Make a Flower Candle Yourself: Create a Candle with Dried Flowers
- A homemade candle with flowers is a creative DIY project that makes a perfect gift or decoration.
- Materials for the flower candle: use high-quality wax so the flowers really stand out.
- Only use fully dried flowers so they don't spoil in the wax.
- With dried flowers, you can create unique designs - from subtle to colorful.
- Join a flower candle workshop in Berlin and create your own candles.
Candles don't just provide light - they create a cozy atmosphere, especially when decorated with dried flowers. A homemade flower candle combines gentle candlelight with the delicate beauty of dried flowers, making it a decorative highlight. A DIY candle with dried blossoms is easy to make yourself with just a few materials and a bit of creativity.
Can you set flowers into candles?
Yes, there are several ways to decorate candles with flowers. One option is to use pressed flowers. In spring, you can pick small, colorful blossoms yourself and press them. It's important that the flowers are completely dried out before they're worked into the candle.
In our "spring candles" workshop, we use colorful, pressed blossoms. First, these are attached to the inside of the candle vessel using a transparent candle sealant. We use small to medium round brushes to gently apply the liquid sealant to the spot on the candle glass where the blossom will later be placed. Using tweezers, we set the blossom onto the sealed area and seal it as well. After a few minutes, the blossom is fixed with the sealant, and the candle wax can be poured. We use only pure soy wax, which takes on a white-cream color once it hardens.
The colorful blossoms combined with the creamy wax create a striking contrast and make for a particularly decorative choice for spring.
Another option for incorporating flowers into candles is to use silicone molds. Beautiful small and large flowers can be cast from silicone molds and used to decorate the surface of scented candles. You can, for example, create candles decorated with wax flowers in our Mother's Day candle workshop.
What do I need to decorate a candle with flowers?
To decorate a candle with flowers, you'll need a few special materials. Here's a list to help you put together what you need:
- Candle glass: For decorating with pressed flowers, it's best to use transparent glass.
- Candle wax: Choose high-quality wax, such as soy wax. It's easy to work with and holds the flowers well.
- Wick: Make sure the wick is fixed in the center of the vessel so it doesn't shift while pouring the wax.
- Flowers: Use fully dried, pressed flowers. Popular flower varieties for candles include small chamomile, marigolds, or dried wildflowers.
- Transparent candle sealant: This helps fix the flowers inside the candle glass so they don't sink into the wax.
- Tweezers: Use tweezers to place the flowers precisely into the glass.
- Clothespin or wooden skewer: To hold the wick in place.
- Brush: A small, round brush helps apply the candle sealant evenly - both to the vessel and to the flowers.
- Crystals and/or glitter (optional): If you want to give your candle an extra bit of shine, you can decorate the surface with real crystals or organic glitter powder. These give the candle an added touch of elegance.
- Fragrance oil (optional): If you want to turn your flower candle into a scented candle.
Some small tools and kitchen utensils you'll also need:
- Wax melter or water bath: To melt the wax, you'll need a melting pot or a water bath where the wax can be heated evenly without getting too hot.
- Thermometer: A thermometer is important for accurately checking the wax temperature - a decisive factor for a beautiful end result.
Can you pour a candle into any glass?
In principle, you can pour a candle into almost any glass, but there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure safety and a good aesthetic result:
- Heat resistance: Make sure the glass is heat-resistant. It should be able to withstand temperatures of up to 100°C without breaking.
- Size of the glass: The size of the glass affects how long the candle burns. Larger glasses need more wax, resulting in a longer burn time. Make sure the wick matches the size of the glass so the candle burns evenly.
- Shape of the glass: The candle wax needs to be poured evenly, so a glass with straight walls is recommended. Glasses with a narrow opening can make it harder to pour the wax evenly or fix the wick.
- Decoration options: Transparent glasses work especially well if you want to decorate your candle with flowers.
Step-by-step guide: how to create your own candle with flowers
1. Attach the flowers in the glass
Take your candle glass and use the transparent candle sealant to attach the pressed dried flowers to the inside of the glass.
2. Fix the wick
Stick the wick's metal base firmly to the bottom of the glass using double-sided tape. This keeps the wick in place while you pour the wax.
3. Melt the wax:
Melt the wax in a heat-resistant pitcher in a water bath until it's completely liquid and reaches about 65-70 degrees. Make sure the wax doesn't get too hot.
4. Add the fragrance (optional)
Remove the wax from the water bath and add your fragrance oil at around 60 degrees. Mix the fragrance oil well into the wax, stirring for at least three minutes so the two components blend evenly.
5. Pour the wax into the glass
Carefully pour the liquid wax into the prepared candle glass. Fix the wick in place, for example with a clothespin, to make sure it stays centered. Let the candle cool completely.
6. Decorate with crystals (optional)
If you want to decorate your candle with crystals, place them on the surface of the already-hardened candle. Make sure they're at least 1 cm away from your wick. Then pour a thin layer of wax around the crystals to fix them in place.
7. Trim the wick
Trim the cotton wick to about 1 cm so it burns optimally.
And that's how you can create a beautiful, handmade candle with flowers. Have fun experimenting and designing your own unique creation!
