How to Make Tealight Candle Wicks
A candle's wick is the most important element of the candle. After all, a candle without a wick is just a bunch of wax. It is the wick which creates heat, causes the candle to melt while releasing pleasant aromas, and makes sure the candle burns evenly. However, the wick can also be the most difficult part of the candle to create. In a tealight candle, this is somewhat easier; due to the tealight's tiny size, the wick is also quite short, and because the candle burns so quickly, there is less concern over even melting.
Instructions
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1
Cut three pieces of cotton string, or wick, to the desired length. These should be at least 3 inches longer than your desired wick, which, on a tealight candle, is about 1 inch. Due to the tiny size of tealight candle wicks, you may want to cut even longer pieces, to give you more room to work with; you can always trim off the extra once you are done, although you may find this wasteful if you are making a lot of tealight candles.
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2
Soak the wick in a solution of 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons boric acid and 1 tablespoon salt for about half an hour. This mixture helps the wick burn slowly and evenly. After soaking, let them dry completely before proceeding to the next step.
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3
Tightly braid the string. While this can be a tricky process for regular candles, it is less complicated for tealight candles, as the wick is quite short. Make sure your braid is as tight as you can make it.Tape one end of the wick to your work surface as you braid, to keep it stable.
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4
Submerge the braided wick in melted wax for 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn yourself with the wax. Try using a makeshift "handle," such as a paper clip, to dip the braid in the wax, or gently push it under the wax using a spoon. This process is called "priming" the wick, and helps it to burn slowly and evenly. Allow the wax to dry on the wick, after stretching the wick out nice and straight. Wicks can be used immediately when dry or stored in a cool, dry place.
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Tips & Warnings
Making candles wicks can be a tedious, time-consuming and difficult process. Many candle-making kits come with pre-made wicks; these are also available separately, if you prefer to make your own candles without a kit, but don't want to wrestle with the wick-making process. If you are short on time or easily frustrated, you may choose this option over making your own wicks.
References
- Photo Credit light-green candle image by Nedda from Fotolia.com
