candle care guide
the first burn
wax has memory. the first pool it makes becomes the shape of every burn after it.
give the first burn two to three hours, until the melted wax reaches the concrete edge. stop short and every burn after will follow that smaller circle.
every burn after
trim the wick to under a quarter inch before every burn. a trimmed wick makes a low, steady flame and a clean melt pool. a long one smokes and soots.
place it where the air is calm, and limit each burn to 3 hours. stop for good when about half an inch of wax remains. the candle ends there. the vessel does not.
if it tunnels: the foil fix
tunneling is a hole down the center with the edges left intact. it is the most common candle problem, and it can be fixed.
wrap a collar of aluminum foil around the top of the vessel, leaving a small opening about the size of a coin over the flame. burn for one to two hours.
the foil reflects heat back across the surface and melts the high edges. remove the foil, let it cool, trim the wick, and burn normally from then on.
the second life
the vessel is hand-cast concrete, and it was designed to outlive the candle. when the wax is done, place the vessel in the freezer for two to three hours. the wax contracts and releases. wipe the inside clean with warm, soapy water.
what is left is a planter, an organizer, a quiet piece of architecture on your shelf.
questions
how long should the first burn be?
two to three hours, until the melted wax reaches the edge of the vessel. wax has memory. if the first burn stops short of the edge, every burn after it will follow that smaller circle and the candle will tunnel. give the first burn the full pool and the candle burns evenly for its whole life.
my candle is tunneling. how do i fix it?
wrap a collar of aluminum foil around the top of the vessel with a small opening about the size of a coin over the flame, and let the candle burn for one to two hours. the foil reflects heat back across the surface and melts the high edges. remove the foil, let the candle cool, and burn normally from then on.
how short should the wick be?
less than a quarter inch, trimmed before every burn. a long wick makes a tall, smoky flame and black soot. a trimmed wick makes a low, steady flame and a clean melt pool.
how long can i burn it at a time?
limit each burn to 3 hours. longer sessions overheat the melt pool, burn through the fragrance faster, and shorten the roughly 40 hours the candle holds.
when should i stop burning the candle?
when about half an inch of wax remains. burning past that point overheats the base of the vessel. what is left is not waste. it is the beginning of the vessel’s second life.
what do i do with the concrete vessel when the candle is finished?
keep it. place the vessel in the freezer for two to three hours. the remaining wax contracts and releases, then wipe the inside clean with warm, soapy water. the hand-cast concrete vessel was designed to outlive the candle: a planter, an organizer, a quiet piece of architecture on your shelf.