4-ounce mason jars
- essential oils
- boiling water
Instructions
- Fill mason jars to the top with wax.
- Place jars in bottom of an empty slow cooker and slowly pour boiling water around jars until it reaches about halfway up the sides.
- Place the lid on slow cooker and set the temperature to high. After two hours, the wax will melt down to about half the volume of when you started. Add more wax and stir.
- If you would like to add color to your candles, do that now. Then place the lid back on slow cooker and let sit for another hour.
- Once all wax has melted, remove jars from slow cooker and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add essential oils.
- When the wax just starts to set, insert your wicks (you may need to use a knife or chopstick to make a hole in the wax).
- To keep wick upright while wax cools, tie a piece of twine around wick and secure it to either side of your jar with tape. You can also insert wick through the hole in the center of a wooden clothespin, then rest it on top of the upper rim of your jar while wax sets.
- Let candles cool for several hours before trimming the wicks, putting on lids and decorating with twine and fresh herbs.
Notes
482
These are so cute!!!! I'm so doing this!!
I use a crock pot liner that you can buy at the grocery store so just in case there is some wax that gets outside the jars – so easy!
Can you use beeswax with this method?
This was the first time for me making any type of candle. It was so easy, too easy. I used red colored wax squares for my color, and red hot cinnamon and Apple for my scents. Super cute Xmas gifts. Gaylynn Silveria
Just out of curiosity, does it have any lasting smell impact on your slow cooker?
Does the steam and condensation that gets on the inside of the lid and drips back down into the candles affect the candles?
this is my concern as well- condensation
I wonder if putting a thin towel over the pot and then setting on the lid would help with condensation. Just a thought. ????
Thank you so much for this recipe. . . so much simpler than the conventional way, just wondering though about wick sizing, Is it important?
Roslyn, yes the wick size always matters just as does type of wick..I have my own candle business but never have tried this method..I think I will try it..I’ve seen quite a few diy candles on pintrust but honestly there is a danger in making them
I love this and really want to make some for Christmas gifts this year! How many drops of EOs did you use?
Hi Kim – I used about 150 drops for each 4 ounce candle. But you might want to scale that back if you’re using a strong scent like lemon or cinnamon.
Was this therapeutic grade oil? I’m a pharmacist, and in pharmaceutical chemistry, 150 drops = 10ml, or 2 teaspoons or 1/3 of a 1 ounce bottle of a good essential oil. That gets expensive quickly! Was the “150” a typo, or do you use a EO diluted with a carrier oil? I’m very excited to make these candles, but I’d like to have this clarified first. Thank you so much!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these. I am also curious… how many drops of oil per candle do you suggest?
I’m going to try this for some Christmas gifts this year. How many drops of essential oil per candle this size do you think?
I have a slow cooker so this idea is just awesome. I didn’t know you could put mason jars in there. So creative! And easy, fun, and cool.
This is srlsy ingenious! Would nvr have thought of this. TY!
Do you have any suggested oils/combos/amounts?
Wow! These look so simple and super cute Thanks so much for sharing:)
Your photo styling is so beautiful :) How do you add colors to the candles?
They sell color squares in the craft store for candles or you can add crayon the color you like or you can add colored melts. I usually add the melts to my white wax to color it.