• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • Homemade Bath and Body
    • Sewing - Fabric Crafts
    • Flower Crafts/Decor
    • Thrift Store/Vintage
  • Gardening
    • Flower Gardens
    • Container Gardening
    • Houseplants
    • Indoor Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • Spring Decor
    • Summer Decor
    • Fall Decor
    • Winter Decor
    • Home Decor Projects
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes
    • Lunch Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert
    • Salad Recipes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Side Dish Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Hearth and Vine
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • DIY
    • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
    • ... Bath and Body
    • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
    • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
  • Gardening
    • ...Flower Gardens
    • ...Container Gardening
    • ...Indoor Gardening
    • ...DIY Garden Art
  • Decorate
    • ...Home Decor Projects
    • ...Spring Decor
    • ...Summer Decor
    • ...Fall Decor
    • ...Winter Decor
    • ...Room Makeovers
  • Recipes
    • ...Appetizers and Snacks
    • ...Dinner Recipes
    • ...Side Dish Recipes
    • ...Salad Recipes
    • ...Dessert
    • ...Drinks
  • Holidays
    • ...Valentine's Day
    • ...Easter
    • ...Mother's Day
    • ...Halloween
    • ...Thanksgiving
    • ...Christmas
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • DIY
      • ...Flower/Gardening Crafts
      • ... Bath and Body
      • ...Sewing/Fabric Crafts
      • ...Thrift Store/Upcycle
    • Gardening
      • ...Flower Gardens
      • ...Container Gardening
      • ...Indoor Gardening
      • ...DIY Garden Art
    • Decorate
      • ...Home Decor Projects
      • ...Spring Decor
      • ...Summer Decor
      • ...Fall Decor
      • ...Winter Decor
      • ...Room Makeovers
    • Recipes
      • ...Appetizers and Snacks
      • ...Dinner Recipes
      • ...Side Dish Recipes
      • ...Salad Recipes
      • ...Dessert
      • ...Drinks
    • Holidays
      • ...Valentine's Day
      • ...Easter
      • ...Mother's Day
      • ...Halloween
      • ...Thanksgiving
      • ...Christmas
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » DIY Projects

    Bayberry Candles Tradition- Gifts of Good Luck

    by Patti Estep · Dec 5, 2023

    Jump to How-to Card
    Bayberry candle tins with a poem attached about Good Luck.
    Bayberry candle tins with poem over a bayberry plant with berries in winter.

    The tradition of bayberry candles bringing good luck comes from Colonial times. The legend says if you burn a bayberry candle to the end you'll have good luck in the coming year.

    Bayberry candle tin with Merry Christmas red sticker the Estep family.

    When my sister and I owned the herbal gift shop, selling bayberry candles at Christmas time was a big hit. They smelled really great, and we offered a little "good luck" tag (shown below) to go along with the candle. 

    The History of Bayberry Candles

    History states that the early settlers first made their candles from tallow or animal fat, which was in short supply and often had an unpleasant odor. Then someone discovered the waxy berries on the Northern Bayberry or Myrica pensylvanica. found all over the coastline.  

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there’s no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    A bayberry shrub.
    Myrica pensylvanica - photo by Richard Webb

    This native deciduous shrub was also very fragrant. When boiled in water the berries sink to the bottom and the scented wax floats to the top. The fragrant bayberry wax also burned much cleaner than the original tallow based candles.

    Bayberries in the winter.
    Bayberry shrub in the winter

    The only problem was that it took many, many berries, as much as 15 pounds to produce one pound of wax. Therefore, the taper candles were often saved for special occasions like Christmas and New Year's Eve.

    Legend of Burning Bayberry Candles

    The early colonists believed that burning entire candles on Christmas Eve would bring a year of prosperity and good fortune. Some say this tradition came about due to the difficulty of making the candles and the fact that they smelled so good and burned so well. They were considered special occasion candles.

    Newsletter Signup
    Join Our Newsletter List!

    Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.

    Bayberry Poem

    "This bayberry candle comes from a friend. So on Christmas Eve burn it down to the end. For a bayberry candle burned down to its socket, brings health to the home and wealth to the pocket."

    Bayberry candle poem

    Click the image above for a full page of the bayberry poem that you can print out and attach to the candle.

    You don’t see many real bayberry candles on the market, though some foragers and homesteaders still make them. Instead, you can purchase some bayberry oil and make your own bayberry candles for fun, and “good luck” during the holidays.

    Making Bayberry Candles

    Supplies

    • 4 oz candle tins
    • soy wax
    • candle wicks
    • bayberry fragrance oil
    • candle pitcher or large empty coffee can
    • wax thermometer
    • an old pot
    candle tins for bayberry candles

    Most of the supplies came from Amazon and candlescience.com. They have a great FAQ section that really helps you determine how much you need. 

    All in all, I think I ended up spending around $180 and made 60 candle tins, which comes out to $3 a candle. This also included the cute labels I bought from pipsy.com.

    Candle tips:

    • Use a bit of hot glue to hold the wicks in place in the center of the tin.
    • Once your wax melts, add the fragrance oil around 185 degrees F before pouring it into tins.
    • I used straws with a slit cut in the middle to hold up the wicks and keep them straight. Some people also use clothespins. 
    • Once they are completely cool, trim the wicks.

