My "Moths to a Flame" series of candle holders is my favorite line to make. I love the translucency of moths' wings and the range of colors and regions they represent. Unfortunately, it's been brought to my attention that the wooden wicks I used in a recent batch of candle holders have been tricky to keep lit. I wanted to pass along some advice on burning the soy candles you might have purchased from me recently. I will be switching back to cotton wicks for future candle holder batches and conducting more rigorous wick testing.
Lighting wooden wicks
- Trim the wood wick so only 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch protrudes above the wax line. (Wire cutters or sharp scissors will work well.)
- Try to light the wick evenly across the entire width.
- You may need to keep relighting the wick until the flame is drawing the wax upwards through the wick. (This can take several tries.)
- Flame height may vary as your candle burns.
- Remove the burnt wood before each use for an optimal burn.
Burning soy candles
- Set aside 2 - 3+ hours for monitoring your candles' first burn. You want to give your candle enough time to develop a wax pool that goes all the way to the edge of the container.
- If your wick starts drowning in wax, extinguish the wick and wait a minute for the wax to solidify. Either carve around the wick or use a paper towel to remove some of the wax pool.
- Once you're done enjoying the candle aspect of my art and want to remove the wax from your cup, I recommend putting the container in the freezer. Yes, the freezer! Leave it in there overnight and the wax should shrink a tiny bit away from the wall of the container. This will make removal of excess wax and wick much easier. (Do NOT put candle holder in the microwave! The wood wick has a metal stand holding it upright.)
For even more information about burning wooden wicks and soy candles, read this more in-depth article by Natura Soy.
I'd hate for an accessory to interfere with your appreciation of my art. If you're still unsatisfied with your candle holder purchase, please contact me at sales@youngbloodwares.com for my refund policy.