How to make French lavender scented candles...

Hi Everyone! It’s Jennifer Zuri from Town and Country Living with one of my favorite projects for you … how to make French lavender scented candles! Quality candles can start to get expensive (especially when you need one for each room), so why not make your own for less money? You won’t believe how easy it is to create your own candles and it doesn’t take much time, either.

I love this particular French lavender candle recipe because it includes adding lavender buds to the wax, which makes the candles a little more special.

Gather your supplies: candle wax, essential lavender oil, candle wicks, candle dye, glass containers, and of course lavender buds. You can purchase a bag of French lavender buds from Save on Crafts. You can find candle making supplies online or at your local craft store.

Place waxed or parchment paper under the jars to catch any wax that might drip when pouring your candles. Hot glue the bottom of the candle wicks to the bottoms of your glass jars, being sure to place them in the center of the jar. Make sure the wick extends at least 1/2″ above where the top of the wax will be.

Melt the candle wax in a double boiler. I don’t have one so I simply placed an old pot that I won’t use for cooking inside a larger pan filled with water to act as a double boiler. Turn the flame to medium or medium high and let the melted wax reach a temperature of 180 degrees.

Turn off heat and let wax cool to 125 degrees, then add .5 ounces of lavender oil for every 2-3 lbs. of candle wax. If you’re using dye, add it now. I used small, equal amounts of blue and red candle dye to achieve a soft lavender color. It’s best to add a little dye at a time until you get the right hue. Once it’s too dark, you can’t go back. After adding the essential oil and dye, stir in about 1/3 cup of lavender buds per 3 pounds of wax. Carefully pour the wax into each container – I used a funnel to avoid wax from spilling.

Let your candles cool overnight before using and trim wicks to 1/4″ above candle.

Some of the buds will rise to the top as the wax cools, creating a pretty effect.