The Complete Guide to Candles and Wicks - Savvy Homebrew (2023)

That's why we've given you everything you need to know about candle making, includingBasic guide to candle makingIt's likesmell and colorHowever, I thought it would be a good idea to write an article about candle wicks and wick candles.

The wick is important to a candle for obvious reasons. Basically, it's a twisted wire that, when lit, vaporizes the wax (along with the balm you let soak in)Vela).

But what size wick do you really need for your candle? That's exactly what I'm going to talk about today. I also thought it would be fun to show you how to use the wooden core.

And if that's not enough, I'll also end it in a fun way by blowing out the candle several times, which will impress all your friends! This is really a basic guide to absorption.

How do you choose the right size pit?

Well, let's get to the point. I want to discuss how to choose the right wick for the candle you want to make. This depends on several variables, namely the type of wax you want to use and the size of the candle you want to use.

for waxed wick

But first I thought I'd briefly mention why you might want to use pre-waxed wicks instead of standard wicks. Pre-waxed wicks come in a variety of sizes and are easier to work with than standard wicks.

They are cut to size and attached to stabilizers and if you glue them together they can stand on their own.

However, I have found that they are only useful for lighter candles, such as candles that are not very tall. When you pour the wax, the wax melts on the wick and you lose the stability of the wick. With them remain offerings and tea lights. They also fully apply tomolds for candle making.

wick size

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about choosing the right size wick for your candle. It is important to have the right wick size, otherwise your candle will not burn as you intended. If the wick is too long, your candle will burn the wax like butter and before you know it your candle is gone.

We don't want that. We wanted to extend the life of the candle to an acceptable length and still use up all the wax. That makes it pretty clear to me why you don't want to sit on a fuse either.

Insufficient absorption has the opposite effect and prevents candle wax from evaporating completely. This means that you, your beneficiaries or your customers cannot reuse the jars (if you use them at all) and/or cannot take full advantage of the wonderful scents you can infuse your wax with.

Check out the photo below. The first I'm perverted, the second I'm perverted, the last I'm perverted. I burned them all in a few hours. Notice how the I over evil candle was overused, especially compared to the other two candles.

And what I used was the opposite, if I let them burn completely you could see several layers of wax still attached to the sides of the glass. If you look around the edge of the glass, you can already see that this is starting to happen. The candle on the right (which I am rightfully wicked) is burning as expected.

In short, over or under evil candles can still be used. After all, they are still burning. All I'm saying is look for a product that burns as expected, otherwise your friends, family and even customers may think you don't know what you're doing. pair of trousers!

Now to get the right size wick, measure the diameter of your pot, container or mold. Then compare this size with the beautiful table that I have drawn for you below.

Bookmark or print this page using the print icon to the left or below this article so you can refer to it anytime! I made columns for both paraffin and soy wax because you need the ECO wick if you're dealing with soy and the LX wick if you're dealing with paraffin.

If your candle is larger, you may want to look into multi-wicking. More information about this can be found later on this page.

how to use the wick

To learn how to use the wick, check out theHomemade candle spacefrom this website. If you use soy, check out my tutorial on how to dispose of a mason jar.How to make soy candles.if you also use paraffin in jars or containers that matters too, but if you use molds watch me spread out the moldBasics of candle making.

wooden wick

A wooden wick is exactly what it says on the tin, a wick made of very fine wood. They are usually about an inch wide and come in a variety of lengths. These fuses work much the same as standard fuses, except they make a lovely crackling sound when lit.

You can use wood cores in almost any wax, but they work best in soy. Soy is a higher quality wax used in candle making, just like wooden wick. They are a great combination to make beautiful and luxurious candles. Why not add essential oils to make it even more special?

When buying wooden wicks, make sure you buy real wood wicks as they are of better quality and have a natural finish. These are available atThe Wood Core Store op Amazonor directly fromWebsite of the company Wood Core.

How to use wood core

step 1:use-me emhandmade soy candlesNote that in my photos I have used a metal can to melt my wax. This is much easier than using a bowl if you are making smaller candles.

Just fill the jar a few inches to the brim, and when it's hot enough to melt the wax, place the jar in the water. It's more of a double boiler method and it works really well.

Step 2:We want to vacuum your pot or container when the wax melts. To get the wick as centered as possible, first mark the inside of the bottom of your pot/container with a felt tip pen. Try to place it in the center as this will be our guide when gluing the wick.

Measure how long you need the wooden core and then cut it to size. You want it to stick out no less than an inch and no more than an inch from the wash. If you plan on opening the lid, make sure you can close it when you're done.

