This tutorial for wine bottle candles is perfect for all your holiday gift giving. It's a great way to recycle and repurpose bottles into something fragrant and beautiful.
It seems like every year I just have to make some kind of candles for gifts. This year I made wine bottle candles. A while back I showed you how to make wine bottle glasses. This is a great way to recycle old wine bottles that come in so many pretty colored hues. Even if you don't drink wine I bet you know some wine lovers who would be glad to give you their empties.
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Making Recycled Wine Bottle Candles
It's best if you use wine bottles with flat bottoms like the one shown above on the left. You can use bottles like the one on the right but not all of the wax will melt as the wick will burn out first.
After you cut your bottles (see wine bottle glass tutorial), and sand down any jagged edges, hot glue the wicks to the bottom of the bottles.
Note: Here's a handy Wick Guide that will help the candles burn best depending on the wax and the diameter of the bottle.
For this group of candles, I used 1 oz of Wassail fragrance oil from Candle Science. They have the best smelling fragrance oils and a huge variety of scents.
Their website suggests that you use approx. 1 oz of oil to each pound of wax. However, for these candles, I used only 1 oz of fragrance oil to 2 pounds of wax. Let me tell you they are plenty fragrant. However, you could buy 2 bottles of fragrance oil if you want.
Since I was using different sized bottles I had some leftover wax so I used a small mason jar (in the back) for the leftovers.
A paper straw holds the cotton wick in place until the wax hardens. However, you can use chopsticks or a clothespin to perform this task.
They look so pretty just as they are, right? Pretty enough to wrap up and gift.
Safety Note: According to the National Fire Protection Association, many candles have started home fires. Never leave the candle burning unattended. Make sure the candle is set on a sturdy surface away from anything that can catch fire. Keep them out of children's reach.
See NFPA's candle safety tips page for more details.
However, since I'm giving them away for the holidays and the fragrance oil has such a fun festive name I made a label for them.
right click to save this label for yourself
If you end up making the same candles feel free to use this label for your bottles.
Of course, the possibilities are many and I'm sure whatever bottles you use, and whichever scent you try, they will all come out fantastic. And the receiver of this lovely hand-cut and hand-poured holiday candle will be so pleased.
Festive and fragrant you can easily make wonderful holiday candles from wine bottles. A great way to recycle beautiful glass and use it for gifts.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Active Time30 minutesmins
Additional Time1 hourhr
Total Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: Christmas Crafts
Yield: 4
Author: Patti Estep
Cost: $20
Equipment
Bottle Cutter
Sandpaper
Computer
Printer
Hot glue gun and glue
Scissors
Materials
4empty wine bottles
2poundsof natural soy wax
1ozfragrance oil
candle wicks with tabs
printable paper
Instructions
Cut wine bottles into candle holders with a bottle cutter. Discard and recycle the tops.
Sand down any jagged edge where the cut was made.
Hot glue wicks with tabs to the bottom of your bottles.
Melt wax in a candle pitcher with a double boiler or in the microwave.
Add fragrance oil and stir.
Pour the wax into each container.
Pour any extra into an empty small mason jar or other small glass containers.
Hold the wicks in place with a straw cut in the middle, or chopsticks or clothespins.
After the wax cools and hardens remove straws and trim each candle wick to about 1/4 inch.
Place a label on the front if desired.
Notes
You don't have to stick with just wine bottles. Pretty vinegar bottles or liquor bottles will work well too.You can also use essential oils instead of fragrance oils.Here's a handy Wick Guide that will help the candles burn best depending on the wax and size.Safety Note: According to the National Fire Protection Association, many candles have started home fires. Never leave the candle burning unattended. Make sure the candle is set on a sturdy surface away from anything that can catch fire. Keep them out of children's reach.
See NFPA's candle safety tips page for more details.
Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Heidi Scott
Hi
Do you heat proof the wine bottle glass before making these candles? Have you ever had one shatter because of the heat?
Appreciate any advice you can give on this.
Many Thanks
Heidi
Heidi Scott
Hi
Do you heat proof the wine bottle glass before making these candles? Have you ever had one shatter because of the heat?
Appreciate any advice you can give on this.
Many Thanks
Heidi
Patti Estep
Heidi, I did not heat proof the bottles. The few candles I made from the bottles did not have any trouble but I can't promise that they wouldn't.