OMG-Those are wonderful! We brought my parents to live with us and in order to make room for everybody's everything, I got rid of a lot of my stash. Also, a lot of stuff is packed up in a storage shed. Looking at these pics of yours, I've got to get out to those boxes and see what I have left as I'm sure I kept a couple of my old candle holders. I went looking last week at a couple of Salvation Armys specifically for crackled glass globes. Everyone must have the same idea because there wasn't a single one to be found. I have two 8" crackle globes (was hoping for a third to make a totem candle holder) I was saving for whatever came to mind and now that I see your pic, I know what I want to do with them--Thank you!

"Candling" does NOT do anything for wax build-up, and you run the risk of having a drop of hot wax land on your ear drum or inner ear. The proponents of it claim it draws impurities out ... however, you get the same gunk in the hollow candle whether you burn it stuck in an ear or not. Here is a link that might be useful: Ear Candling: bad results

You get what you pay for as far as candles are concerned. The quality of wax, jar, and wick varies. Longevity of use is related to quality (price) and proper usage. Very inexpensive candles are scented by putting a perfume on top after the candle is made. High quality candles are scented throughout the wax with wicks that are tested to be the proper size for the container. They are not made in China. The amount of scent a candle can produce is a product of the surface area of the melted wax, and the amount of scent within the wax. In regard to keeping old wax, I say absolutely! In addition to using it to make your own candles, sachets, and melts, you can add small chunks to other candles. I prefer to do this after it starts to cool off and shrink. Just push new chunks of wax in the soft candle to offset the shrinkage and it will all melt together next time you light it.

I have been making and selling candles for ten years now. When I started, I was using parafin but within a year I switched to soy. That was about the time they had introduced soy. I use a crock pot. My husband drilled a hole near the bottom, on the side, and put a spicot on it. I melt the wax in the crock pot. I have it set on the dial where it wil heat the wax to 150 degrees. I then pour the amount of melted wax that I want (let's say 14oz) into a glass measuring cup. I then add the scent. Usually about 1oz. It also depends on how strong the scent is, so take a wiff while your stirring. That will be about how strong it will be when the candle is burning. Then I add the coloring. I've tried different ways to color and I liked the liquid color the best but now I don't use any coloring. My label for my jars are the color the candle would be. As soon as I have added the sent and color, I pour it right into the jars.(I use 8oz mason jars) I don't heat my jars first but I do have my wicks already 'glued' into the jars before I pour in the wax. I put a dab of hot glue on the wick tab and attach it to the bottom of the jar. That way it stays centered and in place while the wax is cooling. The 14oz that I mentioned above plus the scent will fill two 8oz jars just right. Once the wax cools, I cut off the wick and put on the lid. I have not had any problems with the scent of my candles. I have repeat buyers. My question to you is what kind of wick do you use. I use a hemp core wick that is already tabbed and dipped in wax to stiffen it. It sounds as if you might be using a zinc core wick. The zinc core wicks will cause alot of the same problems you're having. I tried to use up the zinc core wicks that I had left over from when I made parafin candles and they do not work in soy wax. I was trying to save myself some money but that didn't work. I buy my supplies from Bitter Creek Candle Supply. A link to their site below. I would recommend them to anyone. They have alot of helpful ideas and they do have live help on their site. I don't know what time of day but they usually have someone on there everyday. You can also call them on the phone and there is always someone available. They love talking about candles. I hope this has helped you. Keep trying, you'll get the hang of it. Cindy Here is a link that might be useful: Bitter Creek Candle Supply