How to Make Candle Wicks

You may purchase candle wicks to use in handmade candles, but you can also manufacture your own. Candle wicks treated with borax are the most common. There are a lot of things to consider, that is why we will tackle how to make candle wicks.

 

how to make candle wicks

Methods on How to Make Candle Wicks

 

Method 1: Making Borax Candle Wicks

The first step on how to make candle wicks is to heat 1 cup of water in a small pot or a tea kettle. Allow the water to come to a gentle simmer, but not a full boil. Dissolve the salt and Borax next. 

Fill a glass dish halfway with hot water. One tablespoon salt and 3 tablespoons, Borax to dissolve, stir everything together. This Borax solution will be used to cure the base wick material. 

Borax-treated wicks can help candles burn brighter and longer. Furthermore, it has the potential to minimize the quantity of ash and smoke created by the burning process. Keep the Borax away from children and pets since it may be hazardous if consumed or breathed. 

Soak the twine in the solution for a few minutes. Submerge a piece of thick cotton butcher’s twine in the Borax solution. Allow the twine to soak for a minimum of 24 hours. 

Make sure the rope you select is longer than the height of the container you intend to use for your candle. If you don’t sure how tall the candle will be, soak up to 1 foot of twine and cut it later to size. Butcher’s twine is an excellent foundation material for candle wicks, but any thick cotton rope would suffice. 

You can use embroidered cotton, ripped cotton material, or a clean shoelace without the plastic cap. The best results will be obtained by soaking the twine for 24 hours. Although you can remove the twine after 20 minutes, the results will be less than desired.

Then, using tweezers, remove the string from the Borax solution. Allow the twine to dry for two or three days. Before proceeding, the twine must be completely dry.

Hang the treated twine in a warm, dry place with a clothespin or similar clip. Place a piece of aluminum foil beneath the drying rope to catch any extra solution that drops off. The wax should be melted.

1/4 to 1/2 cup candle wax, broken up melt the wax over a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, a clean metal container and a small saucepan would suffice. In a saucepan over the fire, heat 1 to 2 inches of water, allowing it to simmer and steam without boiling.

Insert the metal can into the boiling water. Allow the can to heat up for another minute before adding the wax. Because melted wax can cause severe burns, employ extreme caution throughout the rest of the operation.

The coated rope should be dipped. Dip the dry, Borax-treated twine into the molten wax with care. Coat the twine as much as possible.

Technically, you may use Borax-treated twine without covering it with wax. However, the wax stiffens and makes the wick simpler to handle. It may also make it easier for the flame to catch on the end of the wick.

The string should then be dried. Hang the twine as before and allow it to cure for a few hours to allow the wax to set. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil beneath the hanging rope, as previously, to catch any extra wax that drips off. Once you’ve completed these steps correctly, repeat the process to produce more. Dip and dry the twine a few more times to get a thick layer of wax on it.

The twine should have a firm feel while yet keeping some suppleness. If there isn’t enough wax left to dip the string again. Place it on a sheet of aluminum foil and carefully pour the remaining wax on top. 

Instead of hanging it again, let the wick dry on the foil. As needed, use the wick. When the twine is completely dried, it is done and ready to be inserted into a candle.

 

Method 2: Creating Wooden Candle Wicks

Balsa wood sticks should be trimmed. Trim the length of the balsa wood with scissors. It is so that it stands at least 1 inch taller than the container you intend to use for the candle. 

Use thin balsa wood strips as you’d get at a craft store. The width of these sticks should be between 1/2 and 1-1/2 inches. If you aren’t sure how big the candle will be, cut the wood to a length of 6 to 12 inches. 

You can always cut away any excess afterward, so having too much is preferable to having too little. Soak the balsa wood in olive oil for a few hours. Fill a shallow dish halfway with the trimmed balsa wood. 

Pour in enough room temperature olive oil to thoroughly cover the wood in the dish. While wood is naturally combustible, covering it with oil allows the fire to catch faster and burn more evenly. Because olive oil burns cleanly, it is an excellent choice for candle-making operations.

Allow the oil to seep into the wood for at least 20 minutes. You can wait up to an hour if you want the wood to absorb more oil and burn with a stronger flame. Remove any excess oil using a clean cloth. 

Remove the wooden sticks from the oil and wipe away any excess with clean paper towels.

Instead of rubbing the stick dry, set it on a tray lined with paper towels. Let it air dry for a few minutes. When the wood is finished, it should still feel moist and somewhat greasy to the touch. 

But it should no longer leave an oily residue on your hands when you contact it. Attach a wick tab to the stick’s base. Pry open a metal wick tab and insert one end of the treated wood gently into the aperture.

Insert the wick as far as possible inside the tab. During the candle-making process, the wick tab will keep the wood securely in place as it sits in the molten wax. This is also another method on how to make candle wicks.

 

Conclusion on How to Make Candle Wicks

Excited about making your candles or even starting a business? Those are some of the methods on how to make candle wicks. There are a lot of ways where you can make candle wicks from scratch, and you can check our site to know more about candles and candlemaking.

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