DIY Candle for Mothers Day (2024)

Craft a Mother’s Day gift with our DIY Candle for Mothers Day. Use a thrift store mason jar with lavender fragrance and dried lavender. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to get creative and show our moms some extra love. And what better way to do that than with a handmade gift straight from the heart? Today, we’re diving into the world of candle making with a delightful twist – we’re repurposing a thrift store mason jar to create a charming DIY lavender candle – not just lavender scented by with dried lavender.

There’s something truly special about lavender scent – its soothing aroma can instantly transport you to a state of relaxation and tranquility. So, why not gift mom a little slice of serenity this Mother’s Day? Let’s get started on crafting this lovely homemade candle!

What You’ll Need:

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1. A clean mason jar from your local thrift store (opt for one with a rustic charm!)
2. Wax flakes
3. Lavender essential oil
4. Candle wicks
5. A double boiler or a heat-proof container and saucepan
6. A stirring utensil (a wooden skewer)
7. Dried lavender buds and/or dried lavender stems
8. Tweezer
9. Paintbrush (a 1″ foam one worked best for me)

How to Quick Dry Your Lavender

I have lavender growing out front and they are spring happy mode right now. So I trimmed some stems for this mother’s day candle. Now you can leave your lavender in a bundle and have it dry in about a week, but if you want to quick dry your lavender here’s a fun trick.

Place your trimmed lavender pieces in your preheated air fryer. Set it to the lowest heat available on yours, mine was 160 degrees. Once the air fryer was preheated, I placed a sheet of parchment inside and laid the lavender stems on top of it. I also use a couple ramekins as weights so it wouldn’t get blown around with the air blowing. It took 15 minutes for my lavender to dry. I checked it every 5 minutes, which I would recommend.

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could do the same in your oven. Set at the lowest temp and check every 5 minutes.

Once I removed it from the air fryer, I used the same parchment paper, moved all the lavender to one side, then folded over the parchment paper and placed a heavy pan on top. I left it overnight like that to press it. By morning the lavender stems were ready to work with on my candle project.

Instructions For Making The Lavender Candle

Step 1: Prepare Your Jar

Start by thoroughly cleaning and drying your thrifted mason jar. Remove any stickers or residue, ensuring it’s ready for its new life as a candle.

Step 2: Melt Your Wax

To be able to have the lavender stems cling to the sides of your jar, you need to adhere them with wax. In your double boiler or heat-proof container set over a pot of simmering water, melt the soy wax flakes. Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth.

Step 3: Getting the Lavender to Stick

Once your wax has melted, take one of the lavender stems and place it in the melted wax. Working carefully and quickly, remove the stem with a tweezers, and stick it where you’d like on the side of the jar.

Let it dry for a couple minutes before moving to the next stem. Repeat until you have all the stems you want sticking to the jar. Then use a foam paintbrush and dip it in the melted wax, then gently dab on top of the lavender stems stuck to the jar. You want to create a layer of wax over the top of the lavender to insure it sticks. Continue to dip the paintbrush into the melt wax then dap, repeating until each stem is completely coated in wax. Let it dry completely before moving on.

Step 4: Secure the Wick

Place the wick at the center of the jar and secure it in place using a bit of melted wax. You can use a dab of hot glue to keep it in place temporarily while you pour the wax.

Step 5: Add Wax to the Candle

The next day, I followed the above steps to melt more wax, this time to fill up the jar. Once the wax was melted, slowly and carefully, pour the wax into the jar. I filled mine to almost the top. You definitely want to cover all the area where you have lavender stuck to the sides.

Step 6: Add Fragrance

Now you can add the lavender oil before pouring, or if you totally forgot like me, you can add it right after you’ve poured the wax in the jar. It takes a few minutes before it starts to set up, so you can add as many drops as you like. For my larger candle I added 25 drops on lavender essential oil.

Step 7: Let it Set

Allow your candle to cool and set completely. This may take a few hours, so be patient! Once the wax has solidified, you are ready to gift your perfect mother’s day gift, or enjoy it yourself!

Lavender Bud Candle

I also created another lavender candle with a smaller mason jar, this time using lavender buds. After I poured the wax I let it sit about 5-10 minutes, you will see the color changing, then sprinkled the lavender buds on top.

I wanted the buds to just sit on the top of this candle, which I think is so gorgeous and definitely quicker and easier that getting the lavender stems to stick around the edge of the candle.

Personalize Your Creation:

Feel free to get creative and add your own personal touches to this DIY project! You can decorate the mason jar with a pretty ribbon or twine, attach a handwritten note, or even customize the label with a sweet message for mom. You will have created a gorgeous DIY lavender candle housed in a charming thrift store jar, ready to delight and pamper mom this Mother’s Day. Not only is this Candle for Mothers Day gift thoughtful and heartfelt, but it’s also a wonderful way to repurpose.

Other Lavender DIY Gifts

• DIY Lavender Foot Soak
• How to Make Lavender Bath Bombs
• Homemade Body Scrub Recipe | Vanilla Lavender

Other DIY Candle Ideas

• DIY Hobnail Milk Glass Candle
• DIY Wood Bowl Candle
• How to Make a Thrift Store Teacup Candle

April’s Thrift Store Projects

Fondue Forks as Plant Labels or Herb Markers

Restoring an Outdoor Lantern

Upcycled MCM China Cabinet

Succulent Letter Planter Arrangement

Thrift Store Lamp Refresh With Paint and Rub-on Transfer

Spray Paint Faux Succulents

Vintage Metal Lunchbox Planter