Candles are the perfect way to relax, unwind, and fill the air with sweet scents, or your favorite smells. You can fill your home with candles for a better ambiance, or for an intoxicating fragrance that everyone can enjoy.
If you are a candle lover, then you may want to even make your own candles! Candle making is a fun hobby, an easy craft and a great way to pass the time on a rainy day!
The process of making a candle is relatively simple to do, but you will need all of the supplies to make them. Even more important, you will need to know how to make a candle wick before you start anything!
Candle wicks can be made through a variety of different methods, whether it is with cotton string, braided yarns, or even with wood. If you want to start making your own candles, then we can show you how to make a candle wick from scratch for more of a homemade, rustic feel!
How to make a candle wick
The easiest way to make a candle wick is with some cotton string. All you will need is a little twine string or cotton string to get started, such as this one for example:
In addition, you will need some salt, wax, Borax solution and a way of hanging your twine.
The first step to create a string candle wick, is to heat up one cup of water, let it simmer, but do not let it boil! Then, you will need to pour the water into a glass bowl, along with one tablespoon of salt, and three tablespoons of Borax and stir in together until it dissolves.
The Borax works perfectly to prepare the string for the wick, but also helps your homemade candles burn for much longer and brighter.
Next, you will need to cut your twine string to the correct size, making sure that it is long enough to sit outside of the container that you are going to create your candles in.
Following that, you will have to soak the twine string within the Borax and water solution. For best results, you should leave the twine to soak for up to 24 hours. After soaking, you may remove the twine from the solution and hang it to dry for around two days.
This can be done by draping it over a hanger from your wardrobe, or with a clothespin. For best results, keep the twine hanging somewhere in a warm, dry place. Ensure that you leave a bowl or some foil beneath the twine as it dries so that any excess solution can be caught.
Once dry, you can move onto the next step. This involves melting a little candle wax- between ¼ cup and a ½ cup of wax over the stove. Remember to take care in doing this step as melted wax can cause serious burns!
Then, you will want to dip the dried, Borax-treated twine into the melted wax, carefully coating as much as possible. This will ensure that your homemade twine wick is much stiffer and easier to manipulate when making the candles.
Next, you will need to hang the twine again and leave it to dry, and so that the wax hardens completely. This should not take much time as wax dries very quickly. You can repeat these steps a few times until you have a thick coating of wax covering your homemade wick, and then you are ready to use it within your candles!
How to make wooden candle wicks
You can also make your own homemade candle wicks out of wood! All you will need is some balsa wood sticks, olive oil and some scissors. For this method, you can use any sort of wood craft sticks
However, you can use wood popsicle sticks, or you will be able to cut the wood sticks to fit the size that you want! The best size for making wood wick is 1 – 1 ½ inches wide, and at least one inch taller or longer than the container you are going to use for the homemade candle.
Once you have trimmed your wood, you will need to soak the wooden stick in some olive oil. This is best done with oil that is room temperature, and in a dish so that the oil completely covers all of the wood.
Despite wood being flammable by itself, covering the wood in olive oil will make it burn much more evenly and cleanly, for a long lasting candle wick. Aim to leave the wood to soak for around 20 minutes to an hour, or at least until the wood is completely saturated.
Next, you can remove the wooden stick from the oil and use some kitchen or paper towels to wipe away the excess olive oil. Try not to rub away the oil on the stick, and leave it to air dry for a while for best results.
If you touch the wood and the surface feels a little oily or damp, then it is good to go. If there is oily residue left on your hands, then it is best to leave it dry for a little longer!
Then, you will need some wick tabs
You will then need to attach the wood stick to the wick tab at the base. If inserted properly, then the wick tab should hold the wooden stick in place easily. Once this is achieved, the wick is ready for you to make your candle and pour in the wax.
With a wooden wick for your candle, the flame will burn bright, powerfully and create a wooded aroma that will fill the room.
Once you have mastered the art of making your own candle wicks, you can start using them in homemade candles for a rustic, personalized touch.