I always thought wooden wick candles were an expensive luxury that certainly couldn’t be as great as they were advertised. It sounds like a fire burning? Yeah, right.
Then, I wanted to make a candle with all the leftover wax I collect from candles I burn in my house, but I didn’t have any wick. But, I had Popsicle sticks. Wooden wick candles, it is. My first attempt worked fine until the Popsicle stick fell over inside the candle because the wax re-liquified and there was nothing to keep it upright.
This time I devised this clever little stand out of two paperclips clipped perpendicular to one another. One lies flat on the table and is clipped through the other. The second is on its side and is holding the Popsicle stick.
I melt my wax chips in a tin can so that I don’t have to worry about getting it off my pans afterward (although baking powder works pretty well). Do yourself a favor and pinch a little pour spout in the rim of the can before you heat it up. Rather than put the can directly on the stove, I put it in a pot of water. Let the wax melt completely.
Dip the portion of the Popsicle stick that will become a wick in wax, that helps the wood burn more slowly and not go out as easily. I made my candle in an old yeast jar, but I’ve also made them in baby food jars. The clothespin is helping me keep the Popsicle stick in the middle and upright while I pour the wax and let it cool. It would be kind of disappointing if it fell over while it was cooling.
I left my Popsicle stick long so that I could use the clothespin, but you could cut it to size before you put it in the jar. I just burned the rest until there was about a 1/4 inch of wick and removed the ashes.
My little candle is sitting next to me burning away right now. It really does sound like a tiny fireplace, and it smells great too.
