Spending too much to make your house smell good? Learn how to make wax melts. If you’re literally burning money on designer candles, diffusers and oil burners, discover how easy and inexpensive it is to make your own wicker tarts.
There are so many benefits to making your own wax tartlettes and we can assure you that once you make your own wax melts, you will be able to use them at home and as gifts. First, they are a lot cheaper than the best home perfumes. Plus, you can make them in bulk, without the plastic wrap that store-bought fragrances come in.
With essential oils and soy wax, you can create a budget vegan homeware that is tailor-made for the rooms in your home. For example, while lavender-scented melts can be good for the bedroom, tangy citrus oils can help eliminate food odors in the kitchen, as an alternative to the best air purifier to filter the air from pungent odors.
We spoke to Maria Antoniou, founder of Teddy B candles, who shared a seven-step tutorial for you to make DIY wax melts at home. As you can see from her photos below, no specialist equipment is needed, so except for a few one-off purchases, you should find everything in your kitchen to make the best candles made with your own honest hands.
How do you make wax melts?
You will need:
Credit: Teddy B Candles
1. Heat water in a pan
Measure out 300 ml of water with your measuring cup, put it in a saucepan and heat until it comes to a gentle boil. You can also use your kettle to boil some water and add it to the pan to speed up the process.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
2. Melt the wax
Place the laundry in your heat-resistant glass pitcher. Place the pitcher on the boiling water so that it starts to heat up. Use a large silicone spatula to gently stir the wax as it melts.
Real houses top Tip: This process is similar to melting chocolate in a bain-marie, so if you’re familiar with this during baking you know it’s essential that the water doesn’t come into contact with the wax.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
3. Prepare your container/mould
First make sure that your container/mould is clean. If you’re not using new equipment, make sure your container is free of old project wax, dirt, and debris. If not, rinse and/or clean with dish soap to remove anything that could spoil the results of your new project.
While you wait for your solids to melt, prepare your tray/mould and decorate with dried fruit pieces (use your kitchen scissors to cut the orange slices into smaller pieces) and sliding flakes. If you don’t have any dried fruit or sliding flakes, this is fine. In the future, you could use biodegradable glitter and dried flowers.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
4. Keep an eye on the temperature of your wax melt
Check the temperature of the wax and at what degrees you should add essential oil (heat can damage essential oils, so it is important to check the label of the fragrance oil you are using).
When the desired temperature is reached, remove the melted wax from the heat, add the essential oil of your choice and stir well with the spatula.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
5. Pour the wax into the mold
Distribute your wax melt mixture evenly in the silicone container/mould. If your containers are shallow, you may want to decant the remaining mix into smaller molds or overfill your first mold and smooth it out with a butter knife or other leveling tool such as a flat frosting spatula.
Real houses top Tip: Whether you’re an adult making wax melts or supervising a child in this arts and crafts project, hot wax can cause burns, so take extra care when pouring the wax into the mold. Although we didn’t mention it in the equipment list, it might be worth donning heat-resistant gloves from Amazon as a precaution.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
6. Let the container/mould cool down
You want the wax melt to solidify, so let it cool for a few hours.
Real houses top Tip: Don’t be tempted to put the wax melts in the fridge. As you may already know, anything hot in this appliance can corrode the edible items in your fridge, creating a warm environment for germs and bacteria to nestle.
7. Unleash Your DIY Wax Melts
Once cooled, make sure to remove the wax melts from your silicone molds. Do this carefully to ensure your DIY wax melts don’t break or break. Light and display in a ceramic wax warmer with a tea light and store any extras in a bag, in a cool place.
Credit: Teddy B Candles
What are wax melts?
Unlike the best oil diffusers, wax melts work in tandem with an oil burner, so you don’t need to plug an electrical device into the mains.
‘They are actually scented candles, but different!’ explains Emilie de Block, aromatherapy expert and founder of Bio Scents.
‘They are pieces of scented wax without pits that are melted instead of burned. By melting them instead of burning them, the oils are vaporized into the air, making your room fragrant, without burning the oils and burning the wax. So if you hate the wax coating on all your furniture, this is your solution!
How do you make DIY wax melts smell stronger?
As you will see, Maria had an ever-higher threshold for the amount of essential oil needed to make wax melts. If you want to make a stronger smelling end product, use the full 35ml to 350g wax.
But be warned, if you have a family member with sensitive nasal allergies, you may be wondering “are essential oils safe to inhale?” In this case, it is best to consult a medical professional first. In most cases where a family member has a very mild intolerance, you can create a fragrance-free melt or reduce the ratio of oil to paraffin, soy wax, beeswax, or rapeseed wax when making the mix.
Which wax should I use to make DIY wax melts?
“When you make homemade scented wax melts, you have several choices for the type of wax you want to use,” says Stephanie Goldstone, home fragrance buyer, The Fragrance Shop Home.
‘The purest is beeswax, but it can be expensive. Soy wax is also safe for candles and wax melts and is a lot cheaper.’