Fall in Texas is more a state of mind than a change in seasons. But just because you don’t have a bustling breeze wafting colorful leaves around the sidewalk doesn’t mean your apartment can’t smell festive. Ring in the season with some easy DIY candles this year.

Grab a Candle-Making Kit

To start off, you’ll need to purchase a candle-making kit, they’re pretty easy and cheap to grab from Amazon or a local craft goods store. You’ll need wax, a melting/pouring pot, wicks, and wick holders. Soy wax is the most common wax to use and easy to find everywhere. You could also use a beeswax candle-making kit, which burns cleaner and is a denser wax, so it will also last longer.

Make It Festive

Now that you have the basics, you need your fall scents and decor. You’ll want to pick up some wax dye, dried flowers, and essential oils. P&J Trading offers a spice fragrance oil set as well as an autumn fragrance set. As a side note, if you’re using beeswax you might not need wax dye for color. A lot of the natural beeswax pellets have a dark yellow color that is perfect for the fall.

Find a Fall Jar

Your candle-making kit might have come with tins to pour your candles into, which is great for testers. But for a beautiful autumn candle, it might be nice to have something more on-theme. Take a look at these large amber embossed containers from Amazon or these smaller detailed votives from Quick Candles. Using a colored holder might also remove the need for wax dye, as well, since the color of the candle itself won’t matter.

Get Crafting!

Now that you have your tools, it’s time to get crafting. Melt the wax on the stove, using the metal pot included in your kit, until the wax reaches at least 140 degrees. Once it’s fully melted, add any color and fragrance, and then stir. Stick your wick in the bottom of the candle container, using the wick holder to keep it in place. Pour your wax in, and stick some of the dried flowers on top as the candle cools. You’ll want to give your candles two to seven days to properly harden, depending on how big or small they are. Once they have fully set, you can trim the wicks and light them up.

It’s a good idea to test your candles in smaller tins before you commit to your nice containers. As a tip, most amateur candle-makers don’t stir enough, which can cause imperfections during the hardening process.

Looking for more fall activities to enjoy this season? Check out the Sedona Ranch blog.