Are you a DIY candle maker and a sucker for herbs, too?
Maybe you’ve been thinking of ways to incorporate herbal scents into your candles. If you answered yes, then you’ve probably asked yourself the following question before:
Is it safe to put dried herbs in candles? Yes, it is safe to put dried herbs in your homemade candles. But they must be placed correctly, away from the wick and closer to the sides of the candle. It’s also a good idea to chop them up finely when adding them.
To shed more light on the subject, we’ve curated this post for you. In it, you’ll find all answers to questions surrounding the safety of putting dried herbs in candles, how to do it, and the best herbs for candle-making projects. Let’s dive in!
Why Put Dried Herbs In Candles In The First Place?
Nothing beats a quiet evening unwinding while surrounded by heavenly scented candles. Even if that isn’t exactly your idea of a perfect evening, you’ve got to acknowledge the niceties of aromatic candles and the freshness and ambiance they bring to any space.
Besides, the health concerns associated with chemical-based fragrances in candles have caused enough jitters for many folks to switch to home-made candles scented naturally.
Consequently, DIY candle makers are constantly looking for ways to add a natural scent to their candles, and adding dried herbs to the mix is one of those solutions.
You might also want to put dried herbs in candles to give them more character, texture and even an interesting design if you’re using glass vessels. This is particularly true if you want to add oomph to your candles without turning to synthetic dyes or artificial embellishments like glitter.
Is it Safe to Put Dried Herbs in Candles?
It goes without saying that dried plant matter and a flame can be a recipe for smoky disaster if you’re not careful.
However, it is still generally safe to put dried herbs in candles if done correctly. As long as the herbs do not come into direct contact with the wick when it is lit, you won’t end up burning down your house.
Dry herbs can get really dramatic once they touch the wick. You can get anything from smoldering to sporadic flames, an eruption of tiny angry sparks, crackling, sputtering, and emitting soot.
To enhance safety and avoid such unpleasant incidents that will sure put a damper on your relaxation and freshness efforts, be sure to:
- Grind or chop your dried herbs into finer pieces before using them to make candles. The larger the pieces, the angrier the flame and the more dangerous the candle.
- Use a large jar with a wide diameter to keep the dried herbs as far as possible from the wick and closer to the walls of the container.
- Do not place dried herbs right on top of a ready-to-use candle. The dried herbs are to be added to the molten wax during the process of making the candle. This way, they gradually sink to the bottom while the candle melts.
How Do You Safely Add Dried Herbs To Candles?
You’ll come across various methods of adding dried herbs to candles, including stirring them into the molten wax before pouring or sprinkling them on top of the wax while pouring.
With these methods, there’s a higher chance of the dried herbs coming into direct contact with the wick as there’s no control of the distribution.
How To Safely Add Dried Herbs to Candles
Here are guidelines on how to safely add dried herbs to your candles:
- Assuming you already know the candle-making process and have poured your hot wax into a wide brim jar, sprinkle the chopped or crushed dried herbs around the molten wax.
- Do this closer to the outer edge of the vessel. Check that there’s a reasonable area of about half an inch diameter around the wick that is free of dried herbs. The herbs will slowly sink into the molten wax to the bottom of the container.
- If you’d like your dried herbs to be suspended within the candle height, pour the wax in layers and sprinkle the dried herbs in the same manner prescribed above.
- Wait in between layers. The first one (bottom layer) should start thickening before sprinkling more herbs on top and following with another layer of molten wax until you fill the jar.
- You can use this layering method to separate different dried herbs, for example, lavender at the bottom, mint at the middle, and rosemary at the top.
- Want to use sprigs, stems, stalk, or petals without crushing them to add a design element? Place them inside the empty container, slightly angled such that the walls provide support for them to remain in that same position during pouring. Slowly and carefully pour the wax inside.
What Dried Herbs Can You Put in Candles?
Rosemary, lavender, mint, chamomile, sage, thyme, lemongrass, and licorice are the go-to dried herbs used in candles by many crafters. It’s really about your taste and preference.
Whatever you choose to go with, always pay attention to your dried herb candle as you would any other candle.
Can You Put Dried Rose Petals in Candles?
Dried rose petals are a great choice for homemade candles. They are beautiful in color and smell heavenly. I’m especially a fan of these rose petals on Amazon.
While not technically an herb, rose petals require similar safety procedures when being added to a candle. Just follow our instructions or watch the video below. And most importantly, enjoy!
I enjoyed watching Rose Arie’s DIY rose petal candle tutorial on YouTube. I hope you will too!
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