Lnewbie76

I just looked into this and it is exactly what I am looking for! I’m going to research the system a little more and then purchase after to see how it works out. Thanks so much!

Candybee- can you recommend one Honey FO you like the best? I have hunted around for some honey blends and there seems to be a lot of mixed reviews when it comes to honey scents... Kerven- so true. It’s difficult to not approach from the aspect of consumer with the naive expectation that everything is totally truthful (ha! Imagine that!)

I feel so guilty , I think bc I know her I feel really bad about saying anything negative! In defense of her after I criticized her so much- she really is committed to her belief in her candles and does put a ton of time and effort into her business as a whole. She is misleading in her fragrancing sources to support the gimmick but she really does hit a home run when there is a decent hot throw- I once pondered putting her (unlit) orange blossom candle in my car in the summer to be able to smell it on my way to and from work bc I loved it that much. I just wish she was a little more forthcoming about her use of fragrance oils.

She’s a personal Facebook friend. I feel uncomfortable sharing her website now that I have come forth with criticism- it was merely an example of all the misinformation you can gather from different sources on the internet and don’t want to seem as if I’m intentionally speaking ill of her business in a way to hurt her. If that is how it comes across It isn’t intended to at all, but being that I am connected to her on a more personal level I have no doubt for various reasons that in regards to candle ingredients and processing- she’s totally full of it- but it works for her, people are happy with the product they are getting for the most part and I’m not the candle ethics police so I’ll just end it at that. ( I shouldn’t have elaborated so much on the specifics of one person in general- lesson learned.) In regard to adding simple syrup- I would think the liquidity at the bottom of the candles wouldnt serve any real purpose than maybe the potential rusting of wick clips. I’m sure vanilla extract would bind and add some scent to the wax, but the sugar would not and would potentially burn which would be evident at some point when lit. The amount of sugar required to make a syrup as thick as in the video would be literal cups and I imagine that would cause a serious issue in 12-16 ounces of wax. I would test it out to make sure, but honestly it seems kind of dangerous. I have extracted oils myself before and the amount of time, effort and sheer bulk of fruit or vegetable required is enormous for a minuscule amount of product. It’s quite the venture, but well worth the results if done correctly- I imagine that to be a true labor of love! I chose candle making because I found it to be relaxing - I just want to make a candle I can truly enjoy and be able to give to friends and family confident that it smells great and is safe to burn. I didn’t post with the intent to bash a fellow chandler as much as express gratitude that so many of you are willing to share tips and advice that works when there is so much misinformation and poor advice on the internet otherwise.

At the risk of sounding a bit negative - there is a moderately popular local woman who makes her own candles. I begun following her videos thinking I could learn from her and pick up tips and info but they are mostly just advertising and much of her info is geared toward the organic toxin free persuasion. I have tried her candles and the HT is hit or miss (either strong or nothing), but the hits are pretty great! Since I have begun making candles and obsessively researching all things wax and oils I realize that 90% (quite literally) of her advertised claims are gimmicks that are impossibly false, and this is one of them-the secret to her candles is the 1/2 inch layer of thick "home made vanilla simple syrup made only of water, sugar and pure vanilla" that she pours into each container before she pours the wax. She also frequently adds coffee beans and grounds, cake sprinkles and regular glitter to the candles, usually at the top, but still..yikes. Her whole pitch is that paraffin, purchased fragrance oils and "conventional" wicking and wick adhesives are super toxic and that her candles are all natural, chemical free, locally sourced ingredients she "home cooks" into scents- and shows simmering fruits , veggies and spices in water on her stove as proof. (I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but I have yet to figure out where in upstate New York she was able to locally source coconut, lime and verbena that she home cooked into a scent almost exactly like the oil I purchased) There are a ton of lessons I am sure one could take from this, but the lesson ringing the loudest is the power of creative marketing, I suppose. She charges 25.99 for an undyed soy wax, unsecured wooden wicked 12 ounce status jar candle using decent quality fragrance oils ( from all her videos it seems she doesn't stir into the wax, just pours in, which I assume accounts for the misses) with gorgeous labeling and creative and beautiful branding. She puts a tremendous amount of thought and work into the marketing, and it shows- she seems to do quite well with local sales.

Thank you so much for the ideas of sweet smelling fo to add to my concoctions! I rolled my eyes and chuckled more than a few times during the simple syrup video myself - it seemed completely ridiculous! Another I always find amusing are the homemade coffee scented candles that use excessive mounts of coffee grounds?!? 🤦🏼‍♀️ I sure am glad I found this forum and all of you wonderful chandlers to turn to for advice instead! Thanks again for the ideas!

Beautiful!!

Since I feel this way frequently about quite a few scents , I figured maybe I could find a universal solution of sorts.

Often when I make a candle, it seems the fragrance is almost right, but would be perfect if just a little sweeter. For instance, for a sweet tea scented candle, it seems a little more sweetness to the smell would improve it. I was afraid vanilla would just add a vanilla scent to the mix as opposed to sweet.

I’m Sorry,- it was worded very poorly. I was originally thinking if I added a drop of vanilla it would maybe do the trick but Was not sure If it would change the composition of the oil I would like to use as the main fragrance instead of simply adding a sweetness to it, thus changing the scent all together. Marshmallow is a wonderful suggestion!!ni didn’t even think of it but it seems it may be exactly what I’m looking for! I Saw a video of someone who said she used a very thick simple syrup in her candles to “ sweeten” up the wax... but I’m skeptical of that one. Chemically it doesn’t make sense, since I don’t think water and granulated sugar would bind with the wax in a way that would actually scent it?! I am also curious to know if there is any kind of wax that emits a slightly sweet smell in an of itself without being fragranced- I have heard bees wax smells sweet but I’m not sure if it will necessarily add a noticeable sweet note to the added fragrance oil when burning the finished candle.

Strange question, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to add an overall slightly sweet fragrance to wax? Or if any wax naturally emits a sweet smell? I’m having some success making my candles but I find most of them lack a certain base sweetness( if that makes sense at all...)

I have only purchased from FC, CS and VCC so far but I am very open to other companies for FO! Hayride sounds exactly like what I am looking for- I think I will go with that. I am also going to try the woodland foliage as well. I just hope I can find a decent leather.. I love the idea of molasses, apples and carrots and maybe I’ll do a separate scent for that one. I’m really exited about this project and appreciate so much all the feedback!

I have used quite a few FC oils , the most notable and popular being a layered scented candle using their patchouli and frankensense and myrr scents which I named “Peace, Love and Patchouli”. Both blended well and have a strong but not overpowering cold and hot throw- easily one of my favorites! I currently have about 12 different scents from FC and every one has been pleasing all the way around.

My parents have always owned a few horses and everything equestrian is basically the center of their universe. I want to make a set of candles for them based on my memories growing up as a special gift. I am most excited at the idea of a layered scent “Trailride” candle- top layer a sweet grassy smell ( hay/alfalfa) middle a leather smell( saddle/ tack) and bottom an earthy, woodsy scent ( scent of the trail through the woods). Could anyone share some scent/ fragrance oil suggestions to match these descriptors? I usually just kind of dive in and buy oils but I feel I may encounter enough difficulty with the leather and woodsy scents that I should research a bit before purchasing. Any suggested spins on this idea would be welcome also! Thanks so much!

Just an added note- I’m a bartender and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey is the latest in vogue shooter so a cinnamon whiskey scent may be quite appealing to customers also. If I only had a dollar for every time a customer mentioned how much they love the smell of Fireball...

I have been considering purchasing whiskey scented FO also, so I’m certainly interested in an update! I’m looking for a really great vanilla FO to use as the lone scent in a parasoy container- would this be a vanilla you would recommend? I have French Vanilla from (I think, I’m can’t quite remember ) from VCC and I don’t care for it much after the sniffy test (all though I haven’t yet blended it with wax- I plan to pour a sample and reevaluate)

I was going to,(I also have wide mouth salsa style jars- would it be a better fit for that?)I used one of the charts where you enter the wax you are using and the dimensions of the jar and it tells you what wick would be the best and that was the recommendation. I think it was from candleScience, but honestly I have visited so many sites it’s hard to remember for sure. I will try and get some smaller per your recommendation also. Thanks!!

Thank you so much for the feedback! I placed my order for 4630 wax, HTP 104 and Eco 6 wicks, can't wait for them to arrive!

Hello! I apologize for such a very basic question but think when I began candle making ( I am making glass jar container candles at this tie but hope to eventually make pillars also!) I put my cart in front of the horse a bit . In your opinion, what would be the best wax and appropriate wick for that wax for a beginner to start pouring with? I am really interested in more organic and natural waxes but am not opposed to paraffin-just hoping maybe to start with something that is a little easier to deal with then the Starburst glass glow 2322A palm that looks gorgeous when poured yet seems to be more of a bonfire in a glass instead of a candle and The Candle Maker natural 444 soy which is rather easy to use for the most part but I am having a heck of a time with wicking-seem to get inconsistent results despite sticking to a 1 oz by weight fragrance load to 16 ounces by weight wax (maybe it is the wick ? I have been using Eric X 5" wide 13mm thick wooden wick for a 16 ounce jar, picture included). I am also finding that the hot throw in the soy isn't always the best either (heating to 185, adding fragrance at 165, stirring for at least 2 minutes and pouring after that which is usually around 153-155) Thinking maybe if I can find something that is a little easier for beginners I can learn a little more consistently and then eventually expand into some of the more difficult waxes/molds and etc. I am so excited to find a craft I really, really like-it is kind of a bummer that I feel like I am struggling more than succeeding . Thank you!

Very impressive! Love the colors!

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! @nursenancy What a gorgeous area of New York to live in! I would love to live a bit south toward the Catskills. We are about an hour plus north in Saratoga County. @TallTayl I am definitely finding that I have chosen some difficult wax to start with! I love the look of the palm wax but have had too many safety issues to feel comfortable continuing using it at this point, especially since I am so new to the craft in general. I am finding soy to be a bit confusing... it seems I either get it perfect or it is a total bust- quite unpredictable and unreliable. It is frustrating and kind of kills the fun of my new found hobby-the products come out looking great but only occasionally burn and smell great as well. Bummer, but I am determined! I was considering parasoy or coconut wax as I am interested in a "cleaner" candle and want to keep it as natural as possible, but I am totally open to anything including paraffin. It is certainly not as straight forward and easy as some of those youtube videos made it seem!

Hello! My name is Lisa and I am so excited to find Craft server! I am the mother of eight children ranging in age from 25 to 2 and current student graduating with my degree in biology this May and I am planning to major in nursing in the fall. I am brand spanking new to candle making as a hobby and have started with soy and palm (with very unpredictable results🤯) I am really interested in learning as much as I can about my new hobby so that I can come up with a candle that I love and can feel proud to make as gifts for friends and family. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to participating in this helpful forum!