We love making jar candles, especially to give as gifts. You can do several at once in a batch. And people are always impressed that we made them ourselves. If you’ve never made a jar candle, it’s easy! We’ll show you how to wick the jar, how to melt the wax, how to add color and scent, and how to pour the wax for great results.
How To Make A Sugar Cookie Jar Candle
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Materials
Glass jar, 2”-3” diameter
Creme wax for containers
Pre-waxed medium bleached wick with clip
Wick keeper
Sugar cookie liquid candle scent
Yellow dye block for candles
Tools
Cutting board
Putty knife
Double boiler
Candle making thermometer
Chopstick
Potato peeler
Pencil
Scissors
White index card
Scale
Tablespoon
Paper towels
Oven mitts
Steps
1. Weigh The Wax: To do this, place your container on the scale and zero it out. (Or write down the weight of the container to subtract from the weight when filled.) Fill the container with water and weigh it again. This is approximately how much wax you will need. Cut the wax into chunks using the putty knife and the cutting board. This creme wax is specially made for containers, so it sticks to the inside of the jar better than other kinds of wax. Weigh out the wax and then add 2-4 more ounces for spillage, shrinkage, and whatever sticks to the bowl.
2. Prepare The Wick: Wash and dry the container. Use the wick keeper to adhere the bottom of the wick clip to the inside of the container. The wick keeper is kind of like a double-stick foam tape dot. It will keep the wick from moving around when you pour in the hot wax. Make sure the wick is centered.
Tie the other end of the wick around a pencil and rest it across the top of the container.
3. Melt The Wax and Add Color & Scent: Melt the wax in a double boiler to 180°F. Always use a candle thermometer when melting wax. The wax is flammable (that’s how it works in the candle!), so never walk away from wax on the stove. And don’t let it get too hot. The thermometer is marked with the danger zone temperatures in red.
Shave off several curls of color from the dye block using the potato peeler. Add to the wax and stir with the chopstick. (You can’t use food coloring for this. Food coloring is water based and won’t blend into the oily wax.)
Drip a few drops of melted wax onto the white index card to see if the color is to your liking. Add more color if desired.
Let the wax cool to 175°F, then add two tablespoons of the sugar cookie liquid candle scent to the melted wax and stir. (Yum! This step smells sooooo good!)
4. Pour The Wax: Pour the wax into the wicked container. Recenter the wick. Let the candle cool completely (24 hours is recommended.) Remove the pencil and trim the wick to ¼ inch.
Have you ever made candles? What about jar candles? We love shopping for jars we can use for candles. (Sometimes we even buy jams and spreads at Big Lots just to reuse the fancy jars!) If you have any questions about the process, please leave us a comment and we’ll reply. We’re here to help!
Jennifer & Kitty
Hi Ladies. I always get a “well” in the middle of the candle as it sets up. You didn’t mention that. Do you not have that problem? I melt more wax and fill up the indentation. Is there anything to prevent the “well”?
Hi Susan, We often get a well! It is normal. We mention it in some of our candle posts and videos, but we may not have mentioned it in this one. We just poke the well with a skewer and add more melted wax. There is no way to prevent the well. The wax shrinks as it cools so it just happens! Hope that helps! J&K