Candlecraft: Light Up Your Own Little Corner of the World

by Susan Pesznecker

People once used pitchy wood for torches and then made more elaborate ones of bundled plant stems, cattails, or rolled papyrus, which were eventually dipped in melted beeswax or animal fats. The process evolved into candles that were shaped, molded, and dipped. Candles were an important resource in societies past: the now-obsolete term “candlepower” was once widely used to indicate a specific level of illumination. Some candles were even “metered” and used to tell time according to how quickly the candle consumed its wax. At some point colors and scents were added, and candles took on an increased variety of uses. Today the aesthetics of candles absolutely transcend their practicality. These days, candles come in every imaginable shape and size. They may illuminate a romantic dinner, top a birthday cake, provide heat to a chafing dish, drip sealing wax onto a letter, add ambience to a room, or stock an emergency kit. Regardless of their use, what we think of as a candle is a solid waxen object with an embedded wick. The wick is lit, and the candle burns. But is it really that simple? Let’s think for a moment about fire.

A fire needs three things to burn: oxygen, heat, and fuel. When a candle is lit, oxygen from the air meets the temporary fuel of the wick, and the lighter flame heats the wick until it ignites. Once the wick begins burning, its heat melts the candle wax around it. The molten wax is then pulled up the dry wick via capillary action. When the melted wax meets the hot, ignited wick, it vaporizes and bursts into flame, creating a burning candle as we know it. The burning wax becomes the new fuel, leaving the wick to be much more slowly consumed by the flame. As long as the heat, oxygen, and fuel are available, the candle will keep burning.

The Substrates: Waxes, Oils, and Fats

The substrate of the candle—the material that surrounds the wick and provides fuel for the flame—may be made of waxes, oils, fats, or a combination of them. Let’s explore some of these in more detail.

Petroleum-Based Substrates

Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum—oil. It is soft, colorless, easy to melt, and extremely flammable. Usually sold in blocks, paraffin wax is inexpensive, is easy to work with, and makes a candle that burns steadily and gives a bright light. The drawbacks? It emits a lot of soot and also gives off toxic fumes when burned. Occasional exposure to paraffin fumes is probably not dangerous, but frequent exposure is ill-advised, as is burning paraffin candles in a close, unventilated space.

Mineral oil, another petroleum by-product, is a liquid but may be combined with paraffin, resins, and other waxes to make a firm candle substrate. This may create a option less toxic than burning plain paraffin, although there still will be some issue with fumes. Mineral oil gels—stabilized with chemical polymers—are another form of substrate that is available from many candle suppliers. A plus with gels is that they take color and scent additions quite well. A drawback is that burning the petroleum plus a polymer product may release questionable fumes.

Petroleum jelly, present in many of our bathrooms, is yet another petroleum derivative and one that burns quite readily. It can be stiffened with the addition of waxes and resins. The jelly may also be packed into a small container around a wick and will make a small, serviceable candle.

Animal Substrates

Beeswax is gathered from the comb of honeybee hives; because this process is somewhat complicated, beeswax tends to be expensive. Natural beeswax is very soft; processed versions may be compacted and become much firmer. Soft beeswax sheets are rolled around wicks to create long taper candles, which tend to burn quickly and with a sweet scent. The beeswax itself smells like honey, and the soft forms are also often used for herbal balms and lotions. The wax is also available in processed bricks (for chopping and grating) or granules that can be melted for use in molded candles. Beeswax candles tend to be somewhat sticky and can sag or wilt when exposed to external heat. Their deep gold color may make it harder to add color. They are drip-free and relatively soot-free when burned. (No candles are truly soot-free. Some of the soot comes from substrate, but much also comes from the wick. The longer the wick, the more soot and smoke will be present.)

Any sort of animal fat may be used to make a candle. For example, beef fat (tallow) and rendered beef fat (lard) were historically used for candle making. The drawbacks? The fat quickly becomes rancid if not refrigerated. There’s also lots of smokiness when burned, and they give off a strong hint of eau de hamburger. While this isn’t most people’s idea of the ideal candle, animal fats still have a place in candlecraft, even if only historically or just for emergencies.

Vegetable Substrates

Soy wax comes from processed soybean oil and is sold in pellet and granule form. Candles made from soy wax are fairly sturdy and burn cleanly with little soot, and they’re known to be especially nontoxic. A drawback is that they sometimes burn with an odd scent; this can be covered with the addition of a scenting agent. Another issue is that soy wax can melt easily in hot weather.

