How Do You Make Christmas Cookie Scented Candles?

The scents of the holiday season evoke warm memories and excitement for many people. Familiar smells like gingerbread, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, and peppermint bring us back to childhood moments of baking Christmas cookies with family. There’s something nostalgic and heartwarming about the aromas of classic holiday treats.

Capturing those comforting scents in Christmas cookie candle form is a creative way to infuse your home with festive fragrance. Making the candles yourself allows you to customize the cookie-inspired scent and tailor it to your favorites. The aroma of freshly baked cookies can instantly get you in the holiday spirit. Read on to learn how simple and satisfying it is to make Christmas cookie scented candles in your own kitchen.

Supplies Needed

Making scented candles requires just a few basic supplies. Here is what you’ll need:

• Candle wax – Use pillar wax or candle wax flakes. Stay away from old or discolored wax.

• Wicks – Make sure to get wicks meant for container candles. The wick width should match the diameter of your jars.

• Jars – Canning jars, glass jars, or other heat-safe containers work well.

• Fragrance oil – Use Christmas cookie scent oils like gingerbread, sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, etc.

• Candle thermometer – This helps monitor the wax temperature.

• Saucepan – Use for melting the wax.

• Spoon – For stirring the wax and oils.

Make sure you have all the supplies ready before starting the candle making process.

Choosing a Christmas Cookie Scent

When making Christmas cookie scented candles, one of the most important steps is choosing a scent that evokes the smells of freshly baked holiday treats. Some of the most popular Christmas cookie scents to consider include:

Gingerbread – This warm, spicy scent is reminiscent of traditional gingerbread men and houses. The notes of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and molasses will make it seem like gingerbread is baking in the oven.

Sugar Cookie – For a sweet, nostalgic aroma, sugar cookie is perfect. It captures the essence of simple butter and vanilla sugar cookies decorated with colorful icing and sprinkles.

Snickerdoodle – Cinnamon sugar cookies are a holiday staple. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla will remind people of these crispy-edged classics cooling on a rack.

Other options include peppermint, eggnog, pumpkin spice, cranberry, and nutty fragrances like pecan pie or walnut brownie. Think about favorite cookie recipes and traditions when selecting a fragrance oil to incorporate into candle wax.

Calculating Fragrance Oil

When making scented candles, it’s important to use the right amount of fragrance oil per pound of wax. Using too much or too little fragrance oil can affect how your candle performs and smells. The general recommendation is to use 1 ounce of fragrance oil per 1 pound of wax.

To calculate how much fragrance oil you need:

1. Weigh your wax before melting it. If using multiple containers of wax, weigh them together.
2. Decide which fragrance oil to use and have it on hand.
3. Take the weight of your wax and divide it by 16. This converts pounds to ounces.
4. Multiply the wax ounces by 0.0625 (1 oz fragrance per 16 oz wax) to find how many ounces of fragrance oil to use.

For example, if you have 2 pounds of wax:

• 2 lbs wax x 16 oz/lb = 32 oz wax
• 32 oz wax x 0.0625 = 2 oz fragrance oil

So for 2 pounds of wax, you would use 2 ounces of fragrance oil. Always measure carefully using a scale. Stick to 1 oz fragrance oil per pound of wax for best results.

Preparing the Jars and Wicks

Before pouring your candle wax, you’ll need to prepare your jars and wicks. Start by thoroughly cleaning your jars with soap and water to remove any residues. Make sure the jars are completely dry before proceeding. Next, place your wicks centered in the jars using wick stickers, a glue dot, or by tying around a pencil or chopstick placed across the top of the jar. Position the wick so it is straight and centered. This will ensure proper burning when the candle is lit. Make anycentering adjustments before the wax is poured. Once your wicks are centered in the clean dry jars, you’re ready for the next step of melting and pouring the wax.

