Making candles is a fun and cost-effective way to supply your home with illumination. They’re also great for making a little extra money on the side or giving as gifts to friends and family. But that pesky wick tends to move from its central place once you start pouring wax into a tin or other kind of jar.
There are many tools out there to help candle making go a little smoother. Glue dots are one such tool. They are often best as a means for keeping your wick centered while the hot wax fills up the container. But there are a host of other possibilities too.
If you’re new to the art and hobby of making candles, then you should be in possession of all the facts and tools that you can use to make the job go smoother. It’s simply not practical to hold the wick in place while you wait for the wax to setup.
Can You Use Glue Dots for Candles?
Yes, you can use glue dots for candles. As a matter of fact, candle glue dots are specifically for making them. They help to keep your wick in place inside a jar, tin or other container before pouring hot melted wax inside.
This is the idea in any case. There are many different kinds available and not all of them work as well as advertised. So, pay attention to the type of adhesive the manufacturer uses along with some customer reviews.
To check the current price and availability of glue dots, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesion
One thing that all of them offer is pressure-sensitive adhesion so that candle wicks don’t move while pouring in melted wax. They stick onto almost any surface immediately and there’s no need to wait for the glue to dry. It’s an instant process.
How Do You Use a Candle Wick Glue Dot?
Most glue dots available are specifically for the wick. They’re often double sided and keep the wick in place. It maintains centering so that when you pour the wax in, the wick doesn’t move. There are a couple of ways you can achieve this.
For the Bottom of Containers
First, you can remove one side of the covering on the glue dot and then stick it to the underside of the wick’s metal fastener. Next, remove the other cover of the glue dot. Finally, affix the dot-attached fastener to the bottom of the container, ensuring you place it in the center. Pour in the wax.
But, some people find this to not be very good, especially if it’s unclear whether the dots are heat-resistant or not.
Attach It to the Lid
So, the other method you can try is putting the glue dot on the lid. Remove the cover of one side of the glue dot and put it on the center of the lid and then remove the other cover. Bend a small portion of the wick and then stick to the top of the lid.
Pour in the wax, allow it to cool slightly and then put the lid on. The metal fastener should still be attached at the bottom that touches the container.
The only problem with this method is that you will have to be specific and premeasure the wick so you get the correct distance to the bottom of the tin while also keeping enough wick length for lighting.
Can Glue Dots Withstand Heat?
Some glue dots can withstand heat and other brands are poor quality for heat resistance. If you’re hunting around for such a feature, make sure the product packaging advertises it. Plus, it should explain how it withstands heat or mention the components that comprise the glue so you can determine if that’s what you want.
How Do You Use Glue Dots?
As mentioned above, you use glue dots for holding the wick in place so it doesn’t float around once you put the hot, melted wax into a container. However, glue dots can come in handy for several other steps in the candle making process as well. The pressure-sensitive aspect of the glue dots opens up many creative possibilities.
Use for Embellishments ; Decorations
For instance, if you wish to sell your candles or give them away as gifts, you may want to use the glue dots for the embellishments. You can use it for fastening Christmas bows, silk ribbons, fuzzy pompoms, little false flowers or attach a small card. You could even bedazzle the tin using only glue dots with lightweight gemstones.
Use for Label Adhesion
They also come in handy when your labels don’t want to stick well onto your tin or container. Just uncover one side of the dot, stick on the back of the label, remove the other cover and press the label onto the surface.
Materials Most Effective With Glue Dots
Glue dots can go on more than just glass or aluminum tins, they also work on things like plastic, foil, wood, paper or even Styrofoam. So, really, the sky’s the limit when deciding on what and where to stick glue dots.
Final Thoughts
Using glue dots isn’t a difficult thing. It’s actually quite easy and can be useful for a host of other applications, not just keeping a wick in place. The double-sided adhesive action makes it quick to remove a cover, stick it to the wick’s metal fastener and attach it to the bottom of the tin.
And, remember, you don’t just have to use glue dots for the wicks. They are very ideal for embellishing the outer aspects of the container as well. The dots are a lifesaver when your package labels don’t want to stick.
However, this is how it works in theory. Unfortunately, this isn’t always going to be the case. Some manufacturers make a quality glue dot you can trust in any situation and then there are others that will require some finesse. This is why it’s important to do your research to see which one will be best for your purposes.