Flowers in candles can look great, and many people online show off their candles with flowers.
But…
Is it safe to put dried flowers in candles?
Before using any flowers in your candles, it’s essential to learn about the risks involved and decide if it’s really worth it.
Is It Safe to Put Dried Flowers in Candles?
Dried flowers are flammable and may jeopardize the safety of your candles.
Even though it may look pretty, safety comes first, especially if you’re selling candles.
Flammable objects like dried flowers can ignite the entire candle’s surface, compromising the container and significantly increasing the fire risk to the candle’s surroundings.
I recommend avoiding adding flammable objects to the candle if you sell or give away your candles.
If you’re still curious and want to experiment with flowers, here are some tips below.
Tips for Using Dried Flowers
If you want to experiment with dried flowers in a candle, use very little and keep the dried flowers on the edges of the candle. With pillar candles, you can adhere the dried flowers on the sides of the candle, keeping them away from the wick and flame.
Avoid large pieces in container candles. Small flower pieces are less likely to float into the flame and cause a safety risk.
Use a large container to reduce the risk of flowers contacting the flame.
Keeping the dried flowers on the edges of a container candle can be tricky. Once you melt the candle, the dried flowers can migrate near the wick and catch fire which is why a large container is ideal.
You should never leave a candle unattended, especially not a candle with flammable objects.
So, if you attempt to make one for yourself, take extra caution, remove all surrounding objects that may be flammable, and never leave it unattended.
Is It Safe to Put Fresh Flower Petals in Candles?
If dried flowers are a risk, what about adding fresh flower petals?
No.
Fresh flowers may look great when you add them, but sadly, that won’t last.
The freshness of the flower petals fades, losing their color and turning black.
Not only that, but when they die, they can release sap into the candle leading to molding, and no one wants that.
Can I use Botanicals in Candles?
If you’re unfamiliar, botanicals are parts of plants (stems, seeds, leaves, flowers, etc.) used to maintain or improve health.
Botanicals have become very popular, and one method of use is aromatherapy.
You may even see botanical filled candles selling today on various sites but is it safe?
Unfortunately, no.
The national candle association completed an independent third-party safety test and concluded that botanicals caused the candles to fail fire safety tests.
The botanicals are flammable and can cause secondary ignition events that can potentially ignite objects surrounding the candle.
In addition, botanicals can be a source of mold in certain conditions, which you do not want to release into the air.
Is It Safe to Put Dried Flowers or Botanicals in Wax Melts?
Unlike candles, wax melts have no direct contact with fire, opening the door to add whatever you like without worrying about setting fire to the curtains.
You can safely use flowers, herbs, or botanicals and get excellent results.