    Spoiler Alert: It's a little hard to burn the tin down to the wick on Christmas Eve as a 4 oz tin should burn for about 20 hours, so start burning it early.

    These bayberry candle tins worked so well for this project and made a great fun affordable holiday gift.

    Patti signature

    More Fun Candle Projects

    • Holiday Oil Candle
    • Wine Bottle Candles
    • Spring Oil Candles
    • Antique Teacup Candles
    • Pressed Flower Candles
    • Mason Jar Lavender Flower Candles
    • Packing Tape Holiday Candles

    Candle tin with a red Christmas sticker.
    Handmade gifts bayberry candle for good luck
    Print

    Bayberry Candles

    Learn how to make bayberry candles in small tins for "Good Luck" in the new year. A Colonial tradition that's fun for holiday gift giving.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Active Time30 minutes mins
    Additional Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Course: Gifts
    Yield: 12
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $40

    Equipment

    • candle pitcher or large can
    • wax thermometer
    • an old pot

    Materials

    • 4 oz candle tins
    • candle wicks
    • bayberry fragrance oil

    Instructions

    • Use a bit of hot glue to hold the wicks in place on the bottom of the center of the tin.
    • Melt the wax in a wax pitcher or old coffee can in an old pot filled partially with water.
    • Once your wax melts, remove it from the heat and add the fragrance oil at around 185 degrees F before pouring it into tins.
    • After you pour the wax into the tin use straws with a slit cut in the middle to hold up the wicks and keep them straight. You can also try clothespins. 
    • Once the candles are completely cool, trim the wicks.

    Notes

    These candle tins will burn for 20-25 hours so if you want it to burn down to the wick you need to start early on Christmas Eve day.
    Tried this project?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram
    « 22 Christmas Tablescape Ideas for the Holidays
    Easy Salted Caramel Recipe for Holiday Gifts »

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Theresa

      November 17, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      Thanks for joining the #InspirationSpotlight party. Shared

      Reply
    2. Cristina at Ava's Alphabet

      November 12, 2016 at 9:48 pm

      What a great idea for homemade holiday gifts! I love the poem and I bet they do smell amazing. Pinned and sharing. Thank you for linking up at Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party this week. We hope to see you back again starting Sunday at 12 EST.

      Reply
    3. Carly

      November 11, 2016 at 2:56 pm

      I've never been brave enough to make candles... I don't know why! lol. When you consider that 3$ / candle is dirt cheap for a nice one, it really does make a person think they should try! Thanks for linking up at share the wealth sunday!

      Reply
    4. Kim - The Hypertufa Gardener

      November 01, 2016 at 8:52 pm

      So cute and I love the poem on the tag. I need to get started on these things for Christmas!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        November 02, 2016 at 6:13 am

        Hi Kim,

        So glad you like this one. It's fun.
        Thanks for stopping by,
        Patti

        Reply
    5. Jeanne

      November 01, 2016 at 2:06 pm

      These candles are beautiful. And love the packaging. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Carole @ Garden Up Green

      November 01, 2016 at 8:03 am

      This is so neat! I love this idea and making candles actually sounds really relaxing. Might be a perfect addition to my herb jars for the neighbors this year. So in this herb shop did you make a lot of the products you all sold? Sounds really neat I just love small business and this town we'll be moving too is based on small business which makes me smile.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        November 01, 2016 at 2:43 pm

        Hi Carole,

        Our shop was a mix of herbal fragrance and decor and herbal health. My sister was big into healing and I was into gardening and fragrance. We did make some of the products, mostly, wreaths and some sprays but the majority was purchased. So glad you liked the candles. They are fun.

        Patti

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Bayberry candle tins with a poem attached about Good Luck.
    Bayberry candle tins with poem over a bayberry plant with berries in winter.
    Patti Estep Profile Picture

    Hi!

    I'm Patti

    Join me to create lots of fun DIY projects, including crafts, gardening, home decor, and tasty recipes

    More about me

    Popular Posts

    • Baked zucchini bite on a slated tray with a bowl of horseradish sauce.
      Make Tasty Zucchini Bites in Under an Hour
    • Three tin cans in descending sizes hanging from twine.
      DIY Wind Chimes with Tin Cans
    • Blue jean crossover bag
      DIY Crossbody Bag from Jeans
    • Ham barbecue sandwich on plate
      Chipped Ham Barbecue Sandwiches - A Pittsburgh Favorite
    • Echievera planter
      What to do With a Stretched Succulent
    • Make a Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp with botanicals and essential oils. ~ gardenmatter.com
      DIY Oil Candle - Gifts for the Holidays

    Footer

    Bayberry candle tins with a poem attached about Good Luck.
    Bayberry candle tins with poem over a bayberry plant with berries in winter.

    ^ back to top

    About
    Contact
    Privacy Policy
    Disclosure Policy

    Sign Up Here!
    for our
    newsletter &
    special offers

    Follow Me

    facebook
    Pinterest
    instagram

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Hearth and Vine

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required