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.
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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.
Why Make These DIY Candles
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
How to Make DIY Candles in a Slow Cooker
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.
FAQ
Sure! You can use solid or liquid candle dye, oil-based food coloring and even crayons. This article explains each method in detail.
Fragrance oil has a stronger scent than essential oils, but it is artificial. For a natural scent, use essential oils, and start with at least 15 drops, but feel free to increase the quantity.
📖 Recipe
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.
Instructions
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Fill mason jars to the top with wax.
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Place jars in bottom of an empty slow cooker and slowly pour boiling water around jars until it reaches about halfway up the sides.
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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.
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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.
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Once all wax has melted, remove jars from slow cooker and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Add essential oils.
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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).
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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.
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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.
