The charm of a botanical candle is undeniable. Adding dried flowers elevates any simple candle into a beautiful piece of home décor.
If you’ve been scrolling through images of gorgeous floral candles, you’re in the right place.
We will show you the best botanicals for stunning, scented, and safe candles. By the end, you’ll know exactly which flowers to use for colour and fragrance.
We have to talk about safety before we get to the fun part.
Dried flowers are flammable and will catch fire if placed near the wick. This is the most crucial piece of advice for any candle maker.
The Golden Rule is simple: keep all botanicals to inch away from the wick.
The safest way is to use pressed flowers on the outside of the glass vessel.
Alternatively, small, shredded pieces can be used. Embed them just under the surface of the final wax pour.
Never use large buds or fresh flowers in your candle. Fresh flowers retain moisture and will mould.
Choosing the right dried flower means balancing aesthetics with fire safety. Here are our top 10 recommendations for your next project.
Lavender is the classic choice for a reason. It retains its lovely deep purple-blue colour exceptionally well. It offers a strong, signature herbal scent that promotes relaxation.
Tip: Use sparingly and keep them well away from the centre wick. They are best embedded just below the surface for maximum fragrance release.
These petals are highly prized for their vibrant orange and yellow hues. Calendula holds its colour perfectly and won’t fade in the wax.
The petals are very mild in scent, which lets your fragrance oil shine. They are thin and safe for both pressing and light embedding.
Rose petals provide an elegant, romantic touch to any candle. Choose shredded petals in pinks, reds, or creams for the best look.
Safety Warning: Rose buds must be broken down into very small pieces. They are ideal for scattering around the rim of your candle jar.
Chamomile offers a light, soothing, and sweet-hay aroma. The small size of the petals makes them relatively safe for candle decoration. They provide a delicate, natural, and calming look.
Jasmine provides a beautiful white or cream contrast against coloured wax.
These buds have an intense, sweet, rich floral scent. Place the buds on the surface but ensure they are not close to the centre wick.
These little flowers are best used as pressed botanicals on the exterior.
They retain a stunning, vibrant blue colour. Forget-Me-Nots offer no noticeable scent but their visual impact is huge.
Rosemary offers a great dark green contrast and an earthy, herbal aesthetic. It has a strong, piney scent that can easily overpower other fragrance oils. Use only small, detached needles, never large sprigs.
These bright royal-blue flowers give an excellent pop of colour. They do not add any significant scent to your candle. Their small size makes them perfect for little colourful accents.
Baby’s Breath provides a lovely, cloud-like white texture. It works well as a delicate filler for pressed flower designs. Use very small clippings, avoiding large, fluffy clusters.
Hibiscus offers deep reds and pinks that look rich in white wax. The petals have a slight fruity aroma but do not contribute much scent to the candle.
Use them in small pieces to reduce the risk of the colour ‘bleeding’ into the wax.
The best method depends on the candle style you are making.
Focus your flowers on the top surface of the wax. Because the candle burns down the centre, the embedded flowers remain decorative.
Remember to sprinkle them on just after the final pour, once the wax has cooled slightly.
This is ideal for pressed flowers. Embed the thin, pressed botanicals onto the sides using a warm tool. This ensures the botanicals stay out of the burn pool and melt.
If you want to use whole, large botanicals, make wax melts instead. Wax melts are the safest option as they never involve a live flame.
Ready to start crafting your own floral masterpieces? You can find high-quality botanical mixes online.
Shop our dried flowers for your DIY candles here! We have colourful and fragrant options just for you.
Enjoy making your beautiful botanical candles safely! Which flower are you going to use first?
Dried flowers are flammable and will catch fire if they get too close to the candle wick. You should keep safety as the priority.
No. You should not use fresh flowers. Their moisture will cause them to mold inside the wax. Large buds are a fire hazard and should be broken down into small pieces or petals.
If you make a container candles, it’s best to focus the flowers on the top surface. Sprinkle shredded dried flowers onto the wax after the final pour. Be sure to keep them arranged around the rim, far from the center wick.
Pillar candles are ideal for using pressed flowers. My recommended method is to embed the thin, pressed flowers or petals onto the sides of the pillar using a warm tool.
The best choices for fragrance are Lavender, Jasmine, and Rosemary. Chamomile also offers a light, soothing aroma. Or you can learn more in our blog: 6 Dried Flowers That’ll Fill Your Space With Fragrance.
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