How to Make Rock Candles

Rock candles create the illusion of flame jetting out from the surface of a rock. If you have a drill press capable of boring through rock, you can make your own rock candles at home. After the drilling is done, it's easy to create a simple candle using a few candlemaking supplies. If you are very experienced with working with stone, you can create a professional-looking rock candle.

Things You'll Need

• Drill press
• Piece of slate or other flat rock
• Thermal glass wick tube
• Fiberglass or cotton wick
• Lamp oil
• Brass grommet
• Glass bowl or ashtray

Instructions

1. Drill a hole in the slate or other flat rock. This hole will hold your wick tube. Remember to measure the diameter of your wick tube before drilling a hole in the rock.

2. Drill a smaller hole near the first hole to serve as a vent.

3. Place the thermal glass wick tube in the larger hole. If your wick tube is too small for the hole, you can place a brass grommet on the wick tube to keep it from falling through into the bowl.

4. Put the piece of slate over an ashtray or glass bowl. You can glue the bowl or ashtray to the rock using a heat-resistant adhesive, but this isn't necessary.

5. Fill the bowl or ashtray with fuel. If you haven't glued the rock to the bowl, then you can simply lift up the rock and pour the fuel into the bowl. If you have used glue, remove the wick tube and use a funnel to pour the fuel in. Paraffin lamp oil will work, as will fragrance lamp oils and citronella oil.

6. Place the cotton or fiberglass wick in the wick tube and place the wick tube and wick back in the rock if you needed to remove them to add fuel.

7. Light your candle.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are experienced with drilling, you can drill an area in a piece of rock that will hold a small glass fuel reservoir.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Candle Science