{"id":356741,"date":"2025-12-29T14:09:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T13:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/fix-candle-tunneling\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T12:29:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:29:49","slug":"fix-candle-tunneling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/candle-making\/fix-candle-tunneling\/","title":{"rendered":"Solving candle tunneling: here’s how to save your candle from the abyss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever lit a beautiful new candle, only to discover after a few hours that the flame is tunneling its way down into a deep crater? This is tunneling. Not only does it look messy, but it\u2019s also a waste of all that unused wax that sticks to the edges. Your candle will eventually drown in its own crater as the wick burns down. Fortunately, a tunneling candle can almost always be saved with a few clever tricks. <\/p>\n\n

First Aid for Tunneling: The Aluminum Foil Hack<\/h2>\n\n

If you have a candle that already has a deep hole in it, you can often fix it without having to throw the wax away. The most well-known method is the aluminum foil trick. Wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the top of the glass and fold the edges inward to create a sort of dome. Leave an opening of about two to three centimeters in the center so the flame gets enough oxygen and the smoke can escape. <\/p>\n\n

The foil reflects the heat from the flame back toward the cold wax at the edges. Let the candle burn for an hour (always stay with it!) and you\u2019ll see that the hard edges melt and blend into the liquid center. This will give you a nice, smooth surface again. <\/p>\n\n

Restoring the surface using direct heat<\/h2>\n\n

Sometimes the tunnel isn\u2019t very deep yet, and you can fix it more quickly. A powerful hair dryer or, even better, a heat gun<\/a> works perfectly for this. Aim the warm air at the unmelted wax on the sides until everything is liquid. Be careful not to get too close, though, or you\u2019ll blow the liquid wax over the edge or extinguish the wick. In our article on how to fix small melt pools in candles<\/a>, you can read more about manipulating the surface to achieve a smooth finish. <\/p>\n