As a self-proclaimed candle lover, I have always wanted to make my own candles. To be able to make my own blend of fragrances that fits my preferences perfectly has always been a goal of mine. The price tag that came with buying all of the materials was more than I expected, though. Then I remembered that I had scented wax cubes laying around. That had me thinking, can I use scented wax cubes to make candles?
Scented wax cubes are a good alternative for candle making if you don’t have the supplies, or don’t want to run out and get the supplies, to make candles using unscented wax and fragrance or essential oils. By melting the wax cubes and pouring them into your desired vessel, you can easily make candles using them.
While using scented wax cubes is an easy hack for someone that doesn’t want to make candles using unscented wax and fragrance or essential oils, it’s not the best method for making candles. It’ll work and you’ll have a lovely smelling candle, but your fragrance won’t be as strong in the candle as it was in the wax cube form.
Making Candles Using Scented Wax Cubes
If you’re like me, you have an abundance of scented wax cubes lying around your home. I’m a big wax warming person but I do also have an unreplaceable love for candles. When I first decided I wanted to make candles, I didn’t want to spend the money on unscented wax and oils to fragrance my candles. Instead, I decided to try making my candles out of the scented wax cubes I already had.
To make a candle using the scented wax cubes, you need to first melt your wax. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can just use a cooking pot and a heatproof bowl. Pour some water into the bottom of your pan and set it on the stove. Set the heatproof bowl on top of the pot and place your wax cubes inside. Turn the stove on a medium heat so that the water starts to boil and your wax begins to melt.
Make sure that while you’re waiting for your wax to melt, you don’t walk away and leave it unattended. While you’re waiting for it to melt, make sure you have your vessel prepared with the wick secured to the bottom of the vessel. Carefully pour the melted wax into your vessel, making sure you straighten the wick if you need to after. Once your wax hardens, you have your very own candle made from scented wax cubes!
Another fun way to use scented wax cubes to make candles is to make it over time as you use your wax cubes in a warmer. All you have to do is use your wax warmer as you normally do and then when you’re done, pour the melted wax into a mason jar. This method will take awhile to create a full candle, but it’ll be a great way to create a unique candle.
By the time you’re finished making the candle, you’ll have a unique mixture of fragrances and colors to enjoy.
One of the great things about using scented wax cubes to make your candles is that you don’t need to buy candle dye. Some people prefer having candles that are different colors instead of just the natural color of the wax. With scented wax cubes, they wax is already dyed so you don’t need to worry about having to buy the dye.
A Word of Caution
While it’s convenient to be able to use scented wax cubes to make a candle, it isn’t the best option. Yes, it’ll give you a candle, but you may notice that the fragrance isn’t as strong as it was when it was in wax cube form. This is because the wax lets off fragrance as you’re warming it in the double boiler. Because the fragrance is being let off, you aren’t going to have as much fragrance once your candle hardens.
A great option to avoid this is to add extra fragrance to the melted wax. This also gives you a great way to customize your candle to smell exactly how you want it to. For example, if you’re making a candle out of a citrusy fragrance, you can add a fragrance or essential oil of something floral to give it a well rounded scent.
If you’re considering making a candle as you use your wax cubes, you’re also going to have a candle with less fragrance than you had in the original wax cube. You also won’t get a candle that’s as aesthetically pleasing as you would if you were going to use wax cubes of all the same fragrance and color. Either way, it’ll be a fun and creative way to make your candle.
Storing your candle should be similar to how you store your scented wax cubes. When you store the wax cubes, you should be placing them in an air tight container and storing them in a cool, dark area. Your candle is no different. Make sure you choose a vessel that has a lid so that the fragrance doesn’t dissipate. You’ll also want to store it in a dark, cool area so that any heat and sunlight doesn’t affect the fragrance, either.
The Best Way to Make Candles
So, now that we’ve figured out that you can make candles using scented wax cubes but it isn’t the best way, let’s talk about the better way to go about making your candles.
While it involves more preparation and supplies, the best way to make a candle is by scratch. You’ll need to have these ingredients on hand:
- Wax flakes (whatever type you like)
- Fragrance or essential oils, or both
- Wicks
- Vessels to pour your candle wax into
- Candle dye (optional)
When you gather these supplies, you can start making your candles. You can make the candles the same way as you would with the scented wax cubes. The biggest difference would be that you need to add fragrance to the melted wax. When the wax is fully melted, you can add the fragrance or essential oil. A little goes a long way with these oils so start out with a few drops and add more to adjust.
If you choose to use candle dye, there are a few different times you’ll need to add it. If you’re using a block of colored wax to dye your candle, add the colored wax in before you melt the wax. If you’re using a liquid dye, you can add it in when you add the fragrance.
Once you have the dye and fragrance added, you can begin pouring your candle wax into your vessels. After the wax is poured, let the candles rest until the wax hardens and you’ll be left with your brand new candles that are ready for use.
Read our full guide on How to Make Scented Candles at Home.
Final Thoughts
If you have scented wax cubes laying around, as well as wicks and a vessel, you can without a doubt make a candle out of them. While this is a convenient way to make a candle, it isn’t the best way though. By warming up the wax cubes, you’re going to be letting some of the fragrance out of the wax, which means there’s less fragrance in the final candle.
A better way to make your candle is to do it from scratch using wax flakes, fragrance or essential oils, and dye if you’d like. While this isn’t necessary as long as you don’t mind losing some fragrance from your wax cubes, it is going to give you a better candle.
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