This Simple $7 Amazon Find Makes My Candles Last Hours Longer
As you probably know, we are obsessed with candles. We’ve written about everything from which candles to buy for your personal design aesthetic to what scents work best for your zodiac sign, and even DIY hacks to recreate the hottest trends. And while we always make sure to let you know about cool new releases and brands, sometimes the biggest game-changers are more functional than flashy. Case in point: Fox Run Stick-Um Candle Adhesive.
I stumbled upon this simple-yet-effective product by chance. I have a serious scented candle habit, but rather than buy them in jars, I get more bang for my buck with votive refills (which also create less waste — a major plus). When I want to add some visual and olfactory ambiance to my decor scheme, I put the lit candles in Mason jars and scatter them around the apartment or on the patio, giving my space instant boho-chic vibes. But once the wick is done burning, I’m always frustrated with how much unmelted wax (which I paid for but didn’t get to enjoy!) is left over. In researching ways to do something with the wasted wax, I discovered Fox Run Stick-Um Candle Adhesive, a putty-like problem-solver that seemed a million times easier than turning my apartment into a mini candle-making studio — and at just $7 for a half-ounce container, way cheaper.
I never stopped to think about why my candles didn’t burn evenly in Mason jars. In reading about Stick-Um, I realized that the curved jar bottoms have been forcing my candles to lean to the side rather than stand straight up. This angled orientation makes the wax burn unevenly, leaving much of it unmelted. However, when a candle stands vertically, it stays lit longer and actually uses more of the candle.
To put the adhesive to the test, I rubbed the bottom of a candle onto the super-sticky surface, set it in my jar, and applied a little pressure to secure it in place. When I took my hand away, my candle stayed completely vertical! Then I placed an identical candle (sans adhesive) into an identical jar, lit them both, and excitedly waited to see what would happen. As I’d hoped, the former lasted hours (!!) longer than the latter. And the stark difference between the amount of leftover wax was an in-your-face indicator of the efficiency of the product, both in burn time and budget.
So far I’ve only used Stick-Um for votive-style candles, but Amazon customers can’t stop raving about how well it works for candlesticks and candelabras, too. As one happy reviewer reports, “I buy this to keep candles steady in their sticks. Some candles are thinner than others, and wobble about in their holders. Stick’Um sorts that for good. The product is a clear, tacky kind of gunk that sticks to the bottom of the holder and the base of the candle until you pull it all apart.” In fact, the product has a solid 4.6-star rating, making it a virtually risk-free purchase for anyone with a candle habit — especially because one container lasts a really, really long time. Says one reviewer, “I have been using my 1 oz tin for over 20 years. Love it.”
But my favorite thing about this adhesive isn’t that it delivers exactly what I bought it for (although it absolutely does); it’s the unexpected sense of security that I get knowing that my lit candles won’t topple over. As another user reports, “I bought Fox Run 3100 Stick-Um Candle Adhesive for the first time to help hold my Chanukah candles. It seems that the ‘cups’ are a little larger than the candles. It’s such a hassle every year trying to get them to stand up straight and stay that way until they’ve burned themselves out … I saw this, read some reviews and decided to give it a try. It works fabulously well! … I’ll never be without it again!”
Sounds like I am going to feel a lot more at ease this Chanukah! Longer-lasting candles, less waste, and peace of mind — not bad for $7, huh?
Buy: Fox Run Stick-Um Candle Adhesive, 0.5-Ounce, $6.51
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This Simple $8 Amazon Find Makes My Candles Last Hours Longer