6 best scented candle making kits to try at home

If you want a set that has both style and substance, this could be the kit for you. Housed in a chic black-and-white metal tin that can be used to store your equipment, or even repurposed around the home once you’re finished, it includes absolutely everything you need to kick-start your candle making journey.

Inside are two bags of natural wax, two fragrance oils, wicks, wick stickers and a glass thermometer. There’s also a wax melting jug and enough candle tins – which come in a seriously fancy gold metal finish – to make six candles. Meaning you can keep one (or two) for yourself and still treat your friends too. Best of all, there are three scent combinations to choose from – amber, lavender and geranium, lavender, pomegranate and hibiscus or ylang ylang and gardenia.

There’s a handy booklet that comes with detailed instructions on how to make the candles in just eight simple steps, with tips on everything from how to prepare the tins, to temperatures and pouring techniques. All in all we enjoyed the experience of using this kit just as much as we did the finished result.

Self Made was only founded during the pandemic by Ricki Lawal, who taught herself to make candles during lockdown, but it offers a number of candle kits with different scents including flora, pumpkin, ginger spice and chai spice and we’re already obsessed.

Each set is delivered in a recyclable cardboard box designed with a bold motif to match your chosen scent, and includes all the fundamentals you need to get going. There’s an eco-friendly glass jar, pre-measured natural soy wax, a bottle of essential oil, a fancy wooden wick and wick stickers. Plus, a helpful hand-out featuring instructions on how to use the kit and extra tips on how to make the most of your pouring technique and prevent air bubbles. And though thermometer and jug don’t come as standard, you can choose to add these on at checkout for an extra £8 which we didn’t mind.

For us it was the attention to detail that really set this kit apart. From it’s beautifully designed packaging, the free tealight sample candle, to the plantable seeded label that’s made to be planted in your jar once finished and give it new life, there’s a lot to love. What’s more, Self Made is a proud supporter of Black Minds Matter UK – a charity focused on providing culturally knowledgeable therapists to Black people in the UK – and donates five per cent of its profits to the organisation.

With a total of 12 DIY kits to choose from, it’s safe to say that Hazel & Blue knows a thing or two about exploring candle making. There’s something for everyone, with special editions for garden fans and tea lovers, but our top pick is the calm and cosy option, which is scented with cedarwood and geranium.

Designed for beginners, the set contains two amber containers made from recyclable glass, soy wax, vegan friendly fragrance oil, cotton and linen wicks and personalised candle labels for you to write your own message on. The instructions are presented on a card in 11 easy-to-follow steps and, while there aren’t any images, we loved that there’s a link to a video tutorial on how to use the kits for more visual learners. However, it’s worth noting that this kit doesn’t come with a thermometer or boiling pot to melt the wax, so you will either need to source your own or improvise using a saucepan and glass bowl.

Bonus points go to this kit for it’s complete eco-friendly, vegan and sustainable approach, with 100 per cent recyclable packaging and natural ingredients, with the choice of either fragrance or essential oil scents at checkout. If you’re gifting this kit, you can also choose to add a personalised gift card and Hazel & Blue will handwrite your message onto a bespoke botanical designed luxury gift card.

If you’re a complete candle making novice, we couldn’t recommend this kit from The London Refinery enough. Housed in a rustic recyclable cardboard box, the kit comes with simple and clear instructions that guide you in detail on how to make a natural soy wax candle at home in the same way the brand blends and hand-pours its own. As well as key making steps, safety information and a photographic guide, you’re also given access to a step-by-step video, which we found really helped boost our confidence as beginners.

There’s just the right amount of natural soy wax to fill the amber glass jar, as well as a cotton wick, wick glue sticker, main candle label, safety sticker, wick peg, whisk and wax thermometer. You can also add a pouring jug (£9, Londonrefinery.co.uk) and measuring beaker (£4, Londonrefinery.co.uk) to your kit. Each kit makes a 120ml soy candle in your choice of either The London Refinery’s revitalise or relax fragrance blend. We found this one of the easiest kits to follow and were blown away by how professional looking our candle looked.

If you’ve found yourself stocking up on relaxing candles during lockdown, then this is the kit for you, which gets our thumbs up for delivering a candle that has a seriously calming effect. Designed with both beginners and candle making enthusiasts in mind, it includes everything you need to get started, including three bottles of pure essential oil mood boosting scents and enough soy wax to fill all three containers. There’s even some leftovers to make your own.

Everything arrives in a grey recycled box with a magnetic lid that can be used for storing all your equipment, with a digital thermometer, whisk, melting pot, wicks and wick holders all included. The company’s founder, Nicola, runs candle workshops and her expert steps are included in the box for guidance. Along with this are tips on how to blend the essential oils to create your own unique scent and a list of suppliers where you can purchase more wax for future sessions.

This is definitely one for anyone looking to seriously take up candle making long-term, as we found it to be just as educational as it was fun. You can also upgrade your kit to a luxury gift box which comes complete with a fancy ribbon, but we think the original version feels just as special.

A brand inspired by Indian sensibilities, Nappa Dori is inspired by minimalism and detail-oriented craftsmanship, which really comes across in its beautifully designed candle making kit. The set contains all the essential tools and materials you would need to make your own scented soy candle, including a solid bar of wax, two amber glass containers, stirring sticks, cotton wicks, a glass thermometer and a metal boiling pot with a fancy leather handle. We also found the instructions to be crystal clear with step-by-step, pictured guides to making the candle, which we as beginners found really useful.

There are three different scents to choose from – amber wood, rain and rouge spice – and it also comes with a personal message label for you to write a secret message that only reveals itself when it burns. This makes it a great choice if you’re looking to gift the candle to a loved one.