Candle Tips

One of the things that really ruins a display of tapers is when the candles are not standing straight in the holders.  In addition to looking bad, a leaning taper candle could eventually start to drip, even if it is the dripless kind.

There are 3 main reasons that taper candles lean.

• the taper candle holder is not straight
• the taper candle is crooked
• the base of the candle doesn't fit tightly into the holder

Crooked Taper Candle Holder

We will start with how to deal with the the crooked candle holder first because there are not that many options, however, there are a few things you can try.  If the holder is a metal one, like in the image above, you might be able to bend the arms to make them straight.  For holders that are sturdier or 1 solid piece, you could try placing a folded piece of paper under the base of it to straighten it out.

I got a call the other day from a customer who had purchased a 4 inch candle ring to use with her pillar holders.  The problem was that the candle rings were just a bit too big to sit on the lip of the holder and would slide down to the bottom.  She wanted to return the rings since they wouldn’t work with the holders and I told her that would be fine.  I decided I should come up with a quick, easy, DIY solution using stuff nearly everyone already has in their homes… so here we go.

The Problem

The candle ring is too big to sit on the candle holder you want to use. For this DIY trick, I used a 4 inch candle ring with a 3 inch candle holder. You can see in this picture how much bigger the ring is than the holder, the red circle show where the inside diameter of the ring is.

Candle Safety

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to candles is safety. Wherever there is an open flame there is the possibility of fire so here are some tips and ideas that will help reduce that risk.  Follow these tips and suggestions to use good candle safety.

NEVER ever leave a candle burning unsupervised.

It only takes a few seconds for a candle flame to ignite another object that has come in contact or close proximity to it.  This brings us to the next very important tip to help you enjoy your candles safely.

Do NOT burn a candle in a drafty area.

Not only is a candle in a drafty area unsafe, but it also makes the candle not burn properly and also causes it to create a lot of soot (which I will address later).  A perfect example is placing a candle on a windowsill. If the window is opened, a breeze from outside could push drapes or curtains into the candle causing them to catch on fire.  There are circumstances

Since working in the candle industry beginning in 1997, I have been asked countless times by customers if we make dripless candles or more specifically, dripless taper candles.  The short answer, based on the industry definition, is “yes”.  So what is the industry standard for a dripless candle?  Basically it means a candle that when burned under proper conditions will not drip.  “Proper conditions” is the key phrase here.  We have all seen movies set in past centuries where candles are burning and wax is dripping down the sides and all over the holder, those were NOT dripless candles.

How Are Dripless Candles Different?

So how exactly does a dripless candle differ from one that drips and what does it mean to burn a candle under proper conditions?  Dripless taper candles are made by adding an extra step to the manufacturing process.  The candle is dipped one

One of the most common complaints about candles of all kinds is that sometimes they soot.  There are a number of ways to greatly reduce the amount of soot coming from your candles which will also help them to burn better.  Today I will share some tips on burning candles to help you have a better experience with your candles and save money. First let's take a look at what causes soot from a candle flame.

Why Do Candles Soot?
Soot from a candle is caused when there is incomplete combustion of the fuel.  Incomplete combustion can be caused by a number of different factors.  Two of these factors are the balance between the wax and wick in the candle and disturbing the candle flame.  The fuel to the candle flame is the liquid wax which is being drawn up through the wick.  Once the flame of the candle has started drawing the liquid candle wax up the wick, it does so at a steady rate.  When the flame of the candle is disturbed the