Homemade Candle Gifts: 16 Cozy Christmas Candles That Look Like Pricey Boutique Finds for Pennies

Homemade candle gifts are the cozy Christmas present that always looks like it came from a pricey boutique, yet each one costs pennies to pour at your kitchen counter. A jar of soy wax, a few wicks and a thrifted container are all it takes to make something your teacher, neighbor or Secret Santa will keep on a shelf all winter. Candle making clips are some of the most watched crafts online right now, and it is easy to see why. The results feel personal, they smell like the season, and they wrap up beautifully with a bit of ribbon and a kraft tag. Below are sixteen ideas, from jam jar candles to peppermint swirls, each with a simple supply list and easy steps so you can make a full batch in one weekend..

Homemade Candle Gifts That Start With a Jam Jar

The idea that kicked off this trend is a candle poured to look exactly like a jar of berry preserves. Oflare Candles shared a jam candle video that has passed 39 million views, and people still cannot believe it is wax. Deep red wax, a gingham fabric top and a twine bow make it look like it came from a farm stand. Line a few up with your other gifts in a jar for a sweet holiday table..

You will need: Small canning jar, soy wax flakes, red wax dye, a cotton wick with a tab, red gingham fabric, twine.

How to make it: 1. Stick the wick to the center of the jar and melt the wax in a double boiler. 2. Stir in red dye until it looks like berry jam, then pour slowly. 3. Once set, trim the wick, cover the lid with a gingham circle and tie it with twine.

Cinnamon Stick Wrapped Pillars for a Spicy Centerpiece

Short white pillars turn into a rustic gift the moment you wrap them in cinnamon sticks. The sticks hide any plain store label and make the piece look handmade and expensive. Tie them with jute, nestle a trio in a glass bowl with pinecones and gold ribbon, and you have a ready to give display that tops any list of homemade candle gifts. It also pairs nicely with your easy Christmas centerpieces if you want to keep one for yourself.

You will need: Short white pillar candles, cinnamon sticks, a rubber band, jute twine, a glass bowl, pinecones.

How to make it: 1. Slip a rubber band around each pillar. 2. Tuck cinnamon sticks under the band all the way around. 3. Cover the band with jute twine and arrange the pillars in a bowl with pinecones and ribbon.

Thrifted Teacup Candles Grandma Will Adore

Mismatched teacups cost under a dollar at most thrift stores, and they make the sweetest candle containers. Pick a cup with roses or gold trim, fill it with creamy white wax, and set it back on its saucer. Tuck a pine sprig and a red ribbon around the handle for Christmas. If you love vintage china pieces, this is a fun way to give a few extras a second life as homemade candle gifts.

You will need: Thrifted teacup and saucer, soy wax flakes, a pretabbed wick, wick holder or clothespin, ribbon, pine sprig.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the cup, then glue the wick tab to the bottom. 2. Pour melted wax and hold the wick straight with a clothespin. 3. Let it cure overnight, trim the wick and tie on the ribbon and pine.

Homemade Candle Gifts Made From Pure Beeswax Tapers

Golden beeswax tapers have a honey color that no paint can copy, and they look lovely bundled with a bit of twine. Dip them by hand or roll them from beeswax sheets for a quicker version. A bundle of six in a small metal bucket feels like something from a country market. They are a thoughtful pick for teacher Christmas gifts because they look simple, natural and grown up.

You will need: Beeswax pellets or sheets, braided cotton wick, a tall dipping can, twine, a small metal bucket.

How to make it: 1. Melt beeswax in a tall can set inside a pot of water. 2. Dip the wick again and again, letting each layer cool, until the taper is thick. 3. Trim the bottoms flat, tie in pairs and stand them in a bucket.

Floating Candles With Cranberries and Pine

This idea pops up everywhere each December: a glass vase full of water, cranberries and pine with candles bobbing on top. As a gift, pack the floating discs in a box and add a bag of faux cranberries so your friend can build the vase at home. It looks elegant on a dining table, and like most homemade candle gifts it costs very little. Hunt for a tall vase among thrifted glassware to give with the set.

You will need: Floating candle molds, white wax, a tall cylinder vase, faux or fresh cranberries, pine sprigs, water.

How to make it: 1. Pour wax into round floating molds and add short wicks. 2. Pop them out once firm and stack them in a small box. 3. Fill a vase with water, berries and pine, then float the discs on top for display.

Homemade Candle Gifts Shaped Like Red Apples

Fruit shaped candles are a big trend this year, and a shiny red apple is the classic. Silicone apple molds are cheap online, and a swirl of red and white wax gives that real fruit look. Set one in a box with a slice of dried orange, a star anise and cinnamon for a rustic touch. If you already make dried orange slices for garlands, save a few for this packaging.

You will need: Apple shaped silicone mold, white and red wax, a wick, dried orange slices, star anise, a small box.

How to make it: 1. Thread the wick through the mold and seal the bottom. 2. Pour white wax, then drizzle red wax for a marbled skin. 3. Unmold when cool and pack with orange slices and spices.

Stacked Vintage Tin Candles Tied With Baker’s Twine

Small round tins stack like a little tower, which makes them perfect for a gift set. Fill each with a different winter scent, label the bottoms, then tie the stack together with red and white baker’s twine. A sprig of holly on top finishes the look, and the set feels like three homemade candle gifts in one. Old Christmas tins work too, so check your stash of cookie tin crafts before you buy anything new.

You will need: Three small metal tins with lids, soy wax, wicks, fragrance oil, baker’s twine, faux holly.

How to make it: 1. Fix a wick in each tin and pour scented wax. 2. Let them set, then trim wicks and press on the lids. 3. Stack the tins and tie them with twine, tucking holly under the bow.

