Leaves are falling and Autumn is calling! If you’re ready to add that extra touch (and scent!) to your cosy evenings and bring the incredible colours of the falling leaves indoors, you’ll love our tutorial for Autumn Fallen Leaves wax melts. Utilising a combination of moulds and clamshells with dye chips, glitter and mica powder, these wax melts are sure to get you in the mood for the new season.

Autumn truly is a wonderful time of year. Thick, cosy sweaters come out and the evenings are made up of drinking hot chocolate by a roaring fire. The barely light, frosty mornings coat the leaves and trees in beautiful glistening dew and the delicate crunch of fallen leaves underfoot reminds us of the changes this season brings.

These wax melts capture that cosy feeling with our Fireside Treats fragrance oil, combining toasted marshmallow with caramel and vanilla. If you’re ready to jump into autumn, check out our video below outlining the steps or read on for a more detailed step-by-step written tutorial with images.

If you’re new to making wax melts, then we’d recommend starting with our beginner’s tutorial, How to Make Wax Melts in Clam Shells, which will guide you through the process of making your first wax melts. Once you’ve mastered making simple wax melts, you’ll feel more confident with creating more advanced techniques as shown in this tutorial.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Makes: 1 x 8-cell HB Mould plus 8 additional loose melts

Ingredients

• 202.4g KeraSoy Pillar Wax
• 17.6g Fireside Treats Fragrance Oil
• 1x Brown Candle Dye Chip
• 1x Maple Candle Dye Chip
• Chunky Burnt Orange Biodegradable Cosmetic Glitter
• Extra Chunky Mocha Biodegradable Cosmetic Glitter
• Bronze Synthetic Mica Powder
• Orange Synthetic Mica Powder

Materials Needed

• 1 x 8 cell HB style clamshell
• 2 x Silicone leaf moulds
• 2 x Small measuring cups
• Digital weighing scales
• Milk or digital thermometer
• Metal spoon
• Melting pot
• Pan
• Kitchen roll to protect your work surface and for wiping tools
• Nitrile gloves (or similar protective gloves) and an apron. We’d also highly recommend the use of a chemical mask

Pro tip: Before starting, make sure your work surface is covered and you’re wearing the correct PPE as stated in the materials needed above. This is to avoid skin/respiratory irritation from the fragrance oil and mica powder and to protect your clothes from any splashes.

Part 1 - Making the Leaves

Step 1 – Weighing out the wax and adding the dye chip

Place the melting pot on your scales and add one brown dye chip to it.

Turn the scales on and weigh out 64.4g of wax.

Step 2 – Melting the wax

Half fill your pan with cold water and place on your cooker/stove top. Sit the melting pot on top of the pan. Turn the hob/ring on and set to a medium - low heat. Remember, the water in your pan should be no more than halfway up your melting pots bowl.

When the wax starts to melt, place the thermometer in the wax to check the temperature. Once the wax has fully melted and reaches 85 degrees Celsius, take the pan off the heat and turn the hob off. The wax needs heating to a slightly hotter temperature to ensure the dye chip is fully dissolved. Keep the melting pot on the pan until needed.

Pro tip: Don’t leave your thermometer in the melting pot whilst the wax is melting as it will get hot from the steam. Keep adding the thermometer to the wax at melting intervals to check it's not getting too hot.

Step 3 – Preparing the first leaf mould and fragrance oil

You can do this step whilst the wax is melting if you prefer.

Take one of the small measuring cups and weigh out 5.6g of Fireside Treats fragrance oil.

Then take a small amount of bronze mica powder and add this to your fragrance oil. Stir it in carefully to break up any clumps.

Next, sprinkle some of the mocha glitter into the cells of the first leaf mould.

Step 4 – Adding fragrance oil

Take the melting pot off the pan. Once the wax cools to 72 degrees Celsius, add the fragrance oil and mica powder mix.

Stir continuously for around 90 seconds to ensure the fragrance oil and mica powder is thoroughly mixed into the wax. You’ll notice a mesmerising swirly effect in the wax from the addition of the mica powder.

Step 5 – Pouring the wax into the first mould

Once stirred, you can fill the first leaf mould, being careful to not overfill each cell.

