Expert: Neecie - 1/4/2012

Question
I'm hoping to make my very first candle. The only ingredients I have so far are food dye to dye the candle the color I want it, paraffin to make the candle itself and shoelaces or thread. Although I really don't have extra shoelaces and would prefer not to use ones from an old pair of tennis shoes. Can you use thread for a wick? How would you go about making a thread wick?

Answer
Hello,

Oh, you've really brought up some good memories for me.  I remember making my first candles out of some old wax and having a shoelace for a wick. Wow, have I learned a lot since the early 70's!  Candle making is so much more than just adding a shoelace to wax in order to call in a candle.  Any piece of thread or shoelace just wont burn right.  I have to advise you to be safe in making candles and the candle you make must be safe to burn. Making candles is a scientific process in which everything must work together to burn properly and safely, and to smell nice.  You must have the proper ratios of wax, fragrance and dye to make everything work.  I can tell you for a fact that food dye will not work with your wax.  Food dye is water based and paraffin is oil based.  Oil and water just don't mix.  I do have a "recipe" on how to make wicks. However it might be far easier to purchase wicks from a Michaels or a JoAnnes. If you want to learn how to make candles, there are some starter kits and vast amounts of information out there on the internet how to make them.  Check out Peak Candle Supply, GenWax, Candlewic to name a few.  Anyway, here is a recipe on how to make wicks.  

Dissolve 2 tablespoons of table salt and 4 tablespoons of borax in 1 1/2 cups of warm water.
Soak a 1-foot length of regular cotton kite string or twine in the solution for 15 minutes.
Hang each string with a clothespin for 5 days to be sure it is completely dry.
Use a paperclip to dip each string completely in melted wax 3 to 4 times, coating it completely.
Hang it up to dry as before...
Store wicks rolled up in a newspaper.

I found this recipe on http://www.survivalistboards.com