Palm wax comes from palm trees. It makes an ideal candle that’s very hard when cooled and burns clean with little soot. However, the ethics of palm harvest have become more widely known: palm groves are being devastated for their ingredients instead of sustainably harvested. This has resulted in horrific environmental effects, and many reliable candle sources no longer carry palm products.

A number of plants, trees, and herbs have waxy plant substrates that can be incorporated in candlecraft. One of the best known is the bayberry, a small berry that is rich in wax. Bayberry wax is extracted through a multistage simmering process and results in a rather brittle substrate that is often mixed and softened with beeswax. Bayberry candles tend to be a light sage-green color and have a distinctive pleasant smell.

The “desert candle” plant (Euphorbia antisyphilitica), common rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and a number of other Myrica trees and shrubs can also be used for wax and resin extraction, although none of these plants come close to the abundant waxiness of the bayberry. Mullein stalks can also be used as wicks or burned as simple torches.

Coniferous trees are resinous, and when the bark is damaged or broken, the trees tend to weep pitch. The chunks of hardened pitch can be broken off, simmered in water to melt and release dirt and bits of bark, skimmed, and then rehardened around wicks. For a more primitive candle, put a chunk of pitch on a stone and light it—no wick needed!

Oils can be extracted from a number of plants, as in the wide range of cooking, carrying, and essential oils that we know well. Carrier oils—for example, sunflower, apricot, olive, and others—can be mixed with solid waxes to form a pleasant candle substrate. Some oils, like coconut, are softly solid at room temperature and can be packed into wicked jars to make a quick-burning candle. Partially hydrogenated oils—solid vegetable shortenings—are oils that have been artificially modified and stiffened in the laboratory. Although very toxic in our diet, they can be used in candlecraft.

The Wicks

The wick is the part of the candle that gathers the melted wax or hot oil and pulls it upward, where it can become hot and catch fire, giving both heat and light. The only trick is that the wick has to heat up and burn first, so the wick material must be substantial enough to be able to burn and remain intact while the candle substrate melts and begins to soak the wick. Technically, any substance that can do this can be a wick. Cotton is traditional, but any natural string or fabric can work, as can sturdy plant stems and even very dry pieces of wood. I saw a really wonderful candle once that used a piece of pumice in a saucer of oil. The pumice was soaked in oil in advance. Placed atop the oil, the uppermost part of the pumice was lit and began drawing oil up through the stone, providing something between a candle and a lamp. It was fascinating, and it just goes to show that all ideas are worth a try!

Candle wicks are typically made of cotton and are braided.The braiding was traditionally “roundish,” and in times past these wicks—whether used for candles or oil lanterns—had to be trimmed frequently to remove the burned portion. Modern braided wicks use a flat braid; the shape causes the wick to curl over as the melted wax burns, and the wick actually catches on fire and shortens itself.

Some wicks are attached to a piece of metal, as in votive candles. This helps hold a wick in place inside a mold, with a few drops of melted wax affixing the metal piece to the mold’s bottom. When you make your own candles, this wick anchor could also be made of a small stone or crystal, a shell, or anything that accomplishes the purpose.

Purchased wicks may be stiffened with wire or stiff paper, allowing them to stand up straight while wax is poured into a mold around them. This is handy, but beware: depending on the wire material, toxic gases and particulates may be related into the air around the candle. Stiffeners used to be made of lead, but legislation from 2003 now prevents lead wicking from being made in the United States or imported.

Wicks purchased in a store have been treated with a mordant—a substance that helps prevent the wick from igniting too rapidly and burning up before it begins capturing melted wax. If making your own wicks at home, a mixture of borax and table salt dissolved in water makes a good mordant: allow the wicks to soak in the mordant for a couple of hours, then remove and dry completely before using. I’ve had success with a mordant of one tablespoon of salt, two tablespoons of borax, and one-half cup of water. Purchase borax in the laundry section of your supermarket or in your favorite hardware store.

Note that there’s a bit of technique needed when working with wicks. A soft wax that burns quickly (e.g., a rolled beeswax candle) will need a short, thinner wick, while a candle of hard wax will need a longer, thicker one. Mastering these proportions may take some trial and error, but experimentation is always fun, right?

The Additives

Candles can be colored with commercial candle dyes or by adding bits of colored wax to the molten substrate. Broken crayons are excellent for this. Your favorite essential oils may be used to scent candles, and alcohol-based extracts—such as vanilla and others used for cooking—also work for scenting.

