Scented Floating Candles {made with essential oils}

I’ve made these floating candles in mason jars for years. They’re quick and easy to put together, so they’re the perfect thing to fill in any spots around my home that need a little extra holiday décor.

They make amazing centerpieces and they’re also great placed on a mantle or throughout a buffet.

So many uses and you can customize them easily using whatever you happen to have on hand: oranges, grapefruit, lemons, cranberries, juniper, fir, cypress, spruce, cinnamon sticks, star anise, the list could go on and on.

What’s New: Adding Essential Oils to Mason Jar Candles

But it wasn’t until this year that I had the idea to add essential oils to my holiday jar candles, and it’s a game changer!

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that years ago. Every summer I make these “Bug Away” essential oil floating candles using essential oils. Not only are they beautiful, but they scent my yard beautifully and keep mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and other bugs away from my parties and guests.

The jarred floating candles that I make in the fall and for Christmas are the same idea as my summer “bug away” candles. It’s just fruit, rosemary/greenery, and other decorations inside a clear jar, fill with water, and add a tealight or floating candle. But for some reason, I hadn’t been adding essential oils to my fall and holiday candles. What a shame.

Now that I’ve figured out what I’ve been missing all these years, my autumn and holiday candles will now ALWAYS have a touch of essential oils. It just makes the so much better!

How to make floating candles scented with essential oils

step 1: gather your supplies

Specifics are given below for 4 different versions of scented floating candles, but here’s generally what you’ll need:

clear glass jars– you can make just one jar or group several jars together for a centerpiece
citrus peels, greenery sprigs, berries, cinnamon sticks, star anise, pinecones or other pretty decorations for the inside of the jar
water
essential oils
floating candles or tealights

step 2: prep citrus peels (if you’ll be using them)

tip: a citrus peeler like this makes it really easy to make spirals.

Use the short end to make surface cuts in the orange peel. Make a surface cut all the way around the outside of the orange in a circle. Then move the peeler about 1/4-1/2 inch and make another circle around the orange, repeat making circle cuts around orange until the entire orange has been scored in circle cuts every 1/4-1/2 inch.
Use the long end of the tool to pry up the orange rind so that you can gently peel the rind away from the orange.
To form spirals, gently wrap the orange peel around your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon.

step 3: Add the decorations to the jar

tip: wrap the rosemary sprigs or other greenery around the inside of the jar, keeping in mind what it will look from the side of the jar.

tip: layer the heavier decorations (citrus peels) in the jar first, and finish with the lightest elements that will top to the top of the water (cranberries)

step 4: add water

tip: leave about an inch of room in the top of the jar so that the flame of the candle will be slightly inside the jar. That will help it illuminate the jar and make it look like it’s glowing from within. It also protects the flame from being blown out too easily.

step 5: add 5-10 drops essential oil

tip: here are some you may want to try- cinnamon, orange, white fir, Douglas fir, spruce, juniper berry, frankincense, cedarwood, cypress, & rosemary

tip: see 4 suggestions for combinations below

step 6: add a floating candle or tealight

tip: be sure to arrange decorations so that nothing is in danger of touching the candle or flame

Essential Oil Floating Candles 4 Ways

option 1: orange, rosemary, and cranberry

This option is shown in the step-by-step instructions above.
layer in orange peel spirals, rosemary sprigs, and cranberries
fill with water
add 6 drops sweet orange essential oil (also known as wild orange) and 4 drops rosemary essential oil
place tealight in middle of cranberries on top of water

option 2: orange, cinnamon, and fir

layer in orange peel spirals, fir sprigs (or substitute with other greenery), and cinnamon sticks
fill with water
add 6 drops sweet orange essential oil, 2 drops cinnamon essential oil, and 2 drops fir essential oil
place tealight on top of water

option 3: rosemary and cranberry

layer in rosemary sprigs and cranberries
fill with water
add 4 drops rosemary essential oil and 3 drops cypress essential oil
place tealight on top of water

option 4: grapefruit, frankincense, and fir

layer in grapefruit peel spirals and fir sprigs (or substitute with other greenery)
fill with water
add 6 drops grapefruit essential oil, 2 drops frankincense essential oil, and 2 drops fir essential oil
place tealight on top of water

How to use

Light candle when ready to use.
Decorations can usually be reused for 2-3 days. Place in the refrigerator in between uses to keep citrus peels, cranberries and greenery fresh. Add more essential oil as needed.
Want a great double use for these candles? –> If the decorations in the jar are still fresh when you’re done using the candles, remove candles and pour jar contents into a pot. Heat on stovetop over medium heat to fill your home with the amazing smells of the holidays.

Where to get supplies?

This website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link.

medium-height 16 oz jars

tall 22 oz jars

free printable of these recipes and instructions

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Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link.