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Candle questions
Soy, the wick, the oil, the jar. 41 answers we actually give — at the table and in the inbox.
Candle care
The first burn, the wick, the quiet out. How a soy candle wants to live in a room.
How do I stop a soy candle from tunneling?
Give the first burn two to three hours, until the melt reaches the edges. Soy will keep following a short first pool if you let it set that way. More
How often should I trim the wick?
Before each lighting, once the wax is cold. A quarter inch is enough. A long wick smokes and can walk. More
Can I reuse a Hartisans vessel?
Yes. That is the point. Warm the last wax, wipe it out, and plant, or keep the jar on the shelf. More
How long should the first burn last?
Until the melt pool reaches the edges of the vessel. In most Hartisans jars that is two to three hours. More
What if I already tunneled the candle?
One longer supervised burn can sometimes even the pool. If the wick is drowning, write us — we would rather hear it than have you force it. More
How short should a candle wick be?
About a quarter inch. Shorter can drown. Longer smokes and mushrooms. More
Why is my candle smoking?
Usually a long wick, a draft, or debris in the wax. Trim cold, move the jar off the breeze, and light it again. More
How long can I burn a candle in one sitting?
Three to four hours is plenty. Then let the wax set. A candle is not meant to burn from dinner through dawn. More
When should I stop burning a jar?
When about a half inch of wax remains. Do not cook the last film off the ceramic. More
Is it bad to blow out a candle?
A sharp blow smokes and can splash wax. A soft side breath is fine. A snuffer or a wick dip is cleaner. More
Is frosting a defect?
No. It is a natural look of soy wax. The scent and the burn are the same. More
Do soy candles expire?
They fade, they do not spoil like food. Heat and sun hurry that. A cool cupboard keeps them useful far longer than a window ledge. More
How many hours is an 8.5 oz soy candle?
Enough for many evenings if you burn it in two-to-three-hour sits. We do not stamp a fake hour count on the jar. More
The craft
Soy, cotton, a kitchen in Durango. What we pour, and what we leave off the jar.
Are Hartisans candles handmade?
Yes. Two people, one kitchen in Durango. Melt, pour, test, pack. More
What wax do you use?
100% soy. No paraffin blend. More
Are soy candles better than paraffin?
They are a different wax. We pour soy because it is a plant wax we can heat once and tell the truth about. We do not sell paraffin. More
Is your soy blended?
No. One hundred percent soy. More
Do Hartisans candles have lead in the wick?
No. Lead-free cotton. More
How do I know which scent I bought?
It is written on the bottom of the vessel, and on the page you ordered from. More
How do you get soy wax out of a candle jar?
Warm it gently, wipe it out, wash with soap. No freezer required — soy lets go. More
Can I put plants in a Hartisans vessel?
Yes. That is what “planter after” on the product page means. Give it drainage if the pot has no hole. More
How long does a poured-to-order candle take?
A few days in the kitchen for a ready oil and vessel, then shipping. If something is still traveling to us, the product page will tell you. More
Are Hartisans candles non-toxic?
We pour soy, cotton, and phthalate-free CandleScience oils without dye or paraffin. We do not use that as a medical claim. A candle is still an open flame and a scent. More
Scent & vessel
CandleScience oils, throw, and the jar that holds the light.
Do you make your own fragrance?
No. We pour CandleScience fragrance oils. The craft is the soy, the wick, the vessel, and the kitchen. More
Can I buy the oil from you?
No. We sell the candle. Buy the bottle from CandleScience if you want to pour at home. More
What is cold throw?
The scent of the unlit candle. Useful in a shop. Not the whole story. More
What is hot throw?
The scent while the candle is burning and the melt pool is open. That is the room. More
Can I pick any CandleScience oil?
You can shop the oils we stock. If you want one we have not brought in yet, write us. The line grows with what we actually buy. More
Do different vessels change the scent?
The oil is the same. Width and wick change how it throws and how long it lasts. The fragrance name does not change. More
The studio
Durango, gifts, small rooms. Where the work comes from.
Where are Hartisans candles made?
In Sarah and Joey’s kitchen studio in Durango, Colorado. Not overseas. Not a co-packer. More
Do you have a shopfront?
The shop is online. In town we do markets. Write us if you want the next table. More
Can you ship a Hartisans candle as a gift?
Yes, anywhere we already ship in the US. Give us a few days for the pour, then transit. More
Are soy candles okay in an apartment?
Yes, with the same rules as a house: one flame, a stable surface, a trimmed wick, and you in the room. More
Are Hartisans candles soy?
Yes. 100% soy wax. No paraffin. More
Whose fragrance oil do you use?
CandleScience. We name the oil on every product page. More
Why is there no label on the jar?
The scent is on the bottom. The room gets the glow. The vessel is meant to be kept. More
Do you pour to order?
Yes. You pick the oil and the vessel. We pour it in Durango. More
Where are you?
A kitchen studio in Durango, Colorado. Sarah and Joey. More
How do I keep a soy candle from tunneling?
First burn until the melt reaches the edges — usually two to three hours. More
Can I reuse the vessel?
Yes. Warm out the last wax and plant something, or keep the jar. More
Do you wholesale?
We read every request. Start on the wholesale page. More