A clean burn starts long before you light it.

The temperature card

The book's reference numbers for coconut wax. Use a thermometer, not your eye.

1. 70 °CWax fully melted in a double boiler on low heat
2. 70–80 °CAdd solid dyes
3. 55–60 °CAdd fragrance (or 73–85 °C if your supplier says so) and liquid dyes
4. 55–60 °CPour into a glass warmed to about 40 °C
5. 85 °CThe maximum. Never let wax boil.

Container wax vs mold wax

Container wax melts at about 43–47 °C and clings to glass. Mold (pillar) wax melts at about 57–63 °C, releases cleanly and holds its shape as it burns. Swap them and you get wet spots in the jar, or a pillar that collapses into “a pool of oil on your table”.

Wick sizing, from the projects

Then test it: after a 7-day cure, the melt pool should reach the edges in 1.5–2 hours at about 1 cm deep. With dried flowers, use braided cotton only.

A sample from the book: Decorative Container Candle

The book's first project: a single 250 ml glass of coconut wax, decorated with stones or dried flowers.

1. Melt the wax in a double boiler on low heat; it melts completely at 70 °C.
2. Warm the glass to about 40 °C and fix the wick with the sticker.
3. As the wax cools to 55–60 °C and just starts to cloud, add the fragrance. Stir slowly for 2–3 minutes without whipping in air.
4. Pour at 55–60 °C. Add stones or flowers while the top is half-set.
5. Rest 24 hours on a rack or wood, 10 cm apart, then trim the wick to 0.5 cm.
6. Cure 7–10 days before the first burn.