How to Make a Resin Candle Holder with Dried Flowers

January 28, 2021

Learn how to make a resin candle holder with dried flowers. This decorative candle holder is made using epoxy resin and dried botanicals for a unique home decor item or homemade gifts.

Candles are becoming increasingly popular as homemade gifts. A wonderful way to enjoy aromatherapy at home, the decorative resin candle holders on these DIY candles are what make them shine. Inspired by the hand poured soy candles sold by TOKYN, these resin candles holders are made using a store bought candle. Once burned, you make a new candle to refill the one you burned. Alternately, you can also make these candle holders using a glass insert and hand pour your own candles from the start.

What’s great about this DIY resin candle holder is that you don’t need a mold to complete the project. This project can be completed in about an hour and costs about $15 to make.

Keep reading to discover how to make a candle holder with epoxy resin, and to find answers to common questions about making resin candle holders with dried flowers embedded inside.

Materials Needed to Make a Candle Holder

If you’d like to recreate this candle project, here are the materials you’ll need to make a candle holder out of epoxy resin.

Short Glass Vase: I used this 4.5″ tall glass vase from Michaels. It’s approved for use as a candle holder, so it’s a suitable glass vessel for this project.
Dried Flowers and Botanicals: The dried flowers and botanicals are the elements you will embed inside the resin. I chose an assortment of holly berries, 1/2″ birch sticks, tiny pinecones and small leaved vines. However, you can choose your botanicals based on the current season. This can include dried orange slices or even eucalyptus leaves.
2-Part Epoxy Resin: I used this 2-part clear epoxy resin to craft my resin candle holders. It’s suitable for tabletops, therefore it dries incredibly hard and less likely to be impacted by heat.
Candle Filled Glass Votive or Large Candle: An actual candle in a glass container will be embedded inside the holder in the center surrounded by the resin and the outer glass. I recommend you choose a candle that is about the same height as the short glass vase. Don’t worry if it’s shorter. You can pour resin in the base of the larger glass to bump up the height of the candle. Once the candle has burned, you can refill the center of your candle holder with a new wick and soy wax. (I have tutorials on how to make candles at the end of this post.)

Tools Needed:

In addition to the materials for making a DIY candle holder, you’ll also need a few tools to complete this epoxy resin candle holder project.

Disposable Cups: As resin hardens and can’t be cleaned from everyday materials, you’ll use disposable cups to the mix the two parts of the epoxy resin together.
Dowel or Craft Sticks: You will need dowels or craft sticks to mix the epoxy resin. You’ll also find a dowel helpful in arranging the dried flowers or botanicals in your resin candle holder.

How to Make a Resin Candle Holder

The first step to creating a resin candle holder with dried flowers is to plan your design and determine the placement of the dried flowers and botanicals you chose for the project.

To plan the design, first place the candle in the center of the vase. Then arrange a few pieces of the various flowers and botanicals around the candle. These will serve as the elements embedded in the first layer of the resin in your candle holder.

Tip: If the candle votive you chose is too short for the vase, you can easily give it more height. Rather than placing the candle into the vase and arranging the elements around it, simply add several elements to the bottom of the vase. Then pour resin to the desired height into the bottom before placing the candle inside the container.

Once you have a design you like, you can pour the resin into the container to set your design.

To mix the epoxy resin, pour equal amounts of each part of the two-part resin (about ½ cup each) into individual disposable cups.

Now pour the thinner resin part into the thicker resin part to combine. Stir the resin parts together constantly, using a dowel or craft stick, until the two parts are thoroughly mixed.

Once the resin is mixed, gently pour the resin over the dried flowers and botanicals to fill the cavity area between the candle and glass vase side.

Tip: If some of the elements you choice for your design float to the top, you can press them down with the craft stick. Alternately, if needed, you can also wedge them in place under the other elements. Don’t worry however if the resin does not completely cover the botanicals in this step. They will be covered later on when your pour the subsequent layers.

