Pillar Candles: Everything you should know!
Pillar candles are the most common type of candles you can find on the market. They are stand alone candles made from rigid wax, usually paraffin wax.
What is a pillar candle?
A pillar candle is a candle made from rigid wax (usually paraffin wax) so that it can stand alone without a container.
Pillar candles can be made in very different sizes, shapes and heights, but you will mainly find them in a cylinder-like shape with one wick.
Which wax is best for pillar candles?
Because pillar candles stand alone, they have to be made from a rigid wax. The most commonly used and best wax for pillar candles is paraffin wax, but other waxes that can be used.
Here are the three types of wax that can be used for pillar candles:
How to make pillar candles?
- Choose your wax: paraffin wax, beeswax or palm wax.
- Select fragrances (consider a 5% fragrance level: one ounce of fragrance for every pound of wax) and colouring.
- Choose a wick.
- Select a mould and warm it up.
- Melt the wax until it is completely liquified.
- Add the colouring and fragrance to the wax, then blend.
- Let the wax cool down to pouring temperature.
- Pour the wax into the mould.
- Place the wick in the middle.
- Let the wax cool down and harden.
- Remove the pillar candle from the mould and enjoy!
Do pillar candles drip?
No, if the pillar candle is made properly it should not drip as it burns down into the center.
Keep in mind that when lighting your pillar candle for the first time, it is important to let the pool of melted wax reach within ¼ inch (0.5 cm) of the outside edge and then extinguish it. This will enable the pillar candle to build up it’s rigid wax surroundings into a memory ring.
Tip: Always place your pillar candles on a heat-resistant surface like a bowl, a candle holder or a plate.
How long do pillar candles last?
A pillar candle will burn a specific amount of time depending on its shape, the type of wax used and the amount of wax.
For a typical pillar candle, the burn time is around 50 to 60 hours.
How tall should pillar candles be?
Pillar candles are very versatile and can be made in various shapes and sizes due to the rigidity of the wax used.
For a classic pillar candle, keep a diameter between 2 and 4 inch (5 to 10 cm), and a height between 3 and 9 inch (7.5 to 23 cm).