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Hot Cocoa Peppermint Candle Mugs -DIY Candle Gift Idea

Hot cocoa peppermint candle mugs make the best DIY candle gift for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any winter holiday! 

I love sipping hot drinks morning and night during the winter months of the year. My kitchen is filled with brightly colored tins of various types of tea that I’m constantly refilling with my favorites, as well as, discovering new flavors. My current obsession is french vanilla black tea. 

In the evenings it’s all about hot cocoa in our house! My daughter and I love to enjoy a mug of homemade hot cocoa topped with vanilla marshmallows while we snuggle up and watch a movie on snowy days.  

After I made these irresistible enamel coffee mug candles I had to make more! And I couldn’t be more excited when I found these little red mugs at my local Hobby Lobby. They are just the perfect size to make a sweet candle gift for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion. 

And a hot cocoa peppermint candle in a mug is the perfect cozy addition to curling up in front of the TV to watch a new movie or read a book. It smells delicious, made with real peppermint oil and natural creamy soy wax poured into a mug. 

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Make a handful of peppermint candles in a mug a DIY candle gift to warm hearts for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or just because during the winter season.

DIY Candle Gift Idea

You’ll be happy to learn these DIY peppermint candle mugs are super simple to make on a cold winter day.  With just five ingredients your school-aged kids will enjoy making them with you. 

I know my daughter loves giving gifts she’s made to her teachers, friends, grandmas, aunts, and cousins. So, I’m always brainstorming up ideas we can make together for little cost. These mini mugs require just a small amount of soy candle wax, fragrance, and color. 

So, if you’re looking for an affordable DIY candle gift that is easy to make, you are going to love making these hot cocoa peppermint candle mugs! 

Make a handful of candles in a mug to warm hearts for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or just because during the winter season. 

Related To: Scented Candles Beginner Guide

Related To: How to Color Candle Wax

What can you use to color candle wax?

How Do You Color Candle Wax?

I love making candles with soy wax. And just recently started coloring the wax for fun variations. After much trial and error, I found candle dye chips are the best way to color candle wax. 

Candle dye chips are made of wax and highly pigmented color that create fully saturated colored candles. I found they are the easiest to use and produce consistent results, even for small batch DIY candles like these. They come in a variety of colors and the colors can be combined to make endless variations. 

And I love that they are non-toxic, non-staining, skin safe, and irritant-free. A must if my daughter is making candles with me! Find the steps I take to calculate how much candle dye chips you’ll need to color candle wax for your containers here.  

Printable Candle Making Guide to Colored Candles

Get your hands on an easy guide to coloring candle wax in our Simple Living Library today!

How Much Wax Do You Need to Make A Candle in a Mug?

How much wax per candle do I need, is typically the first question everyone asks when learning how to make candles. This especially holds true for making candles in a mug! 

The good news is, there is a simple solution to how much wax you’ll need to make a candle in a mug.

First, determine how much volume your container holds. If needed fill it with water and pour it into a glass measuring cup to measure the amount of volume your container will hold. 

Next, use this candle math formula to determine the amount of wax you’ll need to make a candle mug. 

The number of candles you want to make (multiplied by) the volume of your container (minus) the total weight of additives (divided by) 20 (equals) how much wax per candle you need in pounds.

So for example, 

  • We’re making 4 candle mugs with a volume of 2 ounces and roughly .60 ounces of fragrance for a 7.5% fragrance load
  • 4 (candle mugs) x 2 (ounces) – .60 (ounces of fragrance) / 20 = .37 pounds of wax 

All you need is this candle math formula to figure out how much wax you’ll need for any candle container size you choose. You can also take a shortcut by using our Candle Wax Calculator

With a little soy wax, dye chips, hot cocoa fragrance, and a splash of peppermint essential oil you can create festive candle mugs!

These hot cocoa peppermint candles in a mug are fun to make on a snow day with your school-aged children. They’ll love the sweet hot cocoa fragrance with the bright scent of peppermint!

How To Make Hot Cocoa Peppermint Candle Mugs

These hot cocoa peppermint candles in a mug are fun to make on a snow day with your school-aged children. They’ll love the sweet hot cocoa fragrance with the bright scent of peppermint! And their small size is just right for their little hands. 

DIY Candle Supplies

4 enamel 2-ounce mugs

.37 pounds of soy wax flakes

.60 ounces hot cocoa fragrance oil

20 drops peppermint essential oil 

1 to 2 brown candle dye chips

4 pre-waxed cotton wicks

Instructions to Make Peppermint Candle Mugs

  1. Place a wick in the center of each mug with a large glue dot to strongly secure.
  2. Using a kitchen scale to measure .37 pounds of soy wax flakes to make 4 peppermint candle mugs. 
  3. Safely melt the wax in a candle melting pitcher inside a large saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water. Using the double boiler method, heat on medium to low heat with a gentle simmer at most. 
  4. Next, when the wax is melted and between 160°F to 180°F. (I use an   infrared thermometer to monitor it.) Add 1 to 2 brown candle dye chips and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to evenly disperse into the candle wax. Drip a few drops of melted wax onto the white index card to see if the color is to your liking. Add more color if desired.
  5. Then remove the candle pitcher from the heat and allow the temperature of the wax to cool to between 125°F to 120°F before adding .60 ounces of hot cocoa fragrance oil and 20 drops of peppermint essential oil. Thoroughly incorporate both by stirring constantly for 2 minutes. 
  6. Pour the colored and scented wax into each prepped mug. Pour slowly for accuracy.

Allow each candle to cool for 3 days before lighting for the best results. Trim the wicks to approximately ¼ inch above the wax each time before burning. 

Prefer a Printable Candle Tutorial?

If you’re looking for an affordable DIY candle gift that is easy to make, you are going to love making these hot cocoa peppermint candle mugs!

Hot Cocoa Peppermint Candle Mugs

Yield: 4 candle mugs
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate

If you’re looking for an affordable DIY candle gift that is easy to make, you are going to love making these hot cocoa peppermint candle mugs!

Materials

  • 4 enamel 2-ounce mugs
  • .37 pounds of soy wax flakes
  • .60 ounces hot cocoa fragrance oil
  • 20 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 1 to 2 brown candle dye chips
  • 4 pre-waxed cotton wicks

Instructions

  1. Place a wick in the center of each mug with a large glue dot to strongly secure.
  2. Using a kitchen scale to measure .37 pounds of soy wax flakes to make 4 peppermint candle mugs. 
  3. Safely melt the wax in a candle melting pitcher inside a large saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water. Using the double boiler method, heat on medium to low heat with a gentle simmer at most. 
  4. Next, when the wax is melted and between 160°F to 180°F. (I use an   infrared thermometer to monitor it.) Add 1 to 2 brown candle dye chips and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to evenly disperse into the candle wax. Drip a few drops of melted wax onto the white index card to see if the color is to your liking. Add more color if desired.
  5. Then remove the candle pitcher from the heat and allow the temperature of the wax to cool to between 125°F to 120°F before adding .60 ounces of hot cocoa fragrance oil and 20 drops of peppermint essential oil. Thoroughly incorporate both by stirring constantly for 2 minutes. 
  6. Pour the colored and scented wax into each prepped mug. Pour slowly for accuracy.

Notes

Allow each candle to cool for 3 days before lighting for the best results. Trim the wicks to approximately ¼ inch above the wax each time before burning.

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Hot chocolate bombs are all the rage right now and these peppermint hot chocolate candle mugs are a fun and simple gift to include with one! Perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or just because for friends, family, neighbors, and teachers!

Have you made a candle in a mug? I’d love to see it – tag #lifenreflection on Instagram to share.

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