Now leave the vase to set, untouched and in a room about 75-degrees, for 4 hours. This allows time for the resin to set up before proceeding to the next step.

After the first layer of resin has set, you are ready to proceed to the next step. This step is basically a repeat of the one you just completed.

Design and place the additional floral elements over the top of the hardened first layer of resin.

Then repeat mix a fresh batch of the 2-part epoxy resin, the same way you did the first. Pour the second layer of resin into the container around the candle to cover the dried botanicals. Allow the new layer of resin to cure for 4 hours.

If necessary, you can repeat this process as needed until the vase is filled to your preferred height.

Tip: For a frosted look, add glitter on top when pouring the final layer of resin.

Allow 72 hours for the resin to fully cure. Your DIY resin candle holder is then ready to gift or use.

Yield: 1 Candle Holder

DIY Resin Candle Holder with Dried Flowers

Learn how to make a resin candle holder with dried flowers and epoxy resin for unique, decorative home decor or a homemade gifts.

Active Time 1 hour

Additional Time 8 hours

Total Time 9 hours

Difficulty Intermediate

Estimated Cost $15

Materials

Short 4.5" glass vase
Dried flowers and botanicals
Epoxy resin
Glass candle votive

Tools

Disposable cups
Dowel or craft sticks

Instructions

Plan the candle and vase with placement of the dried flowers.
Place the candle in the center of the vase, then surround it with a few pieces of the various botanicals that you want on the first layer of the candle.
Pour each part of the two-part resin in equal amounts (about ½ cup each) into individual disposable cups.
Combine the thinner resin part into the thicker resin part, stirring constantly with the dowel or craft stick until the two parts are fully combined.
Gently pour the resin over the dried flowers, filling the cavity area between the candle and vase side.
Leave the vase sitting, untouched and in a room about 75-degrees, for 4 hours.
Place the additional botanicals over the top of the hardened first layer of resin.
Mix a fresh batch of resin and pour a second layer into the container.
Allow the new layer of resin to cure for 4 hours.
Repeat this process until the resin candle holder is filled to your preferred height.

Notes

After the epoxy resin for the candle holder has cured for 72 hours, it is safe to burn the candle.

Trim the wick to 1/4" before burning. Don't leave the candle unattended or allow candle to burn for more than a 1-2 hours as time.

How Long Does it Take Resin to Cure?

Epoxy resin is cured about 95% in 24 hours. However, a full cure takes 72 hours. Therefore, I don’t recommend burning your candle until 72 hours after it’s been made.

Is It Safe to Use Resin as a Candle Holder?

You don’t want resin to get too hot. Therefore, I used a glass insert inside the resin when making my homemade candles. This allowed me to create a decorative resin candle holder that enabled me to burn my candle safely for short periods of time without having to worry about fumes from the resin or the resin melting.

However, as glass and resin expand at different rates, it’s important to not leave your candle burning attended or to allow it to burn for extended periods of time. You should also only use heat safe glass to make your candles. Otherwise they can explode or shatter. I also recommend using a thick glass to hold the actual candle embedded inside the resin.

In addition, I only recommend this project for smaller candles and tea lights, as they don’t generate as much heat as a large or pillar candle. I also would advise on only using soy wax, or another wax with a low melt point, for this reason.

Can You Put Candle Wax in Resin?

I tried making my resin candle holder without a glass insert on my first attempt, with the candle embedded inside and the resin poured into the container. Unfortunately, epoxy resin gets very hot when poured and this melted the candle. Due to this, I don’t advise making your resin candle holder without an interior glass insert.

How to Make Candles

I hope you like this project on how to make resin candle holders. If you want to explore how to make candles, then be sure to check out these easy candle making projects. You can recreate these candle recipes on a smaller scale to refill your decorative botanical candle holders.

Discover more crafts, homemade gifts and home decor ideas by following Soap Deli News on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram . Or subscribe to my newsletter.