Melting the Wax

A key step in making scented candles is properly melting the wax. You’ll want to melt the wax completely so it blends well with the fragrance oil. The wax should be heated to 185-200°F to fully melt it. Use a double boiler or a slow cooker set on low to gently heat up the wax. Avoid overheating the wax, as this can burn off the candle’s aroma. The wax should be completely melted with no lumps before adding the fragrance oil. Stir periodically as the wax heats up to prevent burning and ensure even melting. Take care not to inhale any wax fumes directly. Once the wax is fully liquefied, you’re ready for the next step of adding fragrance.

Adding Fragrance Oil

The next step is to add your selected Christmas cookie fragrance oil to the melted wax. Be sure the wax is fully melted and at the proper temperature before adding the oil. Refer to the usage rate on the oil bottle, usually around 1 oz of fragrance per pound of wax. Gently stir the oil into the wax until fully blended. Be careful not to stir too vigorously or introduce air bubbles. The fragrance oil provides the cookie scent and complements the wax to create the perfect Christmas cookie candle experience.

Take your time adding and mixing the fragrance oil. Adding the oil at the right wax temperature and stirring just enough will result in an even scent distribution and smooth finish to your candles. The scent throw will be stronger and last longer when the oil is properly incorporated into the melted wax.

Pouring the Candles

Once the wax has completely melted and you’ve stirred in the fragrance oil, you’re ready to carefully pour the wax into the jars. Make sure you pour slowly and evenly to prevent spilling. Leave at least 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jars to allow for the wax to cool and shrink slightly.

Pour the wax directly down the sides of the jar, avoiding pouring over the wick. If wax spills over the wick it can create issues with soot or drowning of the wick when the candle burns. Take your time and pour gently in a thin stream to fill each jar.

If the wax starts to cool and thicken up too much as you pour, placing the melting pot back on the heat for a few minutes will re-liquefy the wax. But avoid overheating as you don’t want the fragrance to burn off.

Make sure to re-center the wicks as needed so they remain straight after pouring the wax. Top off any jars that need a little more wax to reach the proper fill level. And immediately wipe away any drips on the sides of the jars with a paper towel before the wax sets.

Cooling and Curing Process

After pouring the melted wax into the prepared jars and inserting the wicks, you’ll need to let the candles cure for 1-2 weeks before using them. This curing process allows the candles to become denser and burn more evenly.

As the candles cool, they will shrink and pull away from the sides of the jar, leaving an empty space. This is completely normal. To help minimize shrinkage, let the candles cool slowly at room temperature for 24 hours without disturbing them. Avoid cooling the candles in the refrigerator or freezer as this can cause cracks and crystallization.

During the curing process, the wax continues to solidify and stabilize. Curing allows any trapped air bubbles to rise to the surface. It also gives the fragrance oil time to completely disseminate throughout the wax evenly. Rushing this process can lead to issues like tunneling while burning.

After 1-2 weeks of curing, the candles will be ready to use and enjoy! The Christmas cookie scent will fill any space with delicious holiday aromas and memories.

Wrapping and Gifting

Once your Christmas cookie scented candles have cured completely, it’s time for the fun part – wrapping them up to give as gifts! Homemade candles make for thoughtful, personal gifts, and a little creativity in the wrapping stage can make them truly special.

For a festive touch, use holiday wrapping paper or reusable cloth gift bags. You can tie ribbons around the jars and attach a custom gift tag that includes a sweet holiday greeting. For a more rustic style, wrap your candles in burlap and use twine or jute to secure gift tags.

To dress the jars up, attach cinnamon sticks, pine cones, sprigs of holly or mini cookies along with raffia or ribbon. Display the candles nested together in a crate, bucket or basket lined with shredded paper or fabric scraps to keep them from rolling around.

If you want to get extra creative, fill additional small jars with cookie-scented wax melts, packs of hot chocolate or cookies to include alongside the candles for a homemade gift basket. The candle will be the star of the show, and the extra goodies make for excellent stocking stuffers!

However you decide to wrap and present your Christmas cookie candle creations, they’re sure to spread joy and holiday cheer to whoever receives them.