How to Make DIY Candles in the Slow Cooker
These DIY candles are made in the slow cooker with nontoxic soy wax and 100% cotton wicks. Using a slow cooker to make candles (instead of a double boiler) ensures that the process is simple and mess free. Add your favorite essential oils to the mix to create fresh, custom scents.
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
Essential oils add a more subtle scent when compared to artificial fragrance. Measure essential oils with a heavy hand (by the teaspoon as opposed to a few drops) to create a more noticeable scent. If you'd like to measure in drops, start with 15 drops per candle and increase based on your preference.