It happens all the time — we go to light a candle, and our lighter is dry. So when the lighter won't flame, how do you up your candle game? We have all the ways you can light a candle without a lighter. One should work for you.
Strike a Stick Match
Lighters are convenient, but stick matches will do in a pinch.
- Hold the matchstick about halfway along the stick between your thumb and forefinger.
- Place the match head at one end of the striker.
- Keep a firm grip and move the match head quickly down the length of the striker.
- When the match head ignites, move your grip to the stick end to keep your fingers away from the flame.
- Hold the lit match at the base of the match and light the candle wick.
- Blow out the match once the candle wick is lit.
- Don't throw the used match in the trash, in case the flame doesn't extinguish.
- Run the burned match head underneath a facet to ensure the flame is extinguished.
Use a Matchbook
We all have a drawer somewhere in our homes that has all sorts of things we've collected along the way. Quite often, you'll find a few matchbooks in that drawer, so rifle through it for one.
- Bend and remove one of the matches from the matchbook.
- Close the matchbook flap and secure it by tucking it underneath the striker located along the bottom of the matchbook.
- The paper match isn't as resistant as the matchstick, so be careful you don't burn your fingertips when striking it against the striker.
- Immediately light the candle wick and extinguish the match.
Use Your Stove
If you have a gas stovetop that flames, you can use it to light your candle.
- Turn the element on and set it to the high position.
- Once the element has heated, you can attempt to light the candle directly by moving the wick against the element.
- If the candle wick doesn't ignite and only smokes, you may need something to transfer fire to the wick.
- Choose a long unbroken piece of spaghetti. If you don't have any spaghetti, you can remove a long bristle from a natural bristle broom.
- Grip one end of the spaghetti and hold the other end against the element until it catches fire.
- Carefully use the burning spaghetti to light the candle wick.
- Extinguish the spaghetti flame in the bowl or glass of water.
Try a Magnifying Glass and Tissue Paper
Remember scouts when you learned clever ways to light a fire? This is an old scouting trick that will work on candles, too.
- Crumple a portion of tissue paper and place it in the fireproof bowl.
- Position the magnifying glass between a stream of sunlight and the paper.
- Direct the light onto the crumpled tissue paper.
- The paper should quickly ignite.
- Move the candle to the burning paper to light the wick.
- If you're trying to light a jar candle, use a piece of spaghetti to serve as a match to light the wick. Be sure you properly extinguish the makeshift spaghetti match.
Go Old School With a Flint Rod and Striker
We're getting into some serious survival skills now, but igniting a flame without modern conventions is actually a good skill to have. So you can use a flint rod and striker kit to set a piece of tinder on fire. Do this outside to avoid a possible fire hazard in case the spark strikes something other than the tinder. You'll need a fireproof tin or other container. You will place the tinder in the tin or container. The tinder can be anything that is dry and will easily ignite, such as dried leaves, dried moss, or a 100% cotton ball, crumpled-up tissue paper, or steel wool. Most kits come with a sample of tinder.
- Set the fireproof tin or other container on a level surface.
- Place the tinder in the tin or other container.
- Hold the rod and striker in front of the tinder.
- Using the striker, strike it against the rod while you pull the rod toward you and away from the tinder. This ensures the spark falls onto the tinder and ignites it.
- Hold the candle so the wick touches the burning tinder to light it.
- Extinguish the tinder if it's still burning.
Learn How to Light a Candle Without a Lighter
It is easy to learn how to light a candle without a lighter, and our solutions run from super easy (and probably really obvious) to advanced-level skills that are great to have. But whatever you choose, you'll get that candle burning.
