Make your own hemp wicks for candles: it’s easier than you think
Many people (myself included) have found that there is a lot of hemp left in their home. So what can you do with all that? One of the best, easiest, and simplest things you can do is make your own hemp candle wicks. How do you do it?
First, a quick explanation of how you make a wick a wick (as opposed to a rope or anything else). It is simply a thread of something flammable that is coated with something else that is flammable. Although this sounds strange, it actually makes it burn slower. However, there are a few things you need to do to properly transform your hemp into a wick. Normally, with cotton, you need to soak it with water, salt, and acid. Since hemp is already much drier than cotton, you can do this step or skip it, it’s up to you.
If you decide to soak the hemp in this solution, be sure to let it dry completely before the next step. Once completely dry, melt some wax in a bain-marie to submerge it. You can use paraffin wax, soy wax, beeswax, or just use an old candle that has burned out (a great way to save money and the rest of the candle!). The ideal is to heat the wax between 160 and 170 degrees. (Fahrenheit) before starting to wet the wick.
If possible, you want to dip the wick while keeping it perfectly straight. The easiest way to do this is to tie a weight to the bottom of the string (anything will work, like a quarter) and then hang it from something while it dries so it stands up straight. If you want to do more than one at a time, you can buy specially made shelves (a little pricey for my taste), or you can glue clips (the thick ones) to a dowel rod as a much cheaper alternative.
After dipping it into the melted wax, hang it up straight and let it dry and cool completely. If you really want to make your own hemp candle wicks burn evenly, you can dip them a second time and let them dry completely. This will give them a thick, even coat that will burn slowly and consistently, and won’t need to be trimmed very often. Once you’ve covered and dried it, you’re ready to turn your wick into a candle. What is the easiest and cheapest way to do it without buying supplies?
Use something around your house as a template, but we’ll talk about that in a minute. First, we need to get or make a wick tab. A wick tab is just a small piece of metal on the bottom of the candle that prevents the wick from burning out completely, which would overheat the bottom of the container if it’s a container candle or burn whatever it is. the candle is seated. Now, truth be told, wick tabs are so incredibly inexpensive (about 10 cents each) that if you think you’re going to be making more than 3 candles, just buy a pack. However, if you’re hot-headed like me and can’t wait to get one, you can make one out of a thumbtack. How?
Simply insert the tack through the wick and drop it into the bottom of your mold, that’s it. So now that we have a wick ready to go, and it’s on a wick tab for safety purposes, we’re ready to find a mold to make our candle. Almost anything will work, you can use a soup can, a coffee can, or even a soda can. Personally, I like the soda can because I can unmold the candle (soup cans have ribs, so the candle stays in the can). Simply cut off the top of the soda can very carefully, being careful of any sharp edges, and place the ‘wick tab’ in the bottom center of the mould. To keep the wick centered and straight, hang it from something until the candle has cooled.
Once you’re all set, simply pour the 170 degree wax into the mold and let cool for several hours. It will sink a bit in the middle, you can leave it like that or cover it with some slightly hotter wax (about 175 degrees). Once completely cooled, cut the wick to a quarter inch, unmold the candle, and you’re ready to go! Now that you know how to make your own hemp candle wicks, you can make as many candles as you like!
