Candle-Making 101: Using the Right Wick

When thinking about making your candle, the wick is probably the last thing that comes to mind. You secure the wick, pour the wax, and that's it...right? Actually, choosing the right wick can be an important step in the candle-making process. The properly chosen wick can mean the difference between a long-burning candle and a waxy mess. It's not that hard to pick the right wick, as long as you know a few basic facts.

There are a few different types of wicks, each made for a different purpose. You're probably most familiar with the flat, braided wick, most commonly seen in taper candles (and sometimes small pillars.) There's also a square braided version that's seen in larger pillars, other larger candles and rolled beeswax candles. There are also wicks with a core running through the middle of it: paper core wicks are found in the more "delicate" candles, like tealights and votives, as well as container candles (but not gel container candles.) Metal core wicks are also seen in votives and tealights, and can be placed in pretty much any candle including gel. Just be absolutely certain that the metal-core wicks you purchase don't contain any lead. The metal core wicks of yesteryear did contain lead before everyone realized how toxic it was, and a few companies outside the US still make them this way.

When you figure out what kind of wick you want, you'll need to determine the necessary size. Consider what the widest point of your candle is. Candles one inch wide or thinner only need a tiny wick, about 20-ply. Larger candles up to two inches will benefit from a 24-ply wick, while a three inch candle needs a 30-ply wick. The bigger you go, the thicker your wick will be: a four inch candle will need a 36-ply wick, and a five inch candle requires at least a 40-ply. By the time you go over five inches in diameter on the candle, you'll also need more than one wick. There are a few ways to determine how many wicks you'll need, including eyeballing it (which I don't recommend), but an easy method is to divide your candle's diameter by three. For example, a six inch candle will take 2 wicks (6 divided by 3 is 2.) As a rule, it's a bad idea to put more than five wicks in a candle, although I don't know who would have the space or energy to create a fifteen inch candle. You also need to be aware of the length needed for your wick. To do this, measure what your candle's height will be, then add four inches for pillars and tapers (or one inch for votives.) Rather than buying wicks individually, it's better to buy a wick roll and measure out what you need; it's cheaper that way when you're making many candles, and it gives you a greater degree of control over how your candles come out.

No matter what kind of wick you need or how long/thick it is, if it's anything other than a gel candle or taper, you're going to be priming it. (Gel candle wicks don't need priming, and tapers created the old-fashioned way will be primed during the process.) When priming your wick, melt your wax in the double boiler until it reaches around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. After bending the wick in half, submerge the wick in the wax. Bubbles should rise up in the mixture; wait until the bubbles stop before removing the wick (anywhere from 4-7 minutes.) Straighten the now-primed wick and hang it on a candle rack or other protected surface to dry. As it cools, you may want to roll it between your fingers to smooth it out, because no one wants a lumpy wick.

Many wicks can be bought pre-tabbed if you want to avoid an extra step, but I prefer to tab my own wicks. To do this, thread your wick through the tab and close the tab with a pair of pliers. For best results, buy the "high-collar" variety of tabs that prevent the wick from burning all the way down to the bottom (and burning whatever surface the candle's sitting on.) This is particularly important for gel candles, so buy high-collar tabs to avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

When you've chosen, primed, and tabbed your wick, all that's left is to add it to your candle. Thankfully, a mold makes that task much easier. Thread the wick all the way through your mold and pull it to the top. Make sure the wick is tight inside the mold by pulling it taut. Once the wick is at the top of the mold, tie it to a wick rod (which should be across the top of your mold.) Block the wick hole with mold sealer to prevent wax seepage. Once the candle cools, it should surround your wick snugly without hindering the burning process.

Once you've gotten the hang of candle-making, you may want to determine how well your candles are actually made. A good way to do this is to figure out your candle's burn rate-how much wax is used per hour. To figure out the burn rate, try using a method I was taught years ago: weigh your test candle, and burn it for three hours. If your candle starts to drip wax, you may have used the wrong wick or a mixture of wax and additives that doesn't work. Weigh your candle after those three hours and subtract the new weight from the beginning weight. Average this number by the number of hours you burned the candle (in this case, three.) That number will be your burn rate. From there you can figure out how long your candle will burn by dividing your starting weight by the burn rate.

Now you should be able to match the right wick to your candle, which will improve the look and life of all your projects. Once you've mastered this, you should be able to tackle adding color and fragrance to your candles by hand.