Cherry Blossom Candle

Welcome spring with a homemade cherry blossom candle! The elegant spring candle is made with natural soy wax and a floral essential oil blend that replicates the scent of the beloved Sakura blossoms. A true feast for your senses!

DIY Japanese cherry blossom candle

Each year during the start of spring, the cherry blossom trees in my street burst into bloom and unroll a blanket of soft pink splendor. And if you walk under the trees on a windy day, a rain of cherry blossom petals will sway down on you, which is just so beautiful.

This homemade cherry blossom candle is one of my favorite air fresheners once the weather turns warm in the spring and summer. It’s the perfect floral scent to enjoy springtime and pay homage to the delicate beauty of cherry blossoms.

Creating a natural DIY cherry blossom candle is tricky because the scent is very subtle. It took me many days of experimenting to come up with a cherry blossom essential oil blend that captures the fragrance of these gorgeous flowers.

If you have ever dreamed about creating your own cherry blossom soy candles, this candle-making tutorial is for you! It’s beginner-friendly, and you’ll learn plenty of tips for choosing the right materials to pour and cure your candles.

And for more cherry blossom-inspired ideas, be sure to check out my fluffy cherry blossom soap and Cyna’s cherry blossom body lotion.

Cherry blossom candle benefits

• Perfect spring candle: What could be better to celebrate spring than cherry blossom-scented candles? The delicate flowers signal that spring has come!
• Natural: You won’t find paraffin wax or synthetic fragrance in this natural cherry blossom candle. It’s made with eco-friendly soy wax and essential oils for a natural cherry blossom scent.
• Aromatherapeutic: The floral scent is pleasing to the senses, and essential oils also offer aromatherapy benefits. Burning this cherry blossom scented has a calming effect and will brighten your mood.

Materials

My cherry blossom candle is one of those magical creations where a few simple materials combine to create something truly exquisite. Check out the how-to card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements.

• Soy wax is one of the essential materials for candles. I used Golden Brand’s 646 soy wax. This container candle wax holds a lot of fragrance, has an excellent hot and cold scent throw, and cures to a beautiful, creamy finish.
• Essential oils infuse our cherry blossom candle with a natural blossom scent. Since there is no cherry blossom essential oil, I created an oil blend that resembles the soft cherry blossom scent.
• Pink candle dye (optional): I used a chunk of pink candle dye to replicate the soft pink color of Sakura blossoms. Adding a colorant is optional. Without it, the candle will be white, which also pretty.
• Wick: Since this cherry blossom candle is small, I recommend a pre-waxed and pre-tabbed cotton wick.
• Candle container: You’ll need a container that is heat-proof up to high temperatures. A small glass or ceramic jar would be a great choice. I used a pink metallic tea light candle container.

Equipment

• Digital scale to measure out the wax and essential oil.
• Hot glue gun to adhere the wick to the candle container.
• Saucepan for melting the wax in. I used a chocolate melting pot.
• Spoon or spatula for stirring.
• Infrared thermometer to take the temperature of the wax. This tool is optional, albeit useful.
• Wick centering device or chopsticks to taut and center the wick.
• Scissors to trim the wick.
• Workspace cover (optional) to make clean-up easier. A big piece of paper works well.

Cherry blossom candle scent

What do cherry blossoms smell like?

The scent of cherry blossoms is very delicate and light. It has a faint resonance of roses, with subtle plum and almond undertones and hints of green.

Since the smell of real Sakura is so subtle, most cherry blossom candle scents are fantasy scents. Bath & Body Work, for example, describe theirJapanese cherry blossom candle as a mix of pear, sandalwood, and floral tones.

And Yankee Candle’s Sakura blossom festival candle is composed of red berries, apple, pink grapefruit with notes of rose and freesia and a sandalwood vanilla base.

Cherry blossom essential oil

As mentioned earlier, cherry blossom oil cannot be manufactured because the fragile blooms are too delicate and volatile for essential oil distillation.

However, I found that a blend of rhododendron, vetiver, and Peru balsam comes close to a realistic cherry blossom scent. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 120 drops rhododendron essential oil – Rhododendron features a light floral smell with slightly balsamic and herbaceous notes. It’s an excellent stand-in for cherry blossom oil.
• 36 drops vetiver essential oil – Vetiver adds a fresh green aroma typical for cherry blossoms.
• 24 drops Peru balsam essential oil – Peru balsam provides those sweet, vanillic undertones found in Sakura. You can substitute vanilla oleoresin or absolute.

