If you've ever dreamed of making your own candle, maybe from some leftover melted wax you want to reuse from other candles, it might seem simple enough except for the wicks. You just melt the wax and shape it to make homemade candles, right? But how do you make a new wick and use it in candle making?
How to Make a Candle Wick
It's actually much easier to throw together a DIY wick if you're just looking to add cotton wicks to your new candles than you may think. Things might get a bit more complicated if you're looking to make a wooden wick or want to use another material, but we'll just stick to cotton twine or cotton string to keep things simple in this case. We'll go through it step by step.
First of all, you need scissors, wax such as candle wax or a wax melt, some sort of pliers, and cotton string. Some tutorials also call for vegetable oil or salt to soak the small candle wicks in so the candle burns with a stronger, more upright wick. Other guides suggest adding essential oils to add your chosen fragrance, but that really just depends on what type of candle you're looking to make. In the end, you really only need the first four household items.
The next step is to cut the string to size. If you want to soak the string in salt and water or oil to stiffen them up, leave them there overnight. Otherwise, move on to the next step.
Next, melt the wax. You'll soak the string in it for a bit, then remove it with those pliers you should have on hand. Let your wick or wicks dry for a little while. Once it has cooled off, you can stick it into any of the homemade candles you'd like — soy wax candles, tea lights or votives, beeswax candles, and more.
And there you have it! You made your own candle wicks, just like professional candle makers. OK...maybe not exactly the way a professional would, but you still got a homemade candle with a nice little wick out of it, and that's a victory.
