How to Wick a Candle Mold

1. Uncoil a strand of wicking and, using the mold as a guide, measure a section that is about 6 inches longer than the height of the container.
2. Snip this section of wick with a knife or scissors.
3. Take one end of the wick and make a two-inch loop.
4. Place a small stick perpendicular to the wick one inch from the top of the loop.
5. Fold the loop in half around the stick.
6. Take the long end of the wick and the short end of the wick and pull them through the loop.
7. Pull tight. (You have just made a tight slipknot around the small stick.)
8. Thread the end of the wick that is farthest from the small stick through the small hole in the bottom of the mold.
9. Feed the wick into the mold until the end of the wick reaches the large opening. Grasp this section and gently pull the wick until there is no more than 1 inch of wick between the bottom of the mold and the small stick.
   Remember: This “bottom” part of the mold will contain the top of the finished candle, and the wick will need to be trimmed further before the candle can be burned.
10. Take a clump of mold sealer and tear off a wad about the size of a piece of chewed bubble gum.
11. Press until the piece of mold sealer is flat and smooth and is about 1/4 inch thick. Make sure the piece is firm, with no air pockets or thin spots that might allow hot wax to seep through it.
12. At the bottom of the mold, place the piece of mold sealer on the wick and mold it all the way around the wick and over the hole. Press down firmly against the mold to seal tightly. Make sure that the mold sealer covers the hole/wick uniformly.
13. Pull on the end of the wick that is at the large opening of the mold so that the small stick with the knot gets firmly pulled into the mold sealer.
14. Press down tightly on the small stick and mold sealer to ensure an even tighter seal.
15. Turn the mold over so that the large opening is at the top, and set it on a level countertop.
16. Pull the wick up so that it becomes taut.
17. Take a wick rod and lay it across the large opening of the mold.
18. Wrap the wick around the wick rod, always keeping the wick taut.
19. Secure the wick to the wick rod with a binder clip. Keep the wick taut—no bends—and centered in the mold.

Congratulations! You have just wicked your mold, and you are now ready to begin pouring your candle!