Make a 3-wick, marbled, rectangular candle    

Make a 3-Wick, Rectangular,
Marbled Candle


Basic wax mixtures and procedures used

Create a rectangular candle with "strawberries-and-cream" marbling, using whipped waxes. The wicks are inserted afterwards.

You can view the completed centerpiece on the fruit centerpieces page.

3-wick, rectangular, marbled candle in strawberries-and-cream colours


You'll need:
  • A 7.5 x 24cm, (3x9.6") square mould
  • Stearin
  • Paraffin wax
  • Red and yellow candle dyes
  • Three 12cm (4.8") lengths of 6cm (2.4") wick
  • A wicking needle
  • 3 metal pouring jugs
  • A container for blending the whipped waxes in. We used an old 2 litre, (3.2 pint), plastic, ice-cream container
  • A piece of paper
  • A pen or pencil
  • A ruler

Instructions:

1. Using the basic stearin/paraffin wax mixture, melt three 400g batches of wax, dyeing them creamy-white, ice-cream pink, and strawberry-red respectively, in three separate metal pouring jugs. Prime the three wicks in any one of the melting waxes.

2. Remove the melted waxes from the heat source. Leave to cool until a skin forms.

Whipped wax in metal pouring jug 3. Whip each wax with a separate fork, until frothy, and holding its shape.

4. Pack the red wax into the large container, followed by the other two colours. Stick the spoon into the bottom of the container, and fold the waxes over until streaks of the red wax appears on top.

marbled wax in square mold 5. Place spoonfuls of the blended wax into the mould, pressing the wax down, and into the corners as you go. Fill the mould this way. Allow to set.

6. You have no wick to tug on to help you remove the candle, so do the following: place the set candle in the fridge for 20 minutes. Give the mould a sharp tap. Rolling the mould, and pulling on the edges gently, might also help.

template for positioning the wick holes 7. Neaten the untidy side of the candle in an old saucepan, or with a hot iron.

8. Draw a template for wick placement, as follows: on an ordinary piece of paper, draw a rectangle the same width and length as one side of your candle. Divide the length into thirds. Draw crisscrossing lines, from corner to corner, in every third.

marking the wick position on the candle using a wicking needle 9. Prick through the center where the lines intersect, using the wicking needle, marking the wax underneath. Repeat in the other candle thirds.

making a wick hole in the candle with a hot wicking needle 10. Warm a wicking needle up on a hot stove plate. Press the hot needle gently into the candle, where you made the marks previously, keeping it as vertically straight as possible. Keep on warming up the needle, and pressing into the candle, until you've pierced through to the bottom.

11. Insert the primed wicks, and trim them.
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