Use scooped out orange rinds to make these pretty, fragrant cassia and orange scented candles. The spicy, citrus scent is lovely for the fall or for the holiday season.
I was really thinking outside the box — or jar — when I made these cassia and orange scented candles using a real orange peel.
Wouldn’t they be gorgeous as part of a fall tablescape?
I used some naval oranges and mandarin oranges I had in the fridge, plus items from the October Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box to make these pretty orange scented candles. The monthly subscription box is a great deal if you love essential oils and enjoy homemade natural products.
This month’s box includes:
- soy wax and wicks
- lip balm tubes
- Cassia essential oil
- Orange essential oil
- Balsam fir essential oil
- Focus essential oil blend
- Recipe cards and stickers for six natural DIY beauty products
Cassia essential oil is made from the leaves of a Chinese evergreen tree. It has a spicy, slightly woody scent that is similar to cinnamon. It smells delicious in fall or holiday blends with orange essential oil. I’d never smelled it before receiving the Simply Earth box, and now I can’t get enough of it.
Other Simply Earth Essential Oil Box Projects
Don’t miss these other natural products I’ve made using previous Simply Earth subscription boxes:
Don’t miss these other natural products I’ve made using previous Simply Earth subscription boxes:
Orange Scented Candles
If you don’t have any oranges, tangerines, tangelos or mandarin oranges, you can pour these candles into a jar. But I really love how they look poured into a real orange rind.
Supplies to Make Orange Peel Candles
- Fresh oranges, mandarin oranges or other citrus fruit
- 3 ounces soy wax
- 2 Tablespoons beeswax pellets
- 2 Tablespoons solid coconut oil
- candle wicks
- 60 drops of Orange essential oil
- 20 drops of Cassia essential oil
- Orange zest (optional)
- glass measuring cup
- saucepan
- spoon
- potholder
How to Make Cassia & Orange Scented Candles
The first step to making these orange candles is to prepare the citrus fruit containers.
Before slicing the fruit, set it on your countertop so it sits flat. This will help you determine the best place to cut it, since you want the candles to sit flat.
Slice the orange in half, and run a knife around the edge to separate the fruit from the rind. Be careful not to slice through the rind or make any holes in the peel. Use a spoon to scoop the pulp of the rind. Only the white pith should remain.
You should be able to make two candles out of a large orange.
When using smaller citrus fruit, like a mandarin orange, slice the the top off and remove the fruit. Each piece of fruit will yield one candle.
Once you’ve hollowed out the orange rinds, wash and dry them.
Reserve the fruit for a snack.
Line a small baking sheet or pan with paper towels and place the orange rinds on top of them.
Measure out soy wax, beeswax and coconut oil into a glass measuring cup, metal can or candle pitcher.
Fill a saucepan or double boiler with 2 inches of water and place the measuring cup inside. Melt the wax slowly over medium heat, and then use a potholder to remove the wax container from the double water.
Dip a metal wick holder into the wax and press into the orange peel container.
Add 60 drops of orange essential oil and 20 drops of cassia essential oil to the melted wax and stir for 30 seconds. If you like, you can also stir in some orange zest.
Pour the hot wax into the orange rinds, filling to the top.
Wrap wicks around pencils, chopsticks or skewers to hold them upright while the wax cools and hardens.
Once the wax has fully set and hardened, remove the pencils and trim the wicks.
If the pencils left any indentations or marks on the surface of the candle, use a heat gun or a hair dryer to melt and smooth the top layer of wax.
This recipe made two orange candles — one in a mandarin orange peel and the other in half of a navel orange peel.
The number of candles you will be able to make will depend on the size of the citrus fruit you’re using. It’s always a good idea to have extra wicks and containers in case you have excess wax.
Because these candles are made in perishable orange rinds, you’ll want to burn them within a few days. So, I wouldn’t make a big batch of them.
Never leave lit candles unsupervised. I recommend placing these orange peel candles on top of a china or glass plate to catch any wax drips and prevent fires.
If you enjoy making your own homemade bath, beauty and cleaning products using essential oils and natural ingredients, you’ll love the Simply Earth subscription box.
Every month, Simply Earth sends out a new, themed Essential Oil Recipe Box to subscribers. Each monthly subscription box includes all the ingredients, containers and extras you need to make six natural recipes for less than $40.
Right now, new subscribers also get a big Bonus Box that includes lots of items you can use to make homemade bath and beauty products. The box includes beeswax, which is great for making lip balms or hand salves, solid coconut oil that you can use in lotions, and two carrier oils, plus essential oil blend bottles and rollerball bottles.
Simply Earth is offering a special freebie for Atta Girl Says readers who subscribe to the Essential Oil Recipe Box.
When you sign up using the code ATTAGIRLSAYSFREE, you will also receive a $40 gift card shipped with your first box and bonus box. You just have to be sure you enter the code ATTAGIRLSAYSFREE at checkout.
Pin This! Homemade Orange Scented Candles
You may enjoy these other candlemaking projects:
Michelle
I bet these smell amazing! I love that you used real oranges. They are so pretty!