DIY olive-wax jar candles: easy to pour, lovely to gift
Olive-wax candles are made from an eco-friendly, biodegradable wax blend. Decorate the finished candles with natural materials. It’s worth making a bigger batch—they make wonderful gifts!
Poured olive-wax candles—what you’ll need:
- olive wax (this tutorial uses the vegan, biodegradable Eco Olive Container Blend Wax)
- recycled jars
- wood wicks and clips
- double-sided adhesive tabs
- saucepan
- melting pot
- digital thermometer
- stirring spoon
- washi tape
- jute twine
- decorations made from natural materials
- (optional: mica powder for color).
Poured olive-wax candles—how to make them:
1. Remove any labels from the recycled glass jar, then wash and dry it thoroughly to use as your candle container.
2. Attach the wood wick to the bottom of the container using a clip and a piece of double-sided adhesive: Set the wick in the clip and fix it to the center of the container. If you like, you can brace the wick during pouring with washi tape to help keep it centered.
3. Melt the required amount of olive wax in a water bath. You’ll need roughly twice the container’s volume in wax. For best results, melt the olive wax to about 75°C (167°F) and pour it into the container once it has cooled slightly, at about 65°C (149°F).
4. Pour the wax into the container and let it set for at least 48 hours. If, as it cools, the wax starts to pull away around the wick, you can fill the gap by pouring a thin layer of wax over the set surface.
5. When the candle is fully set, trim the wood wick slightly on the diagonal to about 1 centimeter long (3/8 inch).
6. Decorate the jar.
Tips for making candles
- Wood wicks come in several sizes.
- The smaller sample candles (5–6 cm; about 2–2.4 inches) use size M, and the larger sample candle (8 cm; about 3.1 inches) uses size L. Wick size, however, always depends on the wax you use, the size of the container, and any other materials you might add, such as color powder and fragrance oil. You can also place two wood wicks in one clip. If the wick is too large, the candle will burn quickly and may produce soot.
- A wick that’s too small won’t burn the candle completely, and the flame will stay small.
- For extra shimmer, use mica powder. Rub it onto the surface of the set candle. When you burn the candle, the mica will sparkle in the wax.
- If you want to make scented candles, add fragrance oil to the melted wax and mix well. With olive wax, you can add 5–12% fragrance oil.
Supplies for this story: Limepop.
