In addition to essential oils, you can try adding herbal scents, using the leaves or powders you have in your kitchen — any dried herbs can be used to scent wax. (You should realize, however, that they don't always work: see “My Rosemary Story” on p. 190 for an interesting anecdote on what happened with one such experiment.)

To use dried herbs for scenting candles, allow the herbs to steep in the melted wax for several minutes. Then, either filter them out (with cheesecloth) or leave them in to create an interesting visual effect. Remember, however, that any plant material within the candle runs the risk of being burned as the candle burns — and it might not smell so good! You can also use the method described above for using potpourri with dried herbs.

Here are some herbal/spice suggestions: allspice, caraway, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, fennel, ginger, mint, nutmeg, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, vanilla. You may also use pure oils of citrus — oil of lemon, oil of orange, and so on. These oils can be added directly to the melted wax. As is usual with candlemaking, you have to be willing to experiment and exercise your creativity — and keep records.