What are we on this planet for if not to enjoy the little things in life?
It’s a rainy summer’s evening, you’re tucking yourself in to bed enjoy a brand-new book. while your favourite playlist sounds softly form a nearby speaker. You light a sweet-smelling candle - there’s nothing quite like the subtle power of some good ‘ole aromatherapy after a long day. How could it get any better, we hear you ask? Well, by adding some crafting, and perhaps a glass of wine into the equation.
During lockdown, crafting and DIYs were all the rage. Filling the time with a creative task which resulted in something physical that could be displayed or used was an incredibly fulfilling concept, back when we had little else to do. Nevertheless, for some of us the crafting bug simply refused to dissipate. In fact, one particular craft that has continued to gain popularity in recent months is scented candle making, and other candle-related DIY.
One such that has gone viral on TikTok as of late involves lighting variously coloured tealights and miniature cylindrical candles, and using the melted wax to paint fun designs on otherwise plain white pillar candles.
@_jessmuir1 Painting candles with your bestie 💐🥂🌸🤍💕 #candlepainting #diy #spring #datenight #bestie #candle
♬ Until I Found You (Sped Up) - Heaven When I Held You Again How Could We Ever Just Be Friends - Hiko
Additionally, videos of people making scented candles from scratch, or from pre-set DIY kits have also gone equally – if not more – viral, with the hashtag #candlemaking garnering a total of over 3.6 billion views on TikTok. Yes, you read that right, it’s in the billions.
If we’ve successfully inspired you to well and truly get your craft on, keep scrolling for a round-up of the best candle making kits on the market.
Best candle making kits at a glance:
- Best for overall: Sculpd Candle Making Kit – £29, John Lewis
- Best for the whole family: Dellabella Candle Making Kit – £27.99, Amazon
- Best for pillar and zig-zag candles: Drippy™ Home Candle Making Kit for Beginners - £38, Amazon
- Best for bubble candles: DIY Bubble candle making kit - £16.74, Etsy
- Best for the entire kit and caboodle: Candle Making Supplies for Beginners – £78.02, Etsy
- Best for aesthetics: House of Crafts Dried Flower Soy Candle Making Kit - £23.99, Etsy
- Best for beeswax candles: Beeswax Candle Making Kit – £17.99, Amazon
- Best for extra-artsy candle DIY: Flying Tiger Pillar candle, 15 cm – £3, Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Shop now.
Sculpd Candle Making Kit
Best for: overall
Sculpd has hands-down produced the best DIY candle making kit for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, the set is equipped with a delightfully scented rose and peony essential oil, so your candle won’t simply just be there for decoration.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, you’re given the opportunity to get even more creative by sculpting your very own clay candle holder or casing, using the 600g of easy-to-use premium air-dry clay. Varnish is included in the set so that your final creation looks as shiny as a professionally glazed and kiln-fired piece – however, you can also use acrylic paint to add a colourful finish before painting over with the final varnish.
Also included in the set is 200g of sustainable, non-toxic soy wax, an ultra-fine bristle coverage paintbrush, a mixing stick and centring tool as well as some adorable Sculpd branded matches. Fear not, because there’s a step-by-step illustrated candle-making guide packed in there too. All of that for under £30? Sign us up.
Buy now £29.00, John Lewis
Dellabella Candle Making Kit
Best for: the whole family
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or expert candle maker, Dellabella has created a fantastic, multi candle making set for the whole family. Another option which uses vegan-friendly eco soy wax, this set comes with a multitude of scent options including floral cherry blossom, zesty and sweet orange, calming lavender, and fresh eucalyptus. A slightly more professional-style kit, it also comes with a melting pot and electric thermometer, alongside moulds, cases, and carving tools so that you can experiment with different shapes and designs.
Buy now £27.99, Amazon
Drippy™ Home Candle Making Kit for Beginners
Best for: pillar and zig-zag candles
If you’re more into using candles as design features and pretty dinner table accessories for when you’re hosting, this is the sustainable candle making kit for you. Unlike the kits listed thus far, this one comes with a very generous 750g of vegan soy wax which, given the decent price and range of moulds included, we think is an absolute bargain.
Drippy also provides three high density pigments in three different pastel tones for the utmost Scandi chic vibes. Choose from one of the three included moulds – pillar, zig zag and wavey – to get started on your aesthetic creation. If you’re worried about messing up, there are also step-by-step instructions on how to use the moulds and mix those fancy pigments.
Buy now £38.00, Amazon
DIY Bubble candle making kit
Best for: bubble candles
Another option for the aesthetic candle lovers is this fantastic bubble candle kit. This type of candle design went viral thanks to Scandinavian lifestyle brands such as HAY, but instead of paying a premium – why not get into the habit of creating them yourself?
Designed specifically for beginners, the kit contains a reusable bubble silicon mould, 150g of soy candle wax, two wicks, a wick holder, and a wooden pick for those hard-to-reach crevices. Don’t be put off by the limited amount of soy wax beads included, for you can buy natural soy wax in bulk at most online retailers, Etsy included. What’s more, the seller has included a miniature version of the iconic bubble candle in this kit as an extra gift.
Buy now £16.74, Etsy
Candle Making Supplies for Beginners
Best for: the entire kit and caboodle
For a professional-grade candle making kit which comes equipped with all the gear you could possibly need to master the art, look no further than this. We are huge fans of the fact that this set comes with an automatic melting pot with a handy pouring spout, meaning that you won’t have to stress over potentially ruining your favourite saucepan, or your kitchen counter, for the sake of crafting.
It also contains 800g of soy wax and six different essential oils – lavender, jasmine, vanilla, rose, apple, and cinnamon – with six packs of dyes to match. The glass candle cups for housing your creations are gorgeous and further reusable – simply clean them out once you’ve burned a candle down to its wick and start fresh.
Buy now £78.02, Etsy
House of Crafts Dried Flower Soy Candle Making Kit
Best for: aesthetics
Get the best of both worlds when it comes to stunning aesthetics and lovely smells with this candle making kit. It includes two glass candle holders, 400g of soy wax, wicks, 4ml of rose fragrance oil, dried marigold petals, rose petals and lavender. This set would make a great, relaxing and meditative evening activity, and the candles themselves would also work as decorative pieces once complete if you’re planning on hosting.
Buy now, Etsy
Beeswax Candle Making Kit
Best for: beeswax candles
Creating candles from sheets of beeswax is an entertaining and unique means of engaging in this craft. Unlike the usual soy wax used for candle maxing, beeswax is mouldable and pliable – meaning that you can create various shapes without ever having to melt the wax down into a liquid. This also makes crafting beeswax candles a fantastic and safe activity to enjoy with your children.
Buy now £17.99, Amazon
Pillar candle. 15 cm
Best for: extra-artsy candle DIY
For those of you who are simply looking to put their own colourful twist on an existing candle (the TikTok trend that we mentioned in this article’s introduction), we understand. Flying Tiger pillar candles are priced from £1 to £3, and you can also pick up a set of synthetic paintbrushes for just £3.
Buy now £3.00, Flying Tiger Copenhagen
