I love all things summer and love finding new ways to preserve my summer memories. An easy way to do that is by making an ocean gel candle! The cool thing about gel candles is that you can see right through them, so unlike traditional candle wax, you can see items that are put inside the wax. Follow along as I show you how to make gel candles!
Gel candles are very easy to make, and look great! You can make them for yourself, or give them away as party favors or even wedding favors.
How to make gel candles supplies:
- Darice Blue Glass Chips
- David Tutera Hinged Lid Glass Jars
- Darice Small Seashells, Sand, and/or Nautical Items (optional)
- Clear Candle Gel Wax
- Wicks
- Adhesive
How to make gel candles instructions:
Step 1. Add a small amount of glue to the bottom of a metal wick holder and place inside a small glass jar. Add some blue glass chips to the jar, then add in any small shells, sand, or other nautical items.
Step 2. Using an old pot (that you no longer use to cook food in), melt some of the gel wax over the stove top on low heat until melted.
Step 3. Remove the wax from heat, and carefully spoon the wax into the candle with a plastic spoon. Keep adding more gel wax until it reaches the top of the jar. Work quickly because the wax cools quickly.
Step 4. You can use two pencils or pens to hold the wick in place as the gel cools. The gel might get air bubbles in it, which I think adds to the ocean look that I was going for.
Once the wax is cool, trim the wick on the candle. Wicks should be trimmed down to 1/4″ before lighting to ensure even wax melting.
These can be used as small travel candles, given in a set as a gift, or as party favors. They are so cute and fun!
I hope you enjoyed this how to make gel candles tutorial and have fun making them as much as I did! Happy crafting!
Laura is a wife, mom of four, and the owner and creator of Make Life Lovely, a creative blog filled with creative craft tutorials, DIY projects, party tips, holiday ideas, home decor, and more. A former elementary school teacher, Laura loves getting crafty, planning parties, going on adventures with her family, and eating frozen yogurt.
Thank you for tutorial. I concord the shell candle.. My question is I would like to add foliage, maybe even flowers. Every time I add flowers they look horrible, what am I doing wrong..
Help!!!
Josie
Here are some great instructions on adding flowers to your gel candles. Hopefully there’s some tips that will help!
https://prestigeflowers.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/263/
https://pioneerthinking.com/gel-candle-making-with-pressed-flowers
How do i know how much wax to use??
Hi KristyAnn, You can eyeball how much wax to use depending on what size jar you use. You can always melt more if it does not look like enough to fill the jars.
So you only sell your products in the US?
Hi Ki, No we do welcome international customers! Here is a link to more information about becoming an international customer: https://www.darice.com/Content/Images/Media/InternationalApplication.pdf