How to Make Wax Bark Melts

Written by
Cindy Novack
Published on
June 8, 2021 at 11:30:08 AM PDT June 8, 2021 at 11:30:08 AM PDTth, June 8, 2021 at 11:30:08 AM PDT

If you haven’t already entered the wax melt market, it’s something you may not want to ignore much longer. Wax melts are an eco-friendly (especially when made with soy wax) and safe home fragrance trend that is here to stay. The global wax melt market was estimated at $2 billion in 2015 and expected to reach $6.13 billion by 2025!


A wax melt is basically a flameless candle that uses the scented pool of melted wax as the fragrance delivery system. Wax melts are convenient and super easy to use; just place some wax pieces into your tart warmer and wait a few minutes for the magic to happen. There’s no wick so that means no soot, no open flame and no wick trimming so it’s a very safe option to use in places that you wouldn’t want to leave a burning candle unattended. The best part is that wax melts are so easy to make!


I decided to have some fun and get creative with some wax bark ideas. Wax bark is made by pouring melted wax into a cookie sheet or silicone pan, letting it cool and then removing it from the cookie sheet breaking it down into smaller pieces that fit into a wax melt warmer. Your designs can be simple or sophisticated, but they must always smell fabulous!


You will need:

Wax - Choose a soy wax, paraffin or a hybrid parasoy that is semi-brittle and has a melt point of 130 degrees F or lower.

Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil

Candle Wax Dye Coloring

Glitter (if desired but almost everything should have glitter)

Cookie sheets - metal or silicone work great

Mold Release Spray

Pouring Pitchers for each color wax

Heat gun - for removing surface imperfections or blending

Stirring Spoons

Wax Melter, Griddle or other heat source


Now the good part - making your wax bark!


Step 1

Plan what type of wax bark you want and choose your scent and color combinations accordingly. Gather all of the materials that you need.




Step 2

Begin heating your wax to 180 degrees F and spray your cookie sheets with mold release spray. Your wax bark will be much easier to remove from the trays without breakage if mold release spray is applied first.

Step 3

-When your wax reaches 180 degrees F, add your color and scent. Use as much fragrance oil as your wax will hold without sweating so that your bark smells amazing. Soy waxes typically hold up to about 2 ounces per pound so definitely use that much. -Add enough candle color until the shade you desire is achieved. You can test your color by leaving some melted wax in the belly of your spoon to cool.

Step 4

Pour your melted wax into the cookie sheet and allow a couple of hours to let it cool before removing it from your tray. Note: If you are swirling your colors, allow the wax to cool to 115 to 120 degrees before pouring. The wax will be thicker at lower temperatures and therefore will not blend as easily with the other colors.


Step 5

You will know when your wax is cooled completely when you can put your hand on the bottom of the cookie sheet and feel no heat. Carefully remove your wax from the tray and break it into pieces. Package wax bark in clear cello bags to keep the scent locked inside.

Wax Bark Ideas

Chunky Bark - Add wax chunks or fruit shaped wax pieces into the cookie tray after pouring your wax. The chunks will harden in with the melted wax.


Botanical Bark - Sprinkle some dried botanical beauties into the freshly poured wax in the cookie sheet.


Layered Bark - Separate your wax batch into different pouring pitchers to color and scent your layers. Use one pot for each color layer. Pour the first layer, allow to cool until a thick skin forms and the wax below is mushy but not totally solid. Pour the next layer and repeat until all of your layers have been poured.


Random Splash Bark - This reminds me of the melted crayon art that has been so popular. Make a solid background basic bark and then when it has cooled, drizzle vibrant colors of cooled wax (115-120 degrees) on the top randomly. Allow colors to cool before pouring the next one so they do not blend or mix.


Swirled Bark - Much like making swirled soap! Use a melting pot for each color and allow your wax to cool until it’s thick like syrup. Pour small amounts randomly onto the cookie sheet one after the other and let the colors blend as you are pouring. You don’t need to stir because the colors will blend on their own.


There are many more ideas for wax bark however, I encourage you to get creative and have a lot of fun with this project! I hope you feel inspired you to dive in and start designing and making your own line of scented wax bark melts.