I’m not even going to take the trouble of opening Wikipedia to see how long candles have been around, but it’s safe to say that in the thousands of years that it’s existed, the candle’s basic format hasn’t really changed much. (Oh, and I finally caved and googled it – candles have been around since 3000 BC) The candle is simply a wax column with a wick running through it. Burn the wick and the wax controls the speed at which it burns. The candle really never needed a modern-day redesign, probably because we run our lamps on electricity now… but Todd Nelson’s clever idea allows one single candle to last almost two days while burning continuously – a massive upgrade considering most candles with the same amount of wax don’t burn more than 5-7 hours. Needless to say, if Todd Nelson was alive a thousand years ago, he’d be a pretty rich and famous entrepreneur. Nelson’s candle-hack is simple. Increase the length of the wick and you end up increasing the timeline of the candle. The Spiral Light Candles come with a wraparound wick that forms a spiral around the periphery of the candle. Light it and the spiral wick burns for 3 hours as it slowly depletes ‘around’ the candle, rather than through it. Where Nelson’s ingenuity really ‘shines through’ is in the Spiral Light candle’s hollow design. You see, as the candle burns, the wax that melts collects in its hollow center. Once the spiral wick’s completely burnt through, you’re actually left with a brand new candle that’s created from the wax that melted and collected in the center! This new candle has a built-in wood wick that burns for a stunning 40 hours, allowing one single candle to shine on for two whole days… and giving you essentially two candles within one. Nelson was awarded a patent for his spiral-wicked ‘self-filling’ candle, and went from producing them in his garage to shifting to a larger manufacturing facility located in Lakeland, Minnesota. The candles are still hand-manufactured by Nelson and his family and employees, and come in three sizes across a variety of natural fragrances… but what’s fundamental is still the fact that the candles make a pretty radical improvement on a design that has barely changed in nearly 5000 years. With its spiral wick and hollow center, the Spiral Light Candles have the ability to reincarnate into a second candle once burned through. It’s equal parts innovative, long-lasting, and sustainable. Not to mention it probably smells pretty great too! Todd Nelson ($14 off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left! The Spiral Light Candles have a unique, patented, two-candles-in-one design that started with the idea that you could create a candle without the wasted wax left over from burning traditional candles. The idea is simple. Move the wick from the center of the candle out to the outer edge. Now you’re burning the side of the candle that normally ends up in the garbage. As the candle burns, the sides flow into the middle leaving you with a cozy, wood wick candle at the end.  Spiral Light’s unique design burns in a circle for the first three hours, filing in its hollow core. This is their “Party Trick!” When the hollow center is completely filled and the spiral portion burns out, you’re left with a wood wick candle that you can enjoy for over 40 hours. That’s the “Real” candle.  What’s the recipe for a clean burning candle? It’s a highly refined, food-grade, edible wax perfectly matched to the right sized, 100% cotton wick. It is phthalate-free scent oils mixed with vegetable-based colorants finished off with a locally sourced, softwood wick. The team works with some of the best scent companies in the United States to bring you great smelling candles without the nasty chemicals.  All made in the United States from raw materials sourced right here in the U.S. While they been able to modify their equipment to help pour their candles faster, everyone of their candles is still hand-manufactured by their family and employees in their facility in Minnesota. – Large: 4″ x 6″, Spiral Candle burns for 3-hours, Wood Wick burns for 40-hours – Medium: 4″ x 4″, Spiral Candle burns for 2-hours, Wood Wick burns for 30-hours – Small: 3″ x 3″, Spiral Candle burns for 1-hours, Wood Wick burns for 20-hours ($14 off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!