If you love the warm, cozy look of primitive candles, farmhouse decor, country Christmas displays, or handmade fall decorations, cinnamon grubby candles are such a lovely project to try. They have that aged, rustic, slightly textured finish that makes a simple candle look like something you found in a little country gift shop.
Grubby candles are usually made by adding texture to the outside of a pillar candle, jar candle, or flameless candle so it looks rough, handmade, and intentionally imperfect. When you add cinnamon, you get that beautiful speckled brown finish as well as a soft spicy scent that feels perfect for autumn, winter, Christmas, Thanksgiving tables, rustic weddings, and cozy handmade gifts.
This is one of those candle making projects that does not need to be perfect. In fact, the charm is in the uneven texture. A little more cinnamon here, a darker patch there, a slightly rough edge — that is what gives grubby candles their primitive handmade look.
You can make cinnamon grubby candles from scratch using wax and wicks, or you can use the easier shortcut method and decorate plain store-bought pillar candles. If you are new to candle making, the store-bought candle method is a great way to get the look without needing to melt large amounts of wax or worry about wick testing.
What Are Grubby Candles?
Grubby candles are rustic textured candles that often look aged, dipped, rolled, or coated. They are popular in primitive decorating, farmhouse homes, country Christmas decor, and handmade market displays. The outside of the candle is usually rough rather than smooth, giving it a worn, cozy, old-fashioned look.
Cinnamon grubby candles are especially popular because the cinnamon adds colour, fragrance, and a natural speckled finish. They look beautiful grouped together on a mantel, placed in a wooden tray, tied with homespun fabric, or styled with pinecones, dried oranges, greenery, berries, and rusty bells.
Supplies You Will Need
To make cinnamon grubby candles, you will need:
Plain pillar candles, jar candles, or flameless candles
Ground cinnamon
A small amount of melted wax or decoupage medium, depending on your method
Foam brush or old paintbrush
Baking paper or wax paper
Heat-safe bowl or double boiler if using melted wax
Optional vanilla, clove, orange, or cinnamon fragrance oil
Optional twine, ribbon, homespun fabric, dried orange slices, greenery, or gift tags
If you are making real candles that will be burned, keep decorative trims away from the flame and always remove ribbons, fabric, tags, and dried greenery before lighting.
Easy Method: Decorating Store-Bought Candles
The quickest way to make cinnamon grubby candles is to start with plain pillar candles. White, cream, ivory, tan, or battery-operated candles all work well.
Place your candle on baking paper to protect your table. Brush a thin layer of melted wax or suitable adhesive over a small section of the candle. Sprinkle cinnamon over the coated area, then gently press it in with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Continue around the candle until you are happy with the amount of texture.
For a darker, heavier primitive look, add more cinnamon. For a softer farmhouse style, keep the cinnamon patchy and light so some of the candle colour shows through.
Let the candle dry or set completely before handling.
Melted Wax Method
If you want a more traditional grubby candle finish, you can use melted wax as the coating. Melt a small amount of wax in a double boiler, then carefully brush or dab it onto the candle surface. Sprinkle cinnamon onto the warm wax while it is still tacky.
This creates a more natural candle-like coating and helps the cinnamon become part of the candle surface. Work in small sections because wax sets quickly.
You can repeat the process for a thicker, rougher finish.
Fragrance Ideas For Cinnamon Grubby Candles
Cinnamon on its own already gives a lovely spicy scent, but you can make your candles feel even more seasonal by pairing cinnamon with warm fragrance notes.
Try scent combinations such as:
Cinnamon and vanilla
Cinnamon and orange
Cinnamon and clove
Apple cinnamon
Pumpkin spice
Cinnamon sugar
Cranberry spice
Gingerbread
Cedarwood and cinnamon
Orange, clove, and cinnamon
These scents work beautifully for fall candles, Christmas candles, farmhouse gifts, winter market stalls, and handmade holiday hampers.
Decorating Ideas
Once your cinnamon grubby candles are dry, you can dress them up for different seasons.
For fall, tie the candle with raffia or twine and style it with mini pumpkins, dried leaves, acorns, and cinnamon sticks.
For Christmas, add a strip of homespun fabric, red ribbon, pine greenery, dried orange slices, small bells, or a kraft gift tag.
For farmhouse decor, keep the candle simple with jute twine, a small wooden tag, and a neutral tray.
For primitive country decor, use darker cinnamon, tea-stained fabric, rusty stars, berries, and aged-looking labels.
These candles also look lovely in groups of three at different heights. Place them on a wooden board, inside a dough bowl, or on a mantel with greenery and pinecones for a cozy handmade display.
Safety Notes For Cinnamon Candles
Cinnamon is a natural material, but that does not mean it should be treated casually around flame. If you are making candles that will be burned, keep loose cinnamon, fabric, paper, dried fruit, greenery, and ribbon away from the wick and flame.
Never coat the top surface close to the wick with loose cinnamon or flammable decorations. Keep your grubby texture on the outer sides of the candle, and always burn candles on a heat-safe surface.
Never leave a burning candle unattended. If you are unsure about burning a decorated candle, use it as a decorative candle only or make the project with battery-operated pillar candles.
Flameless candles are a wonderful option for this project because you can still get the rustic cinnamon look without worrying about open flame safety. They are especially useful for table centrepieces, craft stalls, nursing homes, classrooms, and homes with pets or children.
Gift Ideas
Cinnamon grubby candles make beautiful handmade gifts because they look warm, personal, and seasonal without requiring expensive supplies.
They are perfect for:
Christmas gifts
Teacher gifts
Hostess gifts
Neighbour gifts
Farmhouse decor lovers
Fall craft fairs
Thanksgiving table decor
Rustic wedding favours
Holiday hampers
Market stall stock
Package them with a small bundle of cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, a handmade soap, wax melts, or a jar of bath salts for a cozy handmade gift set.
You could also add a small label that says “Handmade Cinnamon Grubby Candle” with a note to remove all decorative trims before burning.
Helpful Supply Notes
If you are making a batch of these for gifts or a craft market, Amazon can be handy for bulk pillar candles, flameless candles, cinnamon sticks, kraft labels, twine, and candle-safe supplies. Etsy is also a lovely place to find primitive candle labels, homespun fabric strips, rustic tags, and handmade packaging details if you want a more country-style finish.
For the best result, make one test candle first before creating a full batch. This lets you decide how dark, textured, or scented you want the finished candle to be.
More Candle Making Ideas
If you enjoy this cinnamon grubby candle project, you may also like trying more handmade candle tutorials on CraftGossip, including Christmas candles, fall scented candles, beeswax candles, mason jar candles, citrus candles, wax melts, and dried flower candles. These are all lovely projects for building a handmade gift stash before the busy holiday season.
A Cozy Candle Project Worth Trying
Cinnamon grubby candles are simple, rustic, and beautifully forgiving. You do not need perfect pouring skills or fancy equipment to create something that looks warm and handmade.
Whether you make them for your own fall mantel, your Christmas table, handmade gifts, or a craft stall, these candles are a lovely way to bring a little cozy spice and old-fashioned charm into your home.
Add some cinnamon
next time you are making candles. It gives off a lovely fragrance as well as a rustic look to your candles.
Learn how to make these DIY Candles here.