Candle Burning Instructions
The following are recommended burning and safety instructions for our candles and luminaries. It is important to follow these instructions for your safety and enjoyment of our products. Many of our larger diameter embedded candles (4" and above) have been designed to create a “well” down the center so that a votive or tea light may be used inside after the candle has burned down. Some instructions are specific to luminaries as noted. Extend the life of your candle or luminary by following these instructions.
ALWAYS remove decorative wrappings, trimming and labels from any candle or luminary before burning. Never burn any candle through to the bottom! Extinguish and stop burning candles approximately 1/2 inch from the bottom.
CANDLES AND LUMINARIES should be burned on a non-flammable level surface and kept away from drafts and flammable materials. Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep away from children and pets.
OUR CANDLES are created with our custom blend to provide a clean burn. We use only 100% pure cotton (lead-free) wicking and cosmetic quality ingredients. Maintenance of the wick is very important. Trim the wick 1/4" in length before initial lighting of candle. Flame should be no larger than ½” in height. If the wick is too long the candle will smoke and soot. DO NOT leave debris, such as old wick or matches, inside of candle. Never allow flame or wick to touch outer shell of candle or luminary. If necessary, straighten wick after extinguishing flame using a spoon or one of our wick dippers.
INITIAL BURNING of candle should be approximately 1 hour per inch of candle diameter. For example a 3" diameter candle should be burned for approximately 3 hours. Candles have a memory and a shorter burn time will create a narrow wax pool decreasing the overall life of your candle. Each burn thereafter should not exceed approximately 3 hours at one time. A longer burn time changes the structure of the wax and may cause candle to sag, sweat, or burn unevenly. Letting the candle cool allows the wax structure to reform and ensure and even burn. Shorter burn times will not only create a narrow wax pool but wasted wax. Multi wick candles should be burned approximately 4-6 hours, depending upon the candle diameter, or until the individual wax pools have merge together in the center of the candle.
HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR CANDLE TODAY*? After you have extinguished the candle, while the wax is still warm “hug” it gently by cupping the warm top in your hands and hugging it inward as evenly as possible. Use a “turn and hug”, “turn and hug” method. This helps the candle burn more efficiently by bringing the outer shell closed to the wick which will melt into the wax pool during the next burn. More wax melts at each burn thus providing a longer burn time. Melted wax is what fuels the wick, therefore, the more wax that melts the longer the burn time for the candle. Men will love this analogy... Think of the wick as the carburetor and the melted wax as the fuel. Wick maintenance is essential to a clean, safe burn.
DO NOT HUG LUMINARIES or EMBEDDED CANDLES such as coffee bean, chili pepper or cinnamon stick. Any 4" diameter or larger candles that you wish to reuse by inserting a votive or tea light should NOT be hugged! Read on for more information on LUMINARIES.
DRAFTS WILL CAUSE DRIPPING, uneven burning and will damage the outer shell of a candle or luminary! Drafts will cause dripping on tapers. Dripping will occur because the oxygen and heat is greater on one side than the other. AVOID DRAFTS! The candle’s flame should be approximately 1/2" in height and burn steadily.
WICK TOO SHORT? If this happens, while the wax pool is solid and cool, carve away some wax around the wick to expose more of it. Light the candle and burn as you would initially for 1 hour per inch in diameter. This should re-establish the wick and the wax pool. It should never be necessary to pour wax out of a candle if it is well made and maintained properly.
IF THE WICK SMOKES or the flame flutters or seems too large simply extinguish the candle. Be careful of the hot wax while you trim the wick back to approximately 1/4" in length and re-light it for the remainder of the burn time.
THE EFFECTS OF SUN and heat can be damaging to a candle by softening it or fading the color. Leaving a candle in the direct sunlight is sure to make it droop, sweat and discolor. If candles are to be left in an un-cooled home for the summer it is best to store them in a cooler dark place. DO NOT put candles in the freezer, they may fracture internally!
EMBEDDED CANDLES - when about 1/2 inch thickness is remaining on the bottom of our embedded candles (4" and above in diameter) a shell should remain which is suitable for burning a votive or tea light candle inside. Place a piece of cork in the base of the candle for added protection from the heat of the tea light or votive. Be sure that the votive holder is suitable in size for the candle shell (approximately 1 ½" in diameter at most). Allow candle to cool entirely and insert a cork base then add the tea light or votive holder inside the candle shell. You can continue to enjoy the candle you have just transformed into a luminary! You may also try our unscented liquid paraffin cartridges in lieu of votives and tea lights.
VOTIVE/CONTAINER CANDLES should always be placed in an appropriate votive container that suits the size of the votive. Unlike pillar candles, a votive or container candle is meant to liquefy as they burn. Votive candles will give you many more hours of enjoyment when placed in an appropriate “snugly fit” glass/metal holder. Container/votive candles should be burned until the whole top of the candle is liquid. This will eliminate tunneling and prevent wax from sticking to the container sides which shortens the life of the candle, “wasting” the wax.
LUMINARY candles are a way of proving ambiance and fragrance changes with beautiful illumination of our wax art. A luminary will last many years if cared for properly. LUMINARY USE AND CARE is relatively easy. There is no wick to trim and it provides a wonderful glow from the start! ALWAYS use the glass votive holder or liquid paraffin cartridge provided with each luminary. This protects the shell base and sides. Place luminary on a level surface away from flammable materials and drafts. Extinguish votive when 1/4" of wax remains in votive holder. Votive holder is hot! DO NOT touch until votive has been extinguished and wax is cooled. Luminaries can be cleaned by rinsing in tepid water.
Note: When burning any candle with the intention of turning it into a luminary it is very important to follow our instructions regarding wick trimming, burning time, wick straightening, and avoiding drafts. *DO NOT HUG A CANDLE YOU WISH TO TRANSFORM INTO A LUMINARY!
TAPER CANDLES, whether paraffin or beeswax, are dipped one layer at a time forming their natural tapered form. Either type will burn slowly and evenly without dripping, if cared for properly. Before initial burn, trim with to 1/2 to 1/4 inch. If the taper is too small for your holder use the beeswax we provide wrapping it around the base of the taper. Place it gently but firmly into the holder. If the taper is too large, warm the candle using a blow dryer or very warn water to soften the wax and trim the base with a knife while the wax is still warm. Gently place into the holder. If there is still a problem fitting the candle into the holder we can help. Just bring your holders into the store and we can custom fit your tapers for you. Do not trim burned wick or break the wick when extinguishing the candle. As with all colored candles they can cause surface damage on furniture. Burning tapers in drafts will cause the flame to smoke and may cause tapers to drip.
DECORATING WITH CANDLES can set the mood and add so much to your decor and ambiance. When creating with candles and holders, be sure to allow adequate spacing between each candle. Our rule is approximately 3" apart depending upon candle size. Candles can produce excess heat build up and cause damage to other candles in your display. Generally odd numbers with varying heights and diameters produce the most pleasing effect. When setting a table for dining keep in mind that candles of different heights provide lighting at dinnerware level, face level, and above. Combining pillar, taper and votive candles can create a very dramatic effect anywhere.
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