Product Tutorials

How to Wick a Jar With a Straw

Sticking a wick to the bottom of a jar takes a wick sticker, a straw, and a wick bar. Here is the full method: adhere the tab to a sticker, thread it onto a straw, press it centered to the glass, and hold the top with a bar.

Hands centering a wick with a straw in an empty glass jar beside spools of wick

Written & tested by

Lone Star Candle Supply

Last edited

Read time

5 min read

Wicking a jar comes down to two anchor points: the wick tab secured to the center of the bottom of the jar, and the top of the wick held upright while the wax sets. A straw makes the bottom anchor easy, since it reaches into a deep or narrow jar and holds the wick upright while you press the tab down. This manual method works with any container, including wide or oddly shaped jars that a wick-centering tool cannot easily reach.

This tutorial covers the full motion: sticking the tab to a wick sticker, threading it onto a straw, pressing it centered to the glass, and securing it with a wick bar. You can pick up the supplies on their own and drop this step into the How to Make Container Candles process, right before you pour.

Watch the full motion: sticking the tab to a wick sticker, threading it onto a straw, pressing it centered to the glass, and securing the top with a wick bar.

What You'll Need

What You'll Need

Check items off as you gather them

Supplies

  • Pre-Tabbed Wicks a wick crimped to a metal tab, sized to the jar diameter; see candle wicks
  • Wick Stickers a Wick Sticker is a double-sided pad that holds the tab to the glass; a glue dot also works

Tools & Equipment

  • A Straw a plastic drinking straw threads over the wick to reach the bottom of the jar
  • Wick Bar a Wick Bar holds the wick centered at the top while the wax sets
  • Candle Jar the vessel you are wicking; see candle jars

Skip ahead to the step-by-step guide

How to Stick a Wick to the Bottom of a Jar With a Straw

Work on a level surface with the jar, a tabbed wick, a sticker, and the straw within reach. The whole sequence takes under a minute once you have done it once.

Wick a Jar in Five Steps

  1. 1

    Stick the tab to a wick sticker

    Peel one side of the backing off a wick sticker and press the metal wick tab onto it until it adheres. Leave the other side of the sticker covered for now; that exposed adhesive is what will grip the bottom of the jar.

  2. 2

    Thread the wick onto the straw

    Slide the wick down into the straw until the wick tab sits flat against the end of the straw. The straw now holds the wick straight and gives you a handle that reaches the bottom of the jar.

  3. 3

    Lower it into the jar

    Peel the remaining backing off the sticker, then turn the jar so you can see the bottom, or hold it upright and reach in with the straw. Bring the tab down to the center of the bottom of the jar.

  4. 4

    Press to center and adhere

    Center the wick, then press the tab down firmly so the wick sticker bonds to the glass. Hold for a couple of seconds so the adhesive grips. Slide the straw back off the wick, leaving it standing centered.

  5. 5

    Bar the top

    Thread the wick up through the center hole of a wick bar and slide it into the notch so the bar rests across the mouth of the jar. The wick is now anchored at the bottom and held centered at the top, ready to pour.

How to Use Wick Stickers

A wick sticker is a small double-sided adhesive pad, cut to the size of a wick tab and rated for the heat a candle reaches. It is the cleanest way to hold a tab to the glass because it bonds instantly. Press the tab onto one side, peel the backing off the other, and press it to the bottom of the jar.

If you are out of stickers, a glue dot holds the tab just as well; the goal is only to keep the tab from drifting while the wax sets. Hot glue is generally not recommended, since most hot glue is not made for melted-wax heat and can release as the candle warms. You can pick up a roll of Wick Stickers on their own, and find tabbed wicks and loose wick tabs in our candle wicks selection.

How to Make and Use a Wick Bar

A wick bar holds the top of the wick centered and taut while the candle cools, which keeps the wick from leaning as the wax sets. A manufactured Wick Bar has a center hole and a notch: thread the wick up through the hole, pull it snug, and slide it into the notch so the bar sits across the mouth of the jar.

You can improvise one if you need to. A pencil, a chopstick (or two) laid across the rim with the wick pinched between them does the same job: hold the wick straight and centered until the wax is firm. The metal wick bar is faster across a batch because it seats and releases in one motion.

When to Use the E-Z Wick Setter Instead

The straw method works on any jar, which is its advantage. For a run of standard jars, though, the How to Use the E-Z Wick Setter Tool centers the wick against the jar walls and presses the tab in one motion, so you are not eyeballing the center on each one. Reach for the straw on wide bowls, tall narrow vessels, and anything outside a centering tool's range; reach for the setter when you are wicking a batch of jars the same size.

Once the wick is set top and bottom, the rest of the pour follows the standard How to Make Container Candles process. Size the wick to the jar first so the centered wick also burns a full melt pool; our guide to wicking maps wick series to jar diameters.

Sources

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you stick a candle wick to the bottom of a jar?

Press the metal wick tab onto a wick sticker until it adheres, peel off the backing, then press the sticker firmly against the center of the bottom of the jar. The sticker is a double-sided adhesive pad made for the heat a candle reaches. A straw makes it easier to press the tab down: thread the wick through the straw so the tab sits at the end, then use the straw to reach into the jar and push the wick straight down onto the glass.

Why use a straw to wick a jar?

A straw threads over the wick and lets you reach to the bottom of a deep or narrow jar without bending the wick or smudging the sticker with your fingers. It holds the wick upright while you press the tab down, so the wick lands centered and straight. Once the sticker grips the glass, you slide the straw back off the wick.

Do I need wick stickers, or can I use glue?

A wick sticker is the cleanest option because it is sized to the tab and rated for candle heat. A glue dot can also hold the tab to the glass if you are out of wick stickers. Hot glue is generally not recommended, as it is not designed for candle making and may soften when exposed to heat. Whatever you use, the goal is the same: the tab stays put on the bottom so the wick does not drift while you pour and the wax sets.

What is a wick bar and how do I use it?

A wick bar is a small bar that rests across the mouth of the jar with a hole or notch in the middle to hold the wick centered at the top while the candle cools. Thread the wick up through the center hole and slide it into the notch so it sits taut. With the tab set at the bottom and the bar holding the top, the wick stays straight through the pour and the set.

How do I keep the wick centered while I pour?

Set the bottom and the top before any wax goes in. The wick sticker anchors the tab to the center of the bottom of the jar, and a wick bar across the top holds the wick taut and centered while the wax sets. A centered wick burns an even melt pool, so the candle burns down flat instead of tunneling to one side.

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