The Wonderful World of Candle Tarts!

My world is so consumed with candles, soap and all things fragrant that it's easy to assume everyone knows what a candle tart is. However, time and time again I'm asked the following questions:

"Where's the wick?"

"What do you do with it?"

"Is it soap?"

"How do I use it?"

How have these fragrant gems been kept a secret from so many for so long?

Tarts are fabulous, richly scented wax potpourri that 

do not use a wick. They are not melted on their own, they are meant to be teamed up with either a tea light tart warmer (also called a tart burner) or an electric one. 

Candle tarts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Each of these wax cakes can scent a room for up to eight hours. A wonderful advantage that these little guys have is how quickly they can scent a room. In candle lingo, the "cold throw" of a candle is the strength of scent coming from an unlit candle. The "hot fragrance throw" (how strongly a scent is able to fill an area) is determined by the chandler's formula of the wax blend and the quality of fragrance and other ingredients used as well as the size of the "melt pool". The melt pool of a candle is the area of heated, liquid wax that is giving off fragrance. The larger the melt pool, the greater the "hot throw". Because tarts melt quickly into a full liquid melt pool, they are often able to scent a room more quickly than other types of candles. 

Some people prefer using tea light tart warmers because they enjoy the ambiance provided by the flickering light of the tea light candle warming the wax. 

When using an electric warmer, either a lightbulb or warming plate warms the bowl that contains the tart thus melting it. With the tea light warmer, the tea light candle does the job. There are a variety of styles in both the electric and tea light warmers. Some have removable bowls, some are one piece. They can be ceramic, soapstone, glass or metal. A very popular style in my shop is the new nightlight plug in warmer. This little electric wonder can hold a full sized tart or is fab when used with my Candle Cubes™. It does double duty as both a tart warmer and a nightlight.

Removing the wax once it is used is easy. Whether you have used the particular tart for hours and it no longer gives off the amount of fragrance you desire or you are just in the mood for a change, there are two ways to remove the wax from the warmer. If the wax is solid and tart warmer and wax are cool, pop the bowl or warmer into the freezer for five minutes and the wax will come right out. 

If your wax is in the liquid state and you want to change it out immediately, use a heat safe, disposable container such as an old vegetable, soup or coffee can and pour the wax into it and let it cool. This container can be used repeatedly until it is full. Be sure to wipe the tart warmer bowl clean to remove any residue. You want that bowl clean for the next wonderful scent that will jump in there. 

When I first started using scented candles I chose tarts as a way to try out new scents. With a small investment you can decide if you like a fragrance enough to take the plunge and go for a jar in that scent. 

Some people are in living situations such as a college dorm, apartment or assisted living where they aren't permitted to use a candle with a flame, in that case an electric tart warmer is an ideal fragrancing solution. Electric warmers are also wonderful in shops, offices and areas where a candle cannot be as closely supervised as is necessary with a candle that uses a wick. 

I use and love them all! Candle tarts, container candles, electric tart warmers, tea light tart warmers. For me, the more glorious scents in my world the better! 

Check out my warmers, tarts and candles in my shop at www.boutiquecandle.etsy.com!