Building Blocks of a Container Fill Candle – #2

The second building block of a container candle is the wick. Wick choice for your candle is another very important consideration. The size of the wick is not determined by the height of your candle, but by the width of the container. The rule of thumb is the wider the container, the thicker the wick.

Thin wicks absorb less liquid wax, therefore produce less vapor fuel and a smaller flame. A thicker wick absorbs more wax and produces a larger flame. This becomes important when your container is wide. A larger flame produces a more even burn circle out towards the edge of the wide container.

When you purchase your wicks, they should be marked with the recommended container size. If they are not, compare the options that you can find. Containers in excess of 3.5 inches should have the thickest wicks. Containers between 2.5 inches and 3.5 inches should have a medium sized wick. And, jars less than 2″ need only the thinner wicks. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have thicker wicks in smaller jars, but they will burn off the wax more quickly.

No matter what container or wick size you choose, it is also very important to center the wick as perfectly as possible. CandleWealth provides a measured “target”. I place the candle (this works best with glass jars) on the target so that the perimeter of the candle matches one of the rings. The center dot in the target then matches the exact center of the jar. This is more accurate that eyeballing it. Then, use a popcicle stick with a small hole in the center to hold the wick while you pour and while the wax cures.

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