Candles can be textured in many ways, including by adding “roughage” (crystals, sand, dried herbs, etc.) to the molten wax, by carving the finished candle, or through various candle-crafting techniques. And there are a number of ways to directly incorporate herbs in your candle making: the herbaceous plants themselves may furnish wax or oil; plant-based carrier oils may be mixed with waxes to form a substrate; essential herbal oils may be added to provide scent or healing qualities; and dried aerial parts may be used decoratively within the candles.

The Methods

All candle substrates (especially paraffin) are extremely flammable: always use a double boiler to melt waxes, melt them slowly over low heat, watch them constantly, and never leave melting wax unattended. Some sources suggest melting wax in a microwave; I do not agree with this, for it’s very difficult to assess whether or not microwaved wax might be overheating, and it can easily ignite. If your wax should ignite, cover it with a lid. If a small amount of hot wax splatters on your skin, put the affected area under cold running water immediately, and gently peel off the wax as soon as it solidifies. If a large area of skin is covered with wax, put it under cold water, apply a clean rag or gauze bandage wrung out in cold water, and get yourself to urgent care immediately.

Once you’re finished with your melted wax, take it off the heat and place it in a location where no one else might accidentally tip it over. It will solidify quickly.

A wide range of candle-making techniques are available to you, and deciding which one to use is half the fun. If using molds, oil them lightly, and remember to place your wicks before you start. Plan on letting your candles cool overnight before disturbing them, and if removing them from molds, wipe the candles clean of oily film and trim the wick.

Molded Candles

Choose a mold, install a wick, and pour in your melted wax. Use commercial molds or try a clean, empty can or waxed carton. Molded candles can be any shape, from short and squat to slender tapers. Small paper cups can be used to make votive candles. Pouring different colored waxes one at a time and cooling in between creates a layered candle.

Dipped Tapers

Cut a length of wicking the length you want your candle to be plus about four inches. Tie a loop in one end. Holding the loop, dip the wicking into the hot wax and lift it out. Allow it to cool and solidify briefly. Then repeat. Repeat as many times as needed until the taper is as thick as you want. Thread a chopstick or dowel through the loop and suspend the chopstick between two tall objects, allowing the new candle to hang freely and cool. Use the same process to make your own tiny pillar candles for birthday or special occasion cakes.

Rolled Tapers

Roll a sheet of beeswax or soft wax around a full-length wick, with one to two inches of wick protruding from one end.

Sand Candles

Dig a hole in dry sand, install a wick, and pour in your melted wax. Alternatively, prepare a mold as for a molded candle, and before adding the wax, toss dry sand into the mold, allowing sand to stick to the oiled surfaces.

Ice Candles

Place a wick in an oiled mold and fill with large ice cubes or chunks. Pour in hot wax. Once this cools, the candle will be filled with irregular holes from the melted ice—a very pretty effect.

Jarred Candles

Weight one end of a wick so it will stay put in the bottom of a clear glass jar. Pour in wax, insuring that the unweighted end of the wick stays above the candle’s surface. Another method is to install a wick in the jar and then pour in commercial granular candle wax. The granules—which are often colored and scented—will gradually melt when the candle is lit. Give it your own spin by stirring a few drops of essential oil into the granules before pouring them into the mold.

Crayon-Based Candles

Fill an oiled mold with staggered pieces of broken crayons. Fill the mold with colorless wax. This makes a brilliant, color-varied candle. For another version, fill the mold alternately with crayon bits and ice cubes, then add hot wax. Did you know that crayons themselves will burn like candles, even without a wick? Bundle several together around a wick for a fun effect.

Wine Bottle Drip Candles

You’ll need a wine (or other narrow-necked) bottle and a large taper candle that drips wax. Install the candle in the bottle neck, light it, and allow wax to drip down the sides of the bottle. For a better effect, change the candle or color periodically. Don’t leave this (or any) candle unattended while burning!

Floating Candles

Make small molded candles that are rather wide on top, shallow in depth, and much smaller on bottom. When cool, their shape allows them to float on water, making for a lovely special effect.

Carved Candles

Use a sharp stick, large safety pin, scissor or knife tip, or other sharp object to carve designs into a finished candle. You can then use fine-tipped permanent markers to fill in the carved areas if desired, providing a nice contrast with the candle surface.

Store your candles in a cool, dark place. Candles may become tacky over time, and keeping them in an airtight box or zipped plastic bag will keep them dry, dust-free, and ready to use.

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