To be pissed off with scented candles in jars....

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that cost about £20.00 and then burn right down through the middle leaving about a tenners worth clinging to the jar sides - I'm talking to you too, Yankee Candle!

Scrimping candle hint: we have quite a few of those big, thick and expensive church candles on mantlepieces and sconce-type things on the wall. I let them burn until a hollow forms then I put in a tea light. They don't show, can be replaced and the posh candles last forever.

Why do you have to trim wicks?

Because if the wick gets too long, it can't draw the wax up to the end, and the wick itself burns. This creates a lot of soot, which is ultimately deposited on your curtains, furniture etc.

Have to confess to not being a big yankee candle fan but IME 'quality' scented candles (molton brown, penhaligons, white co, diptyique etc) carry the scent much better than big brand ones.

I got and m&S one for christmas last year and even standing right next to it it is hard to distinguish the aroma.

My little penhaligons travelling candle can be lit for 30 minutes in one room and the whole house smells lovely.

Cost / burn the expensive ones win out IMO.

Dont trim the wick too short or it will drown in a wax pool. Yankee's website will tell you the best length and you do need to ensure you burn for hours to reach the sides.

I have burnt hundreds but only ever had one that tunnelled so just cut the wax up to use as tarts.

Sorry the less mathsy interpretation of my post above is "estimate the distance from one side of your candle to the other across the middle in inches, burn the candle for at least that many hours"

Good to know that you can use this wax in a tart burner though. I have just had a large scented candle that the wick collapsed in leaving a couple of inches of wax.

lurker not all expensive candles are worth it. DD bought me a set of 3 Jo malone glass votives last year, 2 out of the 3 have got about 2/3 of the way down and the wick is a little nub which drowns when the candle is lit. I have a large JM candle from DS, am just hoping that is better.

Some great and helpful advice here. I'm so impressed - when I only meant to have a little moan about my inability to nurture candles. Thank you Viper - that's good to know (my maths can cope with simple stuff ). I am going to have to get a 'tart burner' I think.

Love love love Yankee Candles. Do not want to think about how much I have spent on them over the years.

For the small jars, you must burn them for at least 1 hour or until the wax has melted to the side of the jar. Medium and large candles need 3 hours. Trim the wick before you light it each time.

If you want something quicker burning, try the tea lights, tarts or votives.

Main point: wax MUST melt to the side of the glass before yo blow it out.

The little information booklet tells you that and other tips (not sure if booklet comes with all jars or just gift sets.)

Person looking or pine, I have the Yankee Xmas tree one which smells lovely but it seems I haven't been burning it long enough, but its right at the top still so will turn over new leaf and trim and burn for at least 3 hours tomorrow!

Homebase have some nice big ones from £4 OP, if you are interested in the candles but PO at price. And yes you can use leftover wax as some peeps have suggested.

*for £4 rather.

Yuk Yankee candles

I have found a lovely candle shop in crystal palace called milkouse candles they look nice and smell lovely

I once went to a candle party (3 hours of my life I'll never get back!!) and the lady running it said you need to burn them for an hour an inch to stop the wick burning down before the wax

A candle party?! sounds fun

Scentsy! I bought one for me my sil and had a Whoopie Goldberg in Ghost moment when handing it over. They are lovely.

Fanjo - nope, no fun to be had at candle party!

I can't tolerate most scented candles-the petrochemically fumes give me a headache BUT recently discovered Shearer's soy wax candles.
They are great and not headachey at all, but don't come in enough "flavours".
Make more flavours Shearers!

I saw the £4 ones in Homebase yesterday, normally I wouldn't take any notice but due to this thread and as they were cheap and I'm broke I went over to investigate. Took a big sniff of a 'christmasy' one, bleurgh! Do they smell better when you burn them or is that actually what they smell like?

That one isn't pleasant Pixel, in fact the ocean breeze one also isn't (smells like dettol) but the others are really nice. There's a pink one (forget the scent), a honeysuckle one and a couple of others. Work through all of them and see what you think.

I'd just open a window.