DIY Pumpkin Spice Candles: Easy Fall Scented Craft

Learn how to make pumpkin spice candles with our easy step-by-step tutorial and video! It’s SO EASY to make homemade candles, and a pumpkin spice candle made with soy wax is the perfect candle making project for fall.

Pumpkin Spice Soy Candle

I love the warm orange glow and the spicy, yet comforting, scent these pumpkin spice candles give off when burning. Pumpkin spice is the scent of fall, and that signature fragrance inspired these homemade candles.

We made these pumpkin spice candles with soy wax, which is non-toxic. It burns longer and cleaner than candles made from paraffin wax. To scent the candles we used a “pumpkin pie” blend of essential oils.

It’s so satisfying to see a homemade candle come together, and to burn a candle that you made yourself. These DIY candles also make really special gifts. Simply tie a ribbon around the jar or print off a label, and voila!

Check out our Pumpkin Spice Candle video tutorial:

*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.

Looking for more candle craft ideas? Here’s some of our favourites:

DIY Mason Jar Candles

Pressed Flower Lanterns

How to Make Wax Melts

Mason Jar Leaf Lanterns

Here’s what you’ll need:

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission, which helps us run this website.

The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of products on Amazon and Target that are similar to the supplies we used:

Can I use pumpkin pie spice to scent my candle?

No, I wouldn’t recommend using pumpkin pie spice or any powdered spices in a candle. We made a test candle with actual pumpkin pie spice, and you couldn’t smell anything other than wax.

All the spice fell to the bottom of the candle, instead of staying dispersed in the wax. Even when we sprinkled more spice on top of the candle after it hardened, it still didn’t have much of a smell.

What should I use to colour my soy candle?

To colour candle wax you need to use a wax dye or liquid dye specifically made for dying candle wax.

You shouldn’t use crayons, food colouring, or mica powder to dye candles. These options either result in uneven colour, questionable fumes, or they clog up the wick, resulting in an uneven burn.

Bramble Berry has a great article about how to colour candles.

Do I need to use a scale to weigh the wax?

You don’t need a scale if you’re making your pumpkin spice candle in an 8 ounce mason jar, because we’ve already figured out how much scent is needed. (We’ve included the amounts in the recipe below). If you’re making a different size of candle I do recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the wax and essential oil.

For most candles you want a “fragrance load” of around 6%, so the weight of your wax will determine how much fragrance oil is added. Generally you can use 1 ounce of fragrance per pound of wax.

To figure out specifically how much scent to add you can use the fragrance load calculator from Life-n-Reflection.

Why did my candle crack and how can I fix it?

Candles can crack on top because of stirring the wax too vigorously or because of how they cool. Room temperature and air flow will determine what the final candle looks like. Candle Science has a great soy wax troubleshooting guide that can help you figure out what might have gone wrong.

Soy wax is especially susceptible to having rough looking tops, and thankfully this doesn’t affect how the candle burns. But you can easily fix this issue by using a heat gun on a low setting. Re-melt the top layer of wax and once the wax solidifies again it should have a nice smooth top!

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Candles

Learn how to make pumpkin spice candles with our easy tutorial. This soy candle is fun to make and is the perfect homemade gift for fall!

Materials:

Canning/mason jar(250 ml/8 ounce size, rounded shape)
Wick(pre-tabbed, 6 inches long)
Wick sticker
Soy wax(two jars worth; around 7 ounces)
Orange dye flakes(1/4 – 1 teaspoon)
Pumpkin spice essential oil(10 ml bottle, 0.4 ounces)

Equipment:

Saucepan
Melting pot
Spoon(with long handle)
Thermometer (instant read or a candy/deep fry thermometer with a clip)
Wick holder(or clothespin)

Instructions:

Step 1: Measure wax

Fill your mason jar with soy wax flakes until it reaches just below the neck of the jar (or where you’d like the top of your candle to be).Add the wax to the melting pot.
Now fill the jar a second time and add it to the melting pot as well.

Step 2: Prepare mason jar

Remove the wick sticker from the sheet and place it on the bottom of the tabbed wick.
Remove the paper bottom from the wick sticker and place it in the center of the jar. Press down on the wick tab to make sure it’s secure.
Attach a wick holder or clothespin to keep the wick centered and straight in the jar.

Step 3: Melt wax & add dye

Add a couple inches of water to a saucepan and bring it to a boil on high heat.Lower the heat to medium (or medium low; whatever is required to maintain a simmer) and add your melting pot to the saucepan.
As the wax melts, add in your candle dye. Every dye will require a different amount to be added, and the final candle will be a lot lighter in colour than the liquid wax.Start by adding 1/4 teaspoon of dye flakes and stir to incorporate the colour. To test the candle’s colour, put a bit of the liquid wax on parchment paper and let it cool. Continue to add dye until you’ve achieved the colour you’re looking for.
Heat the wax to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Add essential oil

Remove the melting pot from heat and pour in the entire 10 ml bottle of essential oil. Stir well, for 2 minutes, to combine the oil and wax.
Now cool the wax to between 135 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.(Each wax may have a different recommend pouring temperature, so be sure to check what will work for your type of wax.)

Step 5: Pour candle

Place the mason jar on a cooling rack to allow air flow underneath. Now pour the wax slowly, but steadily, into the prepared jar.
Allow the candle to cool undisturbed in a place with low air flow.
After the candle has hardened you can remove the wick holder.
Cut the wick to around 1/4 inch before burning.
Your DIY pumpkin spice candle is complete!

Helpful Tip:

If you don’t have a wick sticker you can stick the wick down with hot glue, or even with melted wax.These candles can be lit after 24 hours, but ideally you want to allow the candle to “cure” for 1 to 2 weeks before burning. Soy wax will continue to harden over time, and waiting to burn the candle will improve the burn and allow the wax and essential oil to bind to one another to make a stronger scent.

Learn how to make pumpkin spice candles and say goodbye to expensive store bought candles! For rounded mason jars that have the perfect pumpkin shape check out thrift stores and the dollar store.

Pin image for DIY pumpkin spice soy candle

Here’s even more DIY candle craft ideas: