Hopie

I did piles of incense this week, since I have quite a following for them. A few of these scents are just horiffic to deal with. Which scents do you really dislike working with? For me, the top of the list has to be Dragon's Blood. YUK! Second worst is probably Lavender. (I know, I know, everyone loves it but me!) Hmmm...third would probably be Patchouli. Not as bad as the first two, but I'm just not a fan of the scent.

What are your favorite scents to work with? I love Sandalwood, Cherry, Egyptian Vanilla, Kush, Sage, Frank & Myrrh, Lemmongrass and Plumeria. Heaven scent! 

Thank you for the kind words, I can't wait to get on this one. If I have the energy tomorrow, I'm making this pour! 

12 hours ago, Sebleo said:

I do not sell candles so I can not help you with popular containers or sizes.

 

But, I can give you my opinion on the scents you have. Since you already sell incense in these fragrances I would go ahead and sell them in candles as well. That way yout have a cohesive line. Then you can expand from there with other fragrances. 

 

You say you have limited space. So, if you are not selling a particular scent as a candle, drop it and replace it with something new.  

 

Maybe just do 2 to 4 of each scent to start (depending on your space) and keep making the ones that sell quickly. 

I agree that I should try to use some of the scents that I've been selling in incense, or expand a bit beyond it. I want to start with container and a few pillars and see which ones get the most attention. I think I've chosen the Frankincense & Myrrh that I just got...I actually like it, and I can test that in incense as well. My older F&M was a much different scent, but I want to see if my customers like it. I'll also do the lemongrass...I sell a lot of body oil in that scent, so perhaps I could upsell on that? My sandalwood is good too, but I do want to try the one I got from Flaming Candle, I like it! I've finally got most everything I need to do my first pillar candle now, had to go get a hot plate, because in the RV we're traveling in, I only have propane *gasp*, so that won't work to melt wax. 

We worked today with FIVE booths, so that was really exhausting...ah, but fruitful, so who's complaining? It also hit 94 degrees here, so we were loaded up on lots of water in the ice chest! 

Thank you all for the suggestions, I will try to keep my scents classic and earthy for starters, like my incense. 

I got some quite lovely lotion base at Bulk Apothecary. Make sure to get the premium, not the basic one. My customers loved it, and it's a beautiful, non greasy blend. Fragrances very nicely, too. 

Thank you for doing that! I spent hours gazing at this section the other night. So many beautiful candles! I'm a newcomer, and I promise I'll post a pic of my first pour, even if it's a disaster, LOL!

I absolutely LOVE these! Excellent! Talent! 

Since the table space in our vending booths is limited (we sell full time out of 300 sq feet, which is mostly filled with sundresses, tops and tie dye specialty clothing), I wanted to add perhaps 20 candles to it. I'm wondering what type of containers sell better, how many ounces and whether I should make the candles in jars or tins? We already carry about 300 body oils and bin loads of hand dipped incense, I am trying to appeal to candle lovers in our scent line. Also, what scents are best sellers? I did buy several scents, but I'm not sure if they are sellers as far as candles go. I primarily make and sell incense, so I know what our best sellers are in that medium. I already purchased these:

Lemongrass

Nag Champa

Dragon's Blood

Hot Apple Pie

Frankincense & Myrrh

Sage

Eucalyptus

Raw Sugar Mandarin

White Sage & Citrus

Asian Sandalwood

Black Ginger & Bamboo

These all came from The Flaming Candle

If you had these oils, which would you make first to sell? What would you add to it?

Any help is so appreciated. 

You are correct. 

I got the 1274 mottling wax, so I did something right. I just love those pillars you made, Pam. That is the look I'm going for! They're beautiful! 

Yes, I have been surfing the candle gallery the past few nights, and I love all the creations pictured! So many talented candle makers here, glad I found this site. When I started making soy candles years ago, I just kept doing the trial and error method, which is so time consuming and expensive. Now, I feel so happy to get expert advice that I can't get elsewhere. Thank you all so much, I will let you know how this goes after I pour my first one. Need a few more supplies first. 

17 hours ago, moonshine said:

This might help some 

I never made them but thought about it and came across this article when searching 

 

https://candletech.com/candle-making/tutorials/make-mottled-pillar-candles/

 

scented, JC and candybee have a lot of pillar experience so maybe they will chime in 

Thank you, and I love the candles they have pictured. It's a better tutorial than the one I read.

$48 per lb. is an outrage! That must be for the bottle of wine included that I can sip on when I'm candle making? 

I just got my first pillar molds and some mottling wax! I'm stoked! I need some advice on how to get the rustic, mottled look when pouring. I did look up some directions, but they were kind of vague, so I thought I'd ask the experts here just exactly how to do this. Do I need to use any additives to the wax to get this effect? Do I really need a "mold release" to effectively get them out of the molds? 

I've made hundreds of soy candles, but this is a whole new animal for me. Thanks for any help! 

The best in the west Patchouli I've found is from www.thecommonscents.com out of Utah. Truest Patch I've found. I actually dislike the scent, but my customers loooove it! I don't know how it would behave in soy, as I've thus far only used it in my incense and body oils. I hope this helps?

I just received one in my sampler order from The Flaming Candle. Really beautiful version, perhaps a bit floral yet. Next shot, I'll try the Candle Science version. I may also buy the F&M separately, and tip the Myrrh up and see if I get that more earthy/woodsy note I'm looking for. I tend to make all of my incense on the heavier side, which is why I sell so much of it. 

Thanks for the suggestions. Just checked out Candlescience, I've never bought from them before. I see they also have a warehouse in Sparks, Nevada, which would make shipping cheaper for me. $48 a pound? Dang, does it have gold specks in it? 

Thank you all for the kind welcomes   I look forward to browsing the sight, reading posts and gaining and sharing more knowledge.

It can be a challenge to do crafts in an RV, but I manage to do it. My challenge is getting one thing completely done, depleting my oils down to a level that I have the space to buy more and move on to the next thing. Right now, I have a long line of incense drying under the motorhome (it's 34 feet long), and hopefully, I'll have it all bagged and tagged in time before the candle supplies I ordered arrive 

For a long time, I've quit making my incense with this staple scent. The lady I was buying from went out of business, and every time I purchase it from another company, it's so bad, it's unusable. I'd love to here where I can get a great Frankincense & Myrrh to start making it again. I prefer it to be heavier on the Myrrh/woodsy for my incense, and lighter on the florals. Any help would be appreciated.

What's your name?  Hope

How old are you?  58

Where do you live? Currently, Lake Havasu City, AZ and wherever else we park it! (we're full time RVers!)

How long have you been making candles/soap/whatever?  Off and on about six years

How did you get started making candles/soap/whatever?  I've always loved scented things, so I started to make them for myself.

Are you married? Any kids?  I have a dude, and my only son is almost 40

If candle/Soap making isn't your primary job, what do you do?  We're traveling vendors and we sell ladies tie dye clothing, hand dipped incense, fragrance oils. We do outdoor events like street fairs, county fairs, and various marketplaces wherever we travel. I thought I'd get back into making candles again. I used to sell some on ebay and some to friends/acquaintances. Formerly, I sold items on Ebay and Amazon for 13 years and shipped over 30,000 items in that time period.