Some time ago, I started looking for a way to keep candles from being blown out by the wind. Here is the great solution I came up with; yes, I said great! A solution that costs just a few pennies. I originally used this for outdoor wedding ceremonies but it works fabulously for outdoor parties or just romantic evenings on the patio.
You’ll need the following:
Pillar candle
Box of trick birthday candles (the kind you can’t blow out)
Drill
Small drill bit
Estimated time to complete project: 5 minutes
Cut the wick in your pillar candle down as far as you can. If you’re using a votive candle, just pull the votive wick out and skip the drilling step. Drill a hole about 2 inches deep next to the existing wick. The average trick birthday candle is 2½ inches long. Insert the trick candle; there is no need to remove the wax from around the trick wick. If you find the trick candle is slightly larger than the hole you drilled, dip it in warm water and gently roll it between you fingers, the warm water will soften the wax. You want the trick candle to go down about 2 inches, leaving about a half an inch at the top to light. Now remove the wax from the tip of the trick candle that is sticking out, leaving just the wick showing. This works very well in pillar size candles, however, it is a very good idea if you’ve never used a drill before to practice on an old candle first.
If the hole you’ve drilled is too large for the trick candle, dip it in melted wax that has cooled enough to coat the candle but not hot enough to melt the existing wax. It’s not the wax that keeps the flame from going out on a trick candle. It is magnesium in the wick which has a very low flashpoint (the temperature where it will ignite) that allows the flame to ignite after just a second when it’s blown out. Here’s the thing about drilling a hole in wax, if you screw up, all you have to do is melt a little wax fill the hole, let it set, and start over. It is possible to do this with tapers but the small diameter of the candle makes it a little tricky. If you’re not right in the center, you can shatter the side of the taper. My suggestion is to pass on skinny candles.
A box of trick candles can be purchased for around a dollar in most stores. Changing out wicks can be done several months ahead of time, and requires no practice. So, start now and you’ll have outdoor candles ready for your next evening BBQ or patio party.
Just remember, to extinguish the flame you’ll need to dip the candle in water. Safety first!
Mamma
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