You’ll use this Borax solution to treat the base wick material. Treating wicks with Borax can make the candles burn brighter and longer. Moreover, it can also reduce the amount of ash and smoke produced by the burning process. Keep Borax away from children and pets since it can have a toxic effect when ingested or inhaled.
Make sure that the length of twine used is longer than the height of the container you plan to use for your candle. If you don’t know how tall the candle will be, you can soak up to 1 foot (30. 5 cm) of twine and trim it down to size later. Butcher’s twine is a great base material for candle wicks, but nearly any thick cotton cord should work well enough. You can use embroidery cotton, torn pieces of cotton cloth, or a clean shoelace with the plastic cap removed. [4] X Research source Soaking the twine for 24 hours will produce the best results. You can technically remove the twine after 20 minutes, but the results will not be as ideal.
The twine must be fully dry before you continue. Use a clothespin or similar clip to hang the treated twine in a warm, dry location. Place aluminum foil beneath the drying twine to catch any excess solution as it drips off.
If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a clean metal can and a small saucepan. Heat 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5 cm) of water in the saucepan over your stove, letting it simmer and steam without boiling. Place the metal can inside the hot water. Wait another minute for the can to heat up before adding the wax. Melted wax can cause serious burns, so handle it very carefully throughout the rest of the procedure.
Technically, you can use Borax-treated twine as it is without adding a wax coating. The wax makes the wick stiffer and easier to handle, however, and may also make it easier for the flame to catch on the end of the wick.
As before, place a sheet of aluminum foil beneath the hanging twine to catch any excess wax dripping off.
Ideally, the twine should feel stiff while still retaining some flexibility. If you don’t have enough wax to dip the string again, you can lay the string on a sheet of aluminum foil and carefully pour the remaining wax on top. Let the wick dry on the foil instead of hanging it again.
Use the thin balsa wood strips you’d typically find at a craft store. These sticks should be 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches (1. 25 to 3. 75 cm) wide. If you don’t have a container in mind and don’t know how large the candle will be, trim the wood down to a length between 6 and 12 inches (15. 25 and 30. 5 cm). You can trim away any excess later, so it’s better to have too much than too little.
While wood is flammable on its own, coating the wood in oil will allow the fire to catch quicker and burn more evenly. Olive oil burns cleanly, making it a great choice for candle-making projects. Let the wood soak up the oil for at least 20 minutes. You can wait up to one hour, if desired, so that the wood can absorb more oil and burn with an even brighter flame.
Instead of rubbing the stick dry, you could place it on a plate covered with paper towels and allow it to air dry for several minutes. When ready, the wood should still feel damp and slightly oily to the touch, but it should no longer leave an oily residue on your hands when you handle it.
Push the wick into the tab as far as possible. The wick tab will hold the wood firmly in place as it sits in the melted wax during the candle-making process.
Treated balsa wood is easy to handle and burns well. Using wooden wicks instead of cotton ones will add a wooded scent to the candle as it burns, and wooden wicks may also make the occasional crackling sound as the fire consumes them.
You can use fresh wax or bits of old, recycled candles. Break it into small chunks so that it melts quicker. If you don’t have a double boiler, insert a metal can or metal bowl into heavy saucepan and surround it with 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5 cm) of water. The water should only sit in saucepan, not in the inner dish. Bring the water to a simmer but do not allow it to boil. As the wax melts, continue onto the next part of the process.
After shaping the pipe cleaner, slide it off the pencil. Note that all-cotton pipe cleaners are strongly recommended. Pipe cleaners made with synthetic fibers may not burn as well or as safely.
After cutting the pipe cleaner, use needle-nose pliers to carefully twist the upright portion of the wick toward the center of the circle. This portion should still remain upright, but it needs to be fairly centered. If the upright portion of the wick is too heavy or off-centered, the distribution of weight won’t be balanced and the wick may topple over instead of standing straight.
Work very carefully. Melted wax can cause terrible burns if it splashes or drips onto your skin. Make sure that the entire wick gets submerged in the melted wax. Do not release it from your tweezers, though, since it will be difficult to fish out if you do let go of it.
Stand the wick on its circular base as it dries. When ready, the wax on the wick should be hard and cool enough to touch.
You need to build a thick, consistent coating of wax on the outside of the wick. The wax will allow the wick to catch fire more quickly and burn for a longer period of time.
When you light the wick, the flame should spread heat throughout the entire wick, sending it into the candle beneath it. The candle will begin to melt beneath the wick, and the wick will eventually end up floating on top of the melted wax.