This mould is now done. You can move onto the second mould.

Step 6 – Cleaning the melting pot

Place the melting pot over the pan and carefully wipe the remaining wax off ready for the next moulds wax. The heat from the water should melt the setting wax enough to be able to do this step.

Step 7 – Weighing out the wax and adding the dye chip

Place the melting pot on your scales and add one maple dye chip to it.

Turn the scales on and weigh out 64.4g of wax.

Step 8 – Melting the wax

There should be enough water in the pan for this step. Sit the melting pot on top of the pan. Turn the hob/ring on and set to a medium - low heat.

When the wax starts to melt, place the thermometer in the wax to check the temperature. Once the wax has fully melted and reaches 85 degrees Celsius, take the pan off the heat and turn the hob off. Keep the melting pot on the pan until needed.

Step 9 – Preparing the second leaf mould and fragrance oil

You can do this step whilst the wax is melting if you prefer.

Take the second small measuring cup and weigh out 5.6g of Fireside Treats fragrance oil. Then take a small amount of orange mica powder and add this to your fragrance oil. Stir it in carefully to break up any clumps.

Next sprinkle some of the burnt orange glitter into the leaf mould cells.

Step 10 – Adding fragrance oil

Take the melting pot off the pan and add the fragrance oil and mica powder mix once the wax reaches 72 degrees Celsius. Stir continuously for around 90 seconds to ensure the fragrance oil and mica powder is thoroughly mixed into the wax. Again, you’ll notice a mesmerising swirly effect in the wax from the addition of the mica powder.

Step 11 – Pouring the wax into the second mould

Once stirred, you can fill the second leaf mould, being careful to not overfill each cell.

Both moulds are now done. Leave to fully set for at least 2 hours.

Step 12 – Cleaning your melting pot

Place the melting pot over the pan and carefully wipe the remaining wax off ready for part 2. Again, the heat from the water should melt the setting wax enough to be able to do this step.

Part 2 – Filling the HB Clamshell

This part should be started once the leaf moulds are fully set.

Step 1 – Removing the leaves from the moulds

Carefully remove the leaves from the moulds and set to one side on a piece of clean kitchen roll.

Step 2 – Weighing out the wax for the clamshell

Place the melting pot on your scales and turn on. Weigh out 73.6g of wax.

Step 3 – Melting the wax

There should still be enough water in the pan for this step. If not, simply add more water to the pan. Sit the melting pot on top of the pan. Turn the hob/ring on and set to a medium - low heat.

As the wax starts to melt, check the temperature periodically. Once the wax has fully melted and reaches 80 degrees Celsius, take the pan off the heat and turn the hob off.

Step 4 – Adding fragrance oil

Once the wax has cooled to 72 degrees Celsius, place the melting pot on the scales and add 6.4g of Fireside Treats fragrance oil. Stir continuously for around 90 seconds to ensure the fragrance oil is thoroughly mixed into the wax.

Step 5 – Pouring the wax into the clamshell

Once stirred, the temperature of your wax should be around 60-65 degrees Celsius. Half-fill each cell with melted wax.

Pro tip: Start by pouring a small amount in each cell and then add more to each cell until they are all approximately the same fill level.

Step 6 – Adding the leaves to the clamshell

Once the wax in each cell has started to turn a solid colour but hasn't yet fully set, you can add the thin leaves to each cell. The wax should still be soft but no longer fully liquid.

Push the leaves down gently until they’re level with the top of each cell. You will notice the wax will build up slightly around the sides of the leaves as you push down. Leave them to set fully for at least 2 hours before closing the clamshell.

Your Autumn fallen leaves wax melts are now complete and will be ready to use once cured in around 7-10 days.

To use simply pop out one of the leaf blocks in the clamshell or pick a loose leaf melt and add to your burner. Enjoy the fragrance until it disappears then replace with another leaf melt.

The amazing aroma of these wax melts will really set the mood for a cosy night, so pop a wax melt in your burner, turn the lights off and settle down in front of the fire with a hot drink, a cosy blanket and your favourite movie. Autumn evenings really don’t get any better than this!

Want to sell your wax melt creations? Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Candles and Wax Melts for more information.