Mother’s Day was two months ago (nearly three!), but I am finally getting around to sharing this adorable personalized candle that Aiden gave me for Mother’s Day. He and Dan made it while I was on a business trip (a little father/son craft bonding)! He made one for me and his Nana; I thought it was such a cute gift idea, and a great toddler craft, that I asked Dan to share how he made it.
How to make a personalized candle gift with your toddler
This year for Mother’s Day I decided to get a little creative with Melissa’s gift and get Aiden involved too! I cringe at thought of doing arts and crafts, so this was me stepping out of my comfort zone. Aiden has done many arts and crafts activities with Melissa, so I thought this would be an excellent way for us to bond.
We made a homemade personalized candle for Melissa. Aiden loves to paint so I knew he would love this craft, plus it would keep him entertained for a couple of hours. I also had Aiden help paint one for my mom, his Nana! This idea doesn’t have to be just for Mother’s Day, it is great for birthdays or appreciation gifts to show a loved one how much you care.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Supplies needed for personalized candle:
- Behr Primer — We went to our local hardware store and found this in the discounted paint section (for used paints and samples)
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar (16 oz)
- Finger Paint (we love this tip proof paint from Kid Made Modern)
- Painter’s Tape
- Mod Podge
- A Small Picture (Our sprocket printed a perfect 2″x3″ sized picture. Read more about the Sprocket here.)
- Natural Soy 444 Wax— 1 lb. bag
- Candle Wicks
- Wax Pouring Pot
- Essential Oils (we used 5 drops, Lavender, 5 drops Roman Chamomile, 5 drops Peppermint)
How we made our personalized candle:
- I used painter’s tape to mark out where the picture would go.
- Then I coated both mason jars with the Behr Primer and let them dry for a day.
- Once both jars were dry I let Aiden chose what colors to paint on each of the jars. I let him have fun painting and would only step in if colors were combining too much.
- Once Aiden finished painting, I let both the Mason Jars dry.
- Then I wrote a short and sweet message for Melissa and Nana from Aiden.
- I removed the painter’s tape.
- I chose pictures and printed them out using our Sprocket. The paper that prints from the Sprocket is a sticker, so once it printed I stuck it on the mason jar.
- I waited overnight to make sure everything was dry and then coated the mason jars and the edges of the picture with Mod Podge.
- Next, I heated up the Natural Soy Wax in my Wax Pouring pot and added my essential oils mixture.
- Once the wax was fully melted, I placed a wick into both of into both the mason jars and I filled both jars about 3/4s of the way up.
- Once the wax dried, I trimmed the wicks then capped both jars.
The candles look and smell excellent for Mother’s Day or any occasion that requires a sweet gift!
If you try this personalized candle craft with your toddler I would love to hear about it in the comments.
If you liked this post check out Toddler Craft: Personalized Water Bottle and How to Have Fun Planting with Toddlers This Spring.
Don’t forget to check out our daily adventures on Instagram and Facebook. You can also join my mailing list to receive periodic updates and bonus content.
