Pillar candles are those that stand on their own.  They are made in a mold and then either cut or the mold is released.  They are usually round but can be any shape. They have to have some sort of holder under them to absorb the wax although if they are large enough, the wax will melt before it reaches the bottom of the candle. 

Any type of candle can be scented.  Scented pillar candles can come in a variety of scents and are often seen around the holidays in stores.  They have scents such as peppermint and look like candy canes or they are scented like fir trees. You can find scented pillar candles abound during the holiday season. 

While many scented candles are jar candles, this is just because they are the easiest type of candle to make.  If the candle maker is concentrating on the scent, they will not be using a mold to make the shape of the candle any different.  Scented pillar candles, therefore, usually cost a bit more than scented jar candles. They have been put into a mold and are sometimes  made from an unusual shape. 

You can use any type of mold to make a candle.  Even milk cartons that you used as kids can be used to make candles.  The mold should be coated with a non stick spray before you pour in the wax or soy wax.  Many people are making the switch from paraffin wax to soy wax for a healthier candle as they burn better in the environment. 

One of the things that people tend to like about scented pillar candles is that you will not have a hard time lighting them with an ordinary lighter.  Jar candles, especially large jar candles, can sometimes be difficult to light with a regular lighter once the wax has melted down to a certain level.  It seems that it can be a waste of wax if you cannot light the candle.  You need to have long lighters or matches in order to light jar candles once they get down to a certain size. 

With scented pillar candles, however, you do not need any special matches or lighters.  You can always light the candle.  You will, however, need to make sure that you put something under the candle to catch the wax, especially as the candle burns down to a smaller size. 

Scented pillar candles can be purchased online or made.  If you have your heart set on one of these candles, you are almost better off to purchase them because they tend to be more difficult to make and may end up costing you  more money in the long run until you get the candle right.  They do not always come out of the mold correctly and do not always look smooth.  You can purchase scented pillar candles at a variety of stores and online outlets all year long.  Just be sure that you have a place where you can put the candle and it can burn safely.  These are the perfect type of candle for candle lanterns.