Crafty1_AJ

If you don't use dye, the appearance of frosting may be minimized. White on white makes it less noticeable. The rough texture on top is fairly normal as well. Wax expands when hot, then contracts as it cools. Small pockets of trapped air near the surface contribute to the bubbly, uneven texture. You can smooth that top out with a heat gun. Experiment with pouring temperatures to see what works for you. I like to pour soy on the cool side, just before it sets up. But I've also played with pouring hotter. Be aware, however, that the speed of cooling can also be a factor; the ambient temps in the room where the candle is cooling will contribute to either faster or slower cooling. Lastly, soy can be finicky batch to batch. It's the nature of the beast. Keep pressing on and experimenting! I've been working with soy for a long time...it's do-able! You just can't be a perfectionist in terms of frosting and weird tops, unless you like making yourself crazy.

Welcome. Candlemaking, like any other endeavor, can be profitable or not! Just depends on the person. If you have an entrepreneurial bent, I'm sure you can be successful. If you don't, you'll want to enlist the help of someone who does understand business. You'll want to do plenty of research, develop a business plan, raise seed money, and then test product. The process is lengthy and not for the faint of heart. But it can be very rewarding if you are wise and work hard, and have a tolerance for a certain degree of risk.

Welcome to the board. Strong fragrances (as well as softer ones) are available in tons of places. The key is to test each fragrance in your specific wax or wax blend for cold and hot scent throw. Give each blend some cure time before you judge throw. I find most florals to be strong, reliable throwers. I find most true vanillas to be more soft. But again, you need to test each one yourself, as noses are different. What one person considers overwhelming may be just right for you. It can be somewhat subjective. The ratio of fragrance to wax is determined by the scent load of the wax you use. The manufacturer should give you information about scent load. The suggested load may be six percent, for example, which is common. Some waxes can hold a 9-10 percent fragrance load. You'll need to check on that information before weighing out your ingredients.

Yahoo! Tax season is upon us. 🤮 On the plus side, Amazon and Etsy are now collecting sales tax for me in my state, so less work for me! Whoop, whoop! I used to have to collect and remit myself. Less paperwork = happier AJ. I like to think I get a bit more organized and efficient with each passing year when it comes to tax time. Hubs is relentless -- "Got that Schedule C completed yet?" There's no way I can forget April looms. 😆 What tips do you have for making tax time less stressful? What software do you use for your bookkeeping? Like it? Or eyeing a change in means and methods? I'm old school -- I love Excel spreadsheets. And I toss all receipts into a basket all year long, then sort 'em at tax time. Don't laugh too hard!

I am a graphic design moron, but I sure love the graphics on those packets!

ROFL @ an 8 oz. soy candle for $70.

I have a net weight of 8.5 oz listed on my soy candles, but I actually pour 8.6 oz by weight into the jars just in case.

I need to ramp up production this year. I plan to tidy up my workshop and organize supplies. That always gets my creative juices flowing.

Or make fire starters. That's what I use my scraps for.

I love to top my soaps with calendula. It doesn't go brown like lavender buds do. (Lavender buds on CP soap eventually resemble mouse turds. 😶) Topping bars with a bit of oatmeal also looks nice and the oats don't turn weird. I know additions to soap batter were being discussed, but toppings can make for some interesting visual texture. I like variety in the appearances of my soaps!

Yes, "wicking" is actually a verb here. Until you became obsessed, you probably assumed that wick was just a noun. LOL When the musical "Wicked" came out, I was actually puzzled about the name until I heard someone pronounce it with TWO syllables.

Soy burns slower in cold temps. It's just finicky that way. I have soy candles that are perfect in warmer temp rooms, then winter hits and they threaten to tunnel. Personally, I trim the wicks shorter in the warmer months.

You can't foresee every possible way people will burn candles, so do your best to produce a good candle that burns well under normal circumstances, and appreciate the fact that people who burn candles make their own choices, good or bad! You can't control that. So don't stress out over that. Hang in there!

I do the same. The concave bottom (when pouring) is the top of the candle when unmolded.

My suggestion is to not start with recycled scrap wax. You would be hard pressed to repeat results since you don't know the raw materials you started out with. My suggestion is to buy fresh, new wax so you can more easily research variables (wick types, colorants, fragrances, additives) and produce more consistent results.

Yeah, I opted out of free shipping at Etsy as well, and it has not hurt my sales at all. Hang it. Once they forced me to pay for their offsite ads, I kissed free shipping goodbye with zero regrets. To answer the Amazon question, I sell there but charge more for my product. Amazon's fee is higher but it's simple and straightforward ... no hidden fees, listing fees, or forced offsite ad click fees.

Supply chain issues have kicked my butt this year. IF I can source my glassware, I'm paying nearly double what I paid pre-Covid. Wicks in the type and size I most need? Good luck. And of all the lousy luck, I had a horrible time with timely sourcing of packing materials RIGHT AT THE PEAK of my busy season - Black Friday to Christmas. I was so desperate, local friends were giving me their empty Amazon boxes to ship my candles in. Ayup. 2020 can kiss my cute little fanny.

Cool container!

I can usually tell on the first burn if the wick is going to be wrong. It either burns way too fast, or it tunnels and begins to drown out. If the first burn is great, I still keep testing until I get to the bottom. But it's often quite obvious on the first burn if I'm way off.

Another factor is positive feedback / word of mouth. Unless potential customers see good feedback and positive reviews, they're less likely to buy. Unsolicited glowing feedback is the best form of advertising.

One of my all time faves was Vanilla Mint from Peak.

A guy once told me, "Anyone can make a candle!" And I said, "But not everyone can make a good candle."

Most small businesses don't make it for the long haul; they close within a year or so of start up. IMO, it takes a unique combination of creative person + entrepreneurial / business savvy person. You don't see that combo very often.

Wow, @Belinda, that is quite the exhaustive list! Color me impressed!

USPS announced rate hikes for the holiday season. This will start Oct. 18. https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2020/0814-usps-announces-temporary-price-increase.htm