Wick Making

• Wick making was often a child's chore in Colonial America. According to the Historic Harrison website, wicks were made by dipping pieces of hemp into saltpeter. Hemp was twisted and doubled to create a loop at one end. As time went on, Colonial shops offered ready-made wicks.
  
  

Tallow Process

• Tallow candles were made by boiling animal fat until the water was removed and dirt could be skimmed away. According to Historic Harrison, making candles from tallow was difficult because inaccurate temperatures caused deformities. Wicks were repeatedly dipped into the tallow to thicken them enough for a night's use.
  
  

Candle Molds

• The difficulties associated with tallow making led to the development of pewter and tin candle molds. Wicks were placed inside the molds, followed by hot tallow. Tallow was allowed to cool before candles were removed from the molds. This improved the candle-making process.
  
  

Bayberry Candles

• Colonists developed new materials for making candles. Because tallow and beeswax were expensive, people had to look for other options. Bayberries, which were readily available, produced a clean, good-smelling candle wax. According to the Stat Sheets website, producing bayberry candles was tricky, because it was difficult to extract wax. Eight pounds of berries would yield only one pound of wax.
  
  

Whaling Industry Influences

• The whaling industry that developed in the late 1700s and early 1800s brought another development to the candle-making process, according to Candle Comfort. Whalers discovered that crystalized sperm whale oil produced a clean-burning wax called spermaceti. Spermaceti became the standard material for candles and was used until the 1850s, according to the Candle Making Success Plan.