Then attach the wood core to the spacer and hot glue it to the bottom of the jar/container where you drew the marker. You need to do this by applying some hot glue to the bottom of the holder and attaching it to the bottom of the bottle.

Phase 3:Our wax should be fine, now melted and ready to pour. I won't be smelling or coloring the candle at this point as I'm just showing you how to use this fun type of wick.

However, you can get detailed instructions on how to color and smell soy wax on our website.Soy Wax Candle-pagina, and how to color and smell our paraffinscented candle page.

Make sure your wax is relatively hot (around 180-190F for paraffin, no more than 170F for soy) and slowly pour the wax into the jar or container so as not to introduce too many bubbles.

Step 4:As with all candles, we need to repair the cavity in the wax, as well as any depressions in the top. I call this the "sink" problem. To do this, use a bamboo skewer to poke holes in the wax (be careful not to disturb the wick) and stop when you're about an inch from the bottom. This should be done about an hour or two after the first leak.

Then you want to let your wax sit for another hour before topping up the rest of your wax. This should ensure that you get a nice, smooth finish on top and fill any gaps in the wax.

Step 5:You should let the candle stand for about 2 days before burning or pouring it, otherwise you will end up with a nice soy or paraffin wax candle with a wood core that crackles when lit.

wick candle

So now we come to the exciting craft! Have you seen those cool wick candles at your local department store? So you should now know how to make candles, but let's take it a step further and learn how to make wick candles!

There are several reasons why we want multiple fuses. The most important of these is the size of the pot you plan to use. Very large pots usually require very large wicks. The only problem is that large fuses produce a relatively large amount of black smoke and soot.

Using several smaller fuses can reduce this risk to almost zero. Plus, the multiple candles are really pretty, making you the envy of your friends and family!

Before we get into how to do this, let's discuss what size wick to use. That's a little hard to answer because it's really a trial and error kind of thing. However, I would say that for a 3-wick candle you need a wick designed for candles that are about 2-2.5 inches in diameter.

Now using our table above, we can see that when using soy wax it is Eco 4 and Paraffin LX is 12.

Just experiment with the size of the wick when using different sized bottles. The size I suggested above is perfect for about a 5 inch pot. So what I do is measure the diameter of the pot and then cut it in half. You will need 3 wicks designed to hold candles this size. However, these are rough estimates. You will want to try them on and see how they look.

as multi-wick

step 1:Melt your wax using the double boiler method I discuss in my articlehandmade soy candles.Once it starts melting, you'll want to use that time to suck your pot!

First mark with a felt-tip pen that you can clean where you will insert the wick. You're looking for a triangle with each wick about an inch apart.

This depends on the size of the bottle and also the size of the wick. Like I said, this is very experimental. Practice leads to perfection. You want the molten puddles to touch.

If you feel you can stick to the marks, glue the strands together with a hot glue gun.

Step 2:Your wax should now be nicely melted and ready to pour. That's when you add the dye and balm if you want. LookHow do you color and scent a candle?I decided to use purple candle dye and lavender essential oil.

When you're done, slowly pour the wax into the angry pot. Notice how I used pre-waxed highlights. So I don't have to use a wick holder or pencil to hold.

However, I used some broken bamboo skewers to hold all the wicks in place. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but as we are multi-wicking we can't get the fuses to cross.

Phase 3:Let the candle cool for about 1 to 2 hours before you need to fix the sink hole. Check out this page (Candle Making Basics) to learn how.

Step 4:After you fix the sink hole, leave the candle for about 2 days before burning or giving it away or you're done!

You can decorate the jar and lid with small ornaments to make it even more special. I attached a nice black ribbon to the lid of my jar. My wax was dyed purple and I didn't want to go overboard because I was going to give it to my mom (who has a very minimalist style), so I thought a solid black ribbon would look great.

Well, the basic guide to absorbing candles!

where can i buy candle wicks

candle wickEasily available on AmazonToday you learned exactly what size and type of wick your candle needs and why you might also want to use pre-waxed wick.

But we take it a step further and show you how to use wooden wicks, while also using more advanced methods such as multiple candle wicks. Sure, they take a little more practice and experimentation to get it right, but with a little effort you'll be there in no time.

ga andmake some candles! I'll do my best to answer any questions in the comments below. You can also use the comments to keep us updated on all your exciting candle making experiences, as well as tips and tricks you've learned along the way.

Don't forget to share this on all your social media so you can let your friends and family know you're looking forward to their own fabulous candle.GiftNext year!