Homemade Candle Gifts in a Ribbed Pottery Style Vessel

A ribbed white vessel with dried flowers on top looks like it came from a high end shop. You can make the vessel from plaster or air dry clay with a fluted mold, then pour scented wax inside. Sprinkle tiny dried blooms and gold flakes over the surface before it sets. Fans of handmade pottery will love the textured, crafted feel of this one.

You will need: Fluted silicone vessel mold, plaster or air dry clay, soy wax, a wick, dried flowers, gold flakes.

How to make it: 1. Cast the vessel in the mold and let it cure fully. 2. Seal the inside, set the wick and pour wax. 3. Scatter dried flowers and gold flakes on top while the wax is still soft.

Clay Pot Candles With a Saucer Lid

A tiny terracotta pot with its own saucer as a lid is the easiest container you will ever find. The garden center sells them for pennies, and homemade candle gifts in them look charming lined up on a windowsill. Seal the drainage opening with a bit of putty, pour your wax and rest the saucer on top. These go right along with your other clay pot crafts and make a sweet gift for a gardener.

You will need: Small terracotta pots with saucers, mounting putty, soy wax, wicks, jute twine, pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Press putty into the drainage opening and seal the inside with clear sealer. 2. Set a wick and pour wax. 3. Top with the saucer and tie twine around it with a pine sprig.

Rustic Pillar Candles in Warm Spice Tones

Chunky pillars in cinnamon, clove and pumpkin colors look straight out of a mountain lodge. A textured finish hides little flaws, so these are forgiving homemade candle gifts for first time makers. Pour them in plain cardboard tubes and roll the warm wax on a rough board for that rustic surface. Group three on a wooden tray to match a cozy cottage look.

You will need: Pillar molds or cardboard tubes, palm or paraffin wax, brown and orange dye, thick wicks, a wooden tray.

How to make it: 1. Tape the wick in the mold and pour dyed wax. 2. Remove when firm but still warm and roll it on a rough board. 3. Let it harden and arrange in a set of three.

Pinecone Candles in a Woven Basket

Pinecone shaped candles look so real that guests reach out to touch them. Pour them in brown, white and soft gold, then pile them into a woven basket with real cones and evergreen. The basket itself becomes part of the gift and looks great on a hearth. They are a natural match for your pine cone crafts and look lovely all winter.

You will need: Pinecone silicone molds, wax in three colors, short wicks, a woven basket, real pinecones, evergreen.

How to make it: 1. Pour each color of wax into the molds with a wick. 2. Unmold and brush a little gold mica on the tips. 3. Nestle them in a basket with real cones and greenery.

Homemade Candle Gifts With a Metallic Red Finish

Plain store pillars look brand new with a coat of metallic red. Dip each pillar into a thin layer of tinted wax, or rub on a little mica powder for that glossy holiday sheen. Set them in a bed of moss and gold tinsel and they look like boutique decor. Give a pair to the family next door with your other neighbor gifts this year.

You will need: Plain pillar candles, red overdip wax or red mica powder, a soft cloth, moss, gold tinsel.

How to make it: 1. Melt the overdip wax in a tall can. 2. Dip each pillar for two seconds and let it cool between coats. 3. Buff with a soft cloth and nestle in moss and tinsel.

Wooden Wick Candles in Frosted Glass

Wooden wicks make a soft crackling sound that people adore, and they look stylish in frosted glass. Thrifted tumblers turn frosted with a quick spray of glass frost paint. Add a sprig of eucalyptus and a sage ribbon, and these homemade candle gifts feel modern and calm. Try the same frosted jar trick on any plain glass you already have at home.

You will need: Glass tumblers, frosted glass spray, wooden wicks with clips, soy wax, eucalyptus, satin ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Spray the outside of each glass and let it dry. 2. Set the wooden wick in its clip and pour wax. 3. Trim the wick short and tie on the ribbon and eucalyptus.

Hand Dipped Mini Tapers in Winter Colors

Short dipped tapers in mustard, slate and sage are easy to make in an afternoon. Dip them in pairs over a dowel, then add a final coat of colored wax for a soft matte finish. Wrap three together with a paper band and they fit perfectly in a stocking. They make one of the best stocking stuffers for anyone who loves a moody, modern table.

You will need: White wax, colored wax chips, braided wick, a dowel, a tall dipping can, a paper band.

How to make it: 1. Hang a length of wick over a dowel so both ends dangle. 2. Dip in white wax until thick, then finish in colored wax. 3. Cut apart and wrap in sets of three.

Homemade Candle Gifts Layered Like a Peppermint Swirl

Red and white stripes make any jar look like a giant peppermint. Pour one thin layer at a time, letting each set before the next, and you get crisp candy stripes. A striped ribbon and a few loose mints on the table complete the look. If your family loves candy cane crafts, this one will be the first gift opened.

You will need: A clear mason jar, white wax, red wax dye, a wick, peppermint fragrance oil, striped ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Fix the wick in the jar and pour a thin white layer. 2. Let it set, then pour a red layer, and repeat to the top. 3. Tie a striped ribbon around the neck.

Chocolate Brown Pillar Gift With a Wooden Star

A rich brown pillar paired with a wooden star and a glass ornament makes one of the most complete homemade candle gifts you can put in a box. Add a few cinnamon sticks and dried leaves for a spicy, woodland feel. Wrap the set in kraft paper or tuck it into a basket with cozy socks. It slots right into your gift baskets and finishes a winter bundle beautifully.

You will need: A brown pillar candle, a wooden star ornament, a glass ornament, cinnamon sticks, dried leaves, a basket or box.

How to make it: 1. Tie a ribbon around the pillar and hang the star from it. 2. Pack the pillar in a basket with the ornament and spices. 3. Add cozy socks or a card and wrap in kraft paper.