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Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!! Elastic thread...5mm...tie a knot...got it!!

My DD would like to make bracelets with her friends at her birthday party. She is turning 8. I am the least crafty person I know. I walk into Michael's and I break out in hives I would really like this to be simple and successful but don't know where to begin. I am confused as to which kind of threading to use for this project. There were only a bazillion choices. Also, I wanted to use alphabet beads so the girls could spell their names. How do I make sure that the thread is the right width for the bead hole. (Earlier I had bought materials and the bead wouldn't fit onto the thread). Lastly, how do I get the clasp on. This is where I have real difficulty. I tied the bracelet closed on my demo, but it kept opening. Beads were flying...you get the idea. HELP!

It just goes to show you that some of these folks are true artisans. As the saying goes...try, try again.

Professional look!

I put mine in a pot of simmering water till the wax gets mushy, then dump into my pour pot, fish out the wick, then melt down fully.

Love the rustic...

...and renaming suggestions, but I can't find it. :embarasse Is it here? I don't want to ask the same question....tia.

When I am reusing jars for testing, I take out all the wax, then heat in oven upside down, then wipe thoroughly with paper towel, then wash thoroughly in hot soapy water with scrubby sponge, then run it in the dishwasher and they come out sparkling clean. I would try that, then try storing some baking soda in the jar first to see what scent it may absorb. The vinegar is a good idea too. HTH... ETA: I would run it through the dishwasher multiple times just to be on the safe side.

Wow, that is pretty! How do you make the cover?

I knew there had to be an easier way, lol. Thank you....

Sorry to keep coming back to this. I'm testing 4 oz tins right now. They are 2 1/2 inches across. I test them for two and a half hours at a time and weigh them after each burn. The issue is that the candles burn faster with each test and so the burn rate decreases. The first burn had them at 25-26 hours. The second, 22-24 hours, the third, 14-21 hours, the fourth, 12-17 hours, and so on. I'm guessing they burn faster b/c the exposed tin helps them melt faster. So, how do I determine total burn time? Do I just manually add up the hours burned and use that? Do I average the burn times? I know I'm probably making this harder than it is, but I'm stumped. I didn't see this topic using the search feature, and I'm feeling like the resident problem child on burn rates! :embarasse If anyone can offer an answer, I'd really, really, appreciate it.

Ah yes, I have heard that supplies are difficult to come by locally in Europe. Good luck to you.

straight paraffin with soy added? Have you tried pre-blended container waxes? That's what I use. I guess that is a bit off topic, I'm sorry, I'm not sure which wick would work best with your blend. How 'bout starting with a zinc 51 and see where it gets you. You may need to go up or down a size. You could also try double wicking, with two smaller sized zinc wicks. Also, when I am in a bind I have had good luck contacting my wax suppliers. They are always very responsive when I have a question. HTH!

what kind of wax are you using?

Those are really pretty!

Just to get an idea of the dimensions, how much wax will it hold and what is the diff in diameter between the widest part of the jar and the narrowest. Those are cool jars but I bet they would be difficult to wick. For me anyway, I'm still trying to get my own candles wicked correctly!

Ditto. I had to take several weeks off from candlemaking for this reason.

I haven't read all the posts here so forgive me if I'm repeating someone. I also had trouble with LX's smoking, also with shooting flames at times. After my jar candle burned for a while, the smoking stopped and it burned well. But I ditched the LX's for that reason. Too unpredictable.

the blue one.

There is something on the market called Mederma which reduces scarring. It is over the counter. ALso, your local pharmacist may be able to make a suggestion.

Thanks, lcm...I am actualy melting down my tins right now to retest, I'll have to see if I have any cd's around here to try as well. Thanks for your response.

I'm using J223 and the wick that I like best so far is HTP 52 but I want to retest along with the HTP 41. They both did well and I want to do a second round to double check. My record-keeping skills leave something to be desired and I want to go a second round for peace of mind. The zincs were fine but mushroomed like crazy and they are not self trimming. The HTP's did really well for me. So that's where I'm at!

Thank you! So far my test candle frontrunner is giving me a total burn rate of 24 hours (for now anyway) so I think I'm in good shape!

Okay thanks. I appreciate the reply, Jill..... Just to clarify, when I am testing (I am in the midst of testing) is shooting for 21-27 hours is on target for this size tin or is this off base? Or do I have to come to my own conclusions after the testing is done? I just feel like I am trying to watch for and control as many different parameters as possible while testing........and want to rule in/rule out some of these test candles. Thanks, again.

Can anyone give me a hand on the what the burn rate generally is for 4 oz tins. Does 21-27 hours total burn time sound about right for these tins? The tins contain about 3 oz of wax, so I came up with 21 to 27 hours total burn time for them based on 7-9 hours per ounce of wax. I got this info from the burn rate calc page. Thanks in advance............!