Candles in Your Own
Containers
Q. How do I know
how much it will cost to fill my container?
A.
We'll measure your container before filling it but you can
get a pretty good idea of cost by filling your container
with tap water, then measuring the water with a standard household measuring cup (most have the
ounces marked on them). Multiply the number of ounces by
50¢, then add 50¢ for
the wicking fee. Easy!
Q. My container
is large and will require multiple
wicks. Do you charge a wicking fee for each wick?
A.
No. The 50¢ wicking fee is a flat fee per container
regardless of how many wicks are used.
Q. What kinds of
containers can be filled with candles?
A. Just about any waterproof, heatproof container will
work. The best containers are made of glass or ceramic, and
are wide enough to give the flame sufficient air to burn
properly.
Lots of our customers stick to refilling empty candle jars
but most get really creative with
bowls, mugs, teacups, ice buckets, goblets, and just about
anything else you can imagine. We enjoy seeing the ideas our customers
come up with --one of our favorites is a gorgeous
crystal ice bucket one customer had owned for years but
had never used until he decided to use it as a candle in his
dining room. It looks stunning when we fill it and he
tells us it gets compliments from everyone who sees it
burning in his home.
Q. What
kinds of containers shouldn't be used?
Candles need air to burn so we
recommend that you avoid containers that are deep
and narrow (such as vases intended for flowers, etc), and
containers that are too shallow to provide adequate burn
time. Porous materials like wood and terra cotta are not
good choices as they might absorb wax and present a
potential safety hazard. We are
unable to fill
containers made of resins or plastics because of their
sensitivity to heat.
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Burning
Our Votive Candles:
Our
votives completely liquefy as they burn so you must always
use a snug fitting votive holder. After your votive has burned for a couple of
hours extinguish the flame and trim the wick to 1/4th inch before
relighting.
Never let a votive (or any
container candle) burn closer than 1/2 inch from the bottom
because the heat build-up can crack your container.
An easy way to remove
the remains of a votive is to put the container in the
freezer for a few minutes. The wax will shrink slightly and pop out easily. (If you
can't bear to throw away the left over wax, use it in your Tart Warmer
or Simmering Pot).
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Basic
Candle Safety
We
want you to enjoy our candles as they are meant to be used so allow us
to remind you about basic candle safety:
Choose a level surface away
from flammable items and always use a heatproof dish to protect the
surface from heat damage.
Never burn a candle in a container that is
cracked.
Never let any container candle burn closer than 1/2 inch from the bottom.
The heat build-up can crack your container.
Drafts are the natural enemy of candles
-- even the best quality dripless tapers will smoke and
drip when exposed to drafts! Keep candles away from
ceiling fans and open windows; use bobeches on tapers
to avoid accidental drips from spoiling fine wood
finishes
Never leave a burning candle unattended or within the
reach of children or pets.
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Why
is it so important to keep the wicks trimmed?
Simply stated, a wick that is too long
does not
allow for proper combustion of the fuel contained in the wax. Your
candle will burn away much faster than it should and produce smoke and
soot. Not good!
Keeping your wicks trimmed to 1/4th inch eliminates
these
problems. Most candles can burn for hours without needing a trim, but if you notice your candle smoking or the
flame is too
high, simply extinguish the
flame, trim the wick, and relight.
It
doesn't take a fancy gadget to do the
job -- nail clippers make terrific wick
trimmers! Be careful not to drop
any of the wick trimmings into the wax as they might catch on fire.
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Candle Troubleshooting
What
is that black lump on the end of the wick?
It's
a clump of carbon called a "mushroom" which forms when the wick
hasn't been properly trimmed. Simply stated, your candle is burning
too fast to completely combust the fuel (wax) being fed thru the wick.
Keep your wick trimmed to
1/4th inch and you'll prevent mushrooms.
How do I
burn a Pillar candle to avoid a crater forming in the center?
Pillars
have a memory! The first time you burn your pillar, set its
memory by leaving it burning one hour for every
inch of diameter. Failure to properly set your pillar's memory will cause it to form a tunnel that
burns all the way to the bottom.
Generally your pillar should not be
burned for more than six hours at a time to avoid over-warming the sides
and causing them to cave in. Always burn pillars and columns in a heat
resistant dish that provides at least 1 inch of clearance on all sides
to catch any drips.
TIP: Before a
party light your candles and then extinguish them; they will light more
easily later.
How
can I make my taper candles fit into the candle holder?:
If your
taper doesn't fit snugly into the holder, use one of our Candle
Snuggers ($1.95 pack). Or try placing the bottom of the
taper in hot tap water for a few seconds to soften the wax before gently
pushing it into the holder.
How do I remove spilled wax?
Here are are favorite
tips for removing wax from various types of surfaces. Remember to ALWAYS test
in an inconspicuous spot before proceeding, and carefully follow the
instructions on any commercial products you use. (We carry a selection
of good wax removal products; pick one up the next time you visit so
you'll have it on hand when needed!)
Nonporous surfaces
(glass, plastic, glazed tile):
Use a plastic knife or old credit card to gently scrape off as
much wax as you can, then scrape up remaining wax with a razor blade.
Finish by cleaning the area with hot soapy water or a commercial
wax remover.
Carpet:
Let the spilled wax completely harden and use a plastic knife to chip
off large bits of wax. Put a plastic bag filled with ice over the
spill to harden the remaining wax and again chip off any large
chunks. After you have chipped off as much as you can, lay a thick
layer of paper towels over the remaining wax; wrap the bottom of
your iron in aluminum foil or a cotton towel and turn it to a low
setting. Press down on the paper towels to "wick up" the
wax into the paper towels, checking often to see how much wax has
wicked up and replacing them with fresh ones as needed. If a stain
remains, use a commercial carpet stain remover (following the product's
instructions carefully) or call a professional carpet
cleaner.
Porous Surfaces (wood, concrete,
stone, porous tiles):
Unfortunately spills on porous materials are sometimes impossible to
completely remove since the liquefied wax permeates deep into the porous
surface. Use a plastic picnic knife or old credit card to scrape
up large pieces of wax, then follow with a commercial wax remover (be
sure you follow the product's instructions exactly).
One of our customers spilled
a large bucket candle on a flagstone patio and successfully used the
iron and paper towel technique described above to remove most of it.
Whatever method you try, exercise great care and always test an
inconspicuous spot first.
Clothing:
Allow the wax to completely harden and use a plastic knife or old credit
card to scrape off as much wax as you can, then pour boiling water
through the stain. Finish by washing the garment separately in hot water
(unless the garment's instruction label directs otherwise).
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