This essential oil blend omits a beautiful floral fragrance with those warm vanilla undertones and green notes that make up the scent of Sakura cherry blossoms.

The amounts are enough for one 5.3 oz / 150 g soy candle with a scent load of 6%. This is the candle size you see in the pictures.

I have written a dedicated post on cherry blossom essential oil, where you can find variations of this scent. Included are fruity, sweet, and complex cherry blossom blends.

For those who expect a strong, room-filling fragrance, please note that this scent is light and not as pervasive as some of my other candle essential oil blends. Rhododendron is simply not as mighty as peppermint, lemon, or eucalyptus essential oil.

Instead, this scent is soft, floral, and feminine. It’s a great candle to burn when you want to take time for yourself and enjoy a quiet moment.

I love lighting this Sakura candle during my bible study or to unwind after a busy day. It will put you in a tranquil and reflective mood and evoke a sense of calm.

Cherry blossom fragrance oil

If your cherry blossom candle doesn’t have to be all-natural, you can also employ Sakura fragrance oil to scent your candle. While essential oils are natural plant extracts, fragrance oils are synthetically created.

You can find cherry blossom-scented oil on Amazon. Wholesale Supplies Plus offers 2 different oils, a Japanese cherry blossom FO and a cherry blossom oil that smells like Bath & Body Works cherry blossom scent.

How to make a cherry blossom candle

Pouring cherry blossom candles isn’t difficult at all. You’re starting off by melting the soy wax and then stirring in the essential oil blend. In just 30 minutes, you will have a beautiful soy candle. Simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Attach wick

To attach the wick, apply a drop of hot glue to the bottom of the wick tab. Then secure it to the bottom of your candle container. Next, thread the wick through the wick centering device to hold it in place. You can also warp the wick around a skewer.

Step 2: Melt wax

Put the soy wax flakes and colorant into the melting pot. Heat over low flame on the stovetop until all the flakes have melted. Stir frequently to help the melting process.

Step 3: Add fragrance

Once the flakes and colorant are fully melted, take the pot off the heat. Wait until the wax has cooled to 185°F / 85°C. Then add the essential oils and stir the mixture 30 to 40 times. Do not skimp on the stirring. It’s important to help the oils and wax bond together.

Step 4: Pour candle

When the wax is at 140°F / 60°C, pour it into the prepared candle container.

Step 5: Let set

Check that the wick is in the center. Then let your cherry blossom candle sit undisturbed at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours.

Step 6: Burn

Before lighting the candle for the first time, trim the wick to 0.5 in / 1 cm. Follow the safety recommendations below.

Tips for success

I’ve come up with a couple of helpful tips and tricks so that you can make this homemade Japanese cherry blossom candle the best it can be.

• Measuring wax: If you don’t know the capacity of your candle container, fill the container with wax flakes all the way to the top. Then double the amount of wax flakes.
• Wick size: Wicks will make or break your homemade soy candle. The wick size is determined by the width of your candle container. The goal is for the wax pool to reach the edges of the container. So, measure the diameter of the container and choose the appropriate wick size.
• Fixing sinkholes, cracks, and uneven candle tops: If soy candles are poured too hot or cool too rapidly, cracks or a sinkhole around the wick can appear. This is perfectly normal. To cover them up, simply melt some additional wax and pour it over the top.
• Curing your candle: For the best scent throw, you want to cure your cherry blossom essential oil candle for 1 to 2 days; a week is ideal. Curing allows the essential oils and soy wax to bind together, resulting in a stronger, more even scent.

Storage instructions

• Storage: Store your DIY cherry blossom soy candle in a dry, cool location where the candle isn’t exposed to the sun or any heat sources. The sun’s UV light breaks down essential oils, and your candle would lose its scent.
• Shelf life: Homemade Sakura scented candles will keep well for 1 year.

More spring candles

Natural essential oil candles are so much fun to make! Use them to refresh your home or as handmade gifts for your family and friends. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite spring and summer candles for you to try:

• Magnolia Candles
• Peony Candle
• Lavender Candles
• Lemon Candle
• Clean Cotton Candle