Product Tutorials

How to Use the E-Z Wick Setter Tool

The E-Z Wick Setter centers a wick in a jar and presses the tab to the bottom in one motion, so the wick sits perfectly centered before you pour. Here is how to use it, from sticking the tab to securing the top of the wick.

White wick-setter tool clamped over a clear glass jar centering a wick, beside a ceramic bowl, thermometer, wick spool, and blue, gold, and green candles

Written & tested by

Lone Star Candle Supply

Last edited

Read time

4 min read

The E-Z Wick Setter does one job well: it drops a wick into a jar already centered and presses the tab to the bottom, so the wick is set before any wax goes in. That saves the fiddly part of container candle making, where a wick drifts off center while you are trying to hold it and pour at the same time. A centered wick is what produces an even melt pool, so the candle burns down flat instead of tunneling to one side[1].

This tutorial covers the full motion, from sticking the tab to securing the top of the wick. You can pick up the E-Z Wick Setter on its own; it slots into the How to Make Container Candles process at the wick-setting step.

Watch the full motion: sticking the tab, dropping the wick in centered, and pressing it to the bottom of the jar before any wax goes in.

What You'll Need

What You'll Need

Check items off as you gather them

Supplies

Tools & Equipment

  • E-Z Wick Setter the centering tool itself
  • Wick Bar a Wick Bar holds the wick centered at the top while the wax sets
  • Candle Jars the vessel you are wicking; the tool fits most candle jars under about 3 inches across at the neck

Skip ahead to the step-by-step guide

How the E-Z Wick Setter Works

The tool is a metal tube on a handle with a plunger and a magnet at the tip. Knowing what each part does makes the steps below read as one smooth motion.

The Parts of the Tool

Magnetic Tube

A magnet at the end of the metal tube grabs the metal wick tab and holds the wick straight while you position it.

Adjustable Diameters

Six settings between about 2 and 3 inches let the tool seat against the jar walls, which is what centers the wick. It adjusts from one container size to the next in seconds.

Plunger

Pressing the plunger pushes the wick tab down to the bottom of the jar and releases it from the magnet, leaving the wick standing centered.

How to Center a Wick with the E-Z Wick Setter

Work on a covered, level surface. Have your jars, tabbed wicks, and wick stickers within reach before you start, since the motion goes quickly once the wax is ready.

Setting a Wick in Five Steps

  1. 1

    Set the tool to your jar diameter

    Adjust the tool to the diameter setting that matches your jar, choosing the setting that lets the tool seat against the jar walls. This is what centers the wick, so size it to the container before you load a wick.

  2. 2

    Adhere the tab to the wick sticker

    Peel back one side of a wick sticker and press the wick tab onto it until it adheres. The exposed side of the sticker is what will grip the bottom of the jar.

  3. 3

    Load the wick onto the tool

    Slide the wick down into the metal tube until the magnet at the end grabs the tab. The wick now hangs straight from the tip of the tool.

  4. 4

    Set the wick in the jar

    Lower the tool into the jar so it seats against the walls, then press the plunger down. The tool centers the wick and presses the sticker to the bottom of the jar, then releases the tab as you lift it away.

  5. 5

    Secure the top of the wick

    Thread the wick through the center hole of a wick bar and slide it into the notch so the wick stays centered at the top while the candle sets. The wick is now set top and bottom, ready to pour.

When to Reach for a Straw Instead

The E-Z Wick Setter fits most jars under about 3 inches across at the neck. For a very wide bowl or an unusually shaped vessel that sits outside the tool's range, you can center the wick by hand with a straw or pen shaft. Our How to Wick a Jar With a Straw guide walks through that method, which threads the wick and holds it upright while you press the tab down.

Once the wick is set, the rest of the pour follows the standard How to Make Container Candles process. Trim the wick to a quarter inch before the first burn so the flame stays controlled and the candle burns cleanly[1].

Sources

  1. Safety with candles National Fire Protection Association, 2024 ↩

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the E-Z Wick Setter do?

It centers a candle wick in a jar and presses the wick tab to the bottom of the jar in one motion. A magnet inside the metal tube holds the wick while you lower the tool, so the wick lands perfectly centered every time. A centered wick is what gives you an even melt pool and a clean burn.

Do I still need wick stickers with the E-Z Wick Setter?

Yes. The tool positions and presses the wick, but a wick sticker or glue dot is what holds the tab to the glass once you lift the tool away. Adhere the tab to the wick sticker first, then load it into the tool.

Will the E-Z Wick Setter fit my jar?

It is built with six diameters between about 2 and 3 inches and adjusts in seconds, so it fits most containers under roughly 3 inches across at the neck. Very wide or unusually shaped vessels may sit outside that range; for those, a straw or pen shaft works as a manual alternative.

Can I center more than one wick at a time?

The standard E-Z Wick Setter sets one wick at a time. For multi-wick candles, set each wick in turn, spacing them evenly so each one drives its own section of the melt pool.

How is this different from centering a wick with a straw?

A straw threads the wick and holds it upright while you press the tab down, but you eyeball the center yourself. The E-Z Wick Setter centers the wick for you against the jar walls, which makes it faster and more consistent across a batch.

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