Mini Pumpkin Candles

Turn everyday items into adorable candles!


You Will Need:

Small Pumpkins or Gourds

Paring Knife or Pumpkin Carving Saw

Container Wax (IGI 4630 works great!)

Fragrance Oil (optional)

Pre-Tabbed Wicks

Ribbon, String, or Wire (optional)


1. Prepare Your Pumpkins

First you will need to prepare your pumpkins or gourds to make them suitable for use as candle containers. Cut a wide hole in the top of your candle and pull the top off. Empty the entire contents of the pumpkin. This includes seeds, strings, gunk, anything. It is very important to clean the pumpkin out entirely to prevent any fire hazards.

2. String the Pumpkin (optional)

To create a hanging candle for your porch or garden, poke two holes across from each other on either side of the pumpkin and thread your ribbon through. Important: Make sure that your string or ribbon is long enough to prevent a fire hazard. The top of the string should be more than 7 inches away from the flame while hanging. Tie a large knot in each end of the ribbon on the inside of the pumpkin and make sure it is secure. Pull the knot into the hole to act as a plug to prevent the wax from leaking.
3. Fill Your Candles

You may or may not wish to fragrance the wax before you pour it. The finished candles will be small and won't give off much of a scent throw when burning, but if they are for decoration, someone may wish to pick it up and smell it. We added Sweet Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil to ours. Pour the melted wax into the pumpkins to just below the rim. Wait until the wax starts to congeal slightly on the edges and place your wick in the center just as you would when making votives. Make sure your wick is not too big, or it can present a fire hazard. We used C-30 Cotton Core wicks for these.


4. Keep Your Wick Trimmed

Once the wax has completely cooled, trim the wick to 1/4 inch long. As it burns, be sure to maintain this length and to trim your wicks if the flame gets too big. Never leave the candles burning unattended.