bunkie68

I've not tried that one yet, but now I'm curious! The ones I've *really, really* liked so far have been White Tea and Ginger and their Storm Watch (which isn't really like the Yankee type, but is still a nice, clean scent). Oh! And I love Cajun Candles (http://www.cajuncandles.com) just for their Vanilla Bourbon. It's lovely.

Thanks, CareBear! How do I know what fragrances cause problems? Just read about others' experiences? On the topic of simple, I noticed that Brambleberry offers a CP kit that includes all of this: 4 lbs. Coconut Oil 4 lbs. Palm Oil 1 lb. Avocado Oil 8 oz. Castor 8 oz. Jojoba 1 Milky Way Rectangle Tray mold 1 Custom Rectangle Mold 4 oz. Rosehip Jasmine 4 oz. Energy 10 ml LabColors Fuschia Free! Natural Soap Book Would that be a good way for me to try out the process, or am I better off finding a simple recipe and purchasing my supplies individually? I figure if I buy my supplies separately, I can at least pick out a fragrance that sounds interesting to me. (Hmm, I may have just answered my own question.... )

In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess - CP soap intrigues me, so maybe I'll just jump right in with that. It just feels like there are so many options and things to consider out there that it's a bit overwhelming, you know? But maybe once I get started, I'll see that it's just a matter of learning. I've checked out soapcalc, and that sure looks handy. And I've found a basic recipe on here, so maybe that will be where I start.

I haven't used many different suppliers yet, but my favorite thus far is Lone Star Candle Supply ( http://www.lonestarcandlesupply.com ). I like that they're right up the road from me, and I get my orders really quickly. And I've been happy with the quality of their oils.

Help a newbie out, what's the best way to get into soap making? Should I start with melt and pour? Or jump right into something more challenging but (hopefully) more rewarding? I've got a little experience making candles and would like to branch out. Thanks!

Congrats! That's great! We've got a local farmer's market, and I'd never thought of it as a possibility for marketing. I'll have to check it out!

Thank you so much for the thoughts, y'all! I realize this won't make me money anytime soon, that's why I haven't quit my day job (believe me, the thought of doing that has been tempting, because it sucks ). And none of this is discouraging at all - the impetus behind it is that I'm considering moving to where my boyfriend is (gotta be in the same place if we want to take the next step and get married), and if we're thinking of starting a business, I *need* a realistic idea of how long it might take to get it up and running and what kind of investment I might need to be making in experimentation and equipment and what have you. I also know that I'm at the very, very beginning of the process and nowhere near ready to open up shop right now. So I'm soliciting any thoughts I can get, and please, no one think you're being discouraging. Realism is good, and much appreciated. I've been doing this for about a year now, off and on (at this point, it really can only be called a hobby), and so far I've only made votives with soy waxes. I have the supplies to make container candles (wax and wicks specifically for containers and a boatload of glassware), but haven't tried my hand at it yet. I'd like to get into containers and pillar candles, and I'd love to make the layered candles with different scent layers. Candybee, that's a good suggestion about the wick samplers. I'd ordered the two different kinds, votives and containers, but the samplers would give me different types of wicks for each size of candle to see which works best, right? That would be helpful. Carole, if I were doing big batches, there's no way I'd use the little kettle I have (and now that I see Trish's post, mine is a Presto pot, not a Fry Daddy - I misspoke!). It has a "warm" setting and that's how I keep the wax at a low enough temperature. So far it's worked fine, but I know it's not a long-term solution. What kind of work space do you have? Since mine is such a small deal at the moment, I just work in my kitchen, but again, this isn't workable long-term or if I want to do much more than what I'm doing now. Do you have a separate room? A separate workshop? A space in your garage? If I wanted to put a little money into things right now, what would y'all suggest? I've got a good bit of wax, for both votives and containers - I haven't tried out all the kinds I have yet, but I've got a good bit. I'd think I could use some more votive molds and pins, and some more scents and dyes (I think right now I have about four colors!). And paper towels, for sure (because I do use a ton of them). Any other suggestions? Also, cleaning - how do you clean your equipment? Right now I've got some citrus-based cleaner that works well, but boy, it's a pain to wipe each and every little thing by hand. But, if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. I just thought I'd ask for suggestions on that front as well, while I'm asking. Thanks again for any input. I'm giving this so much thought, I'm not getting much work done.

I'm strictly a hobbyist right now, but considering trying to make it a full-time job at some point. I'd love to hear from others how they got started, what kind of environment they work in (actual brick-and-mortar store, online only, craft shows, distribution through local merchants, etc.), what things to consider when starting a business, how long it took to become profitable, anything people would like to share.

I'm fairly new to candlemaking - I have a dozen votive molds, a little wax, a few scents and colors, and a Fry Daddy that I melt wax in. :smiley2: Needless to say, that keeps me doing things on a very small scale. Right now I make candles upon requests from friends and family, but I'd like to branch out, maybe see if I can get a couple of local gift shops interested or get enough of an inventory built up to go to local craft fairs. What would you say is the bare minimum needed to do this on any sort of commercial level, even limited as I've described above? How do you set up to melt more than just a couple of pounds of wax at a time, or have different colors ready to be made up? How many molds? Do you focus on one thing (i.e., just votives), or do you do several (votives, containers, and pillars, for example)? What kind of space should I think about setting up? Any tips or suggestions you could offer would be greatly appreciated. I'm a single mom and would love to get to where I could bring in enough extra cash doing this to make a bit of difference to my monthly budget.

Thanks, y'all! I'm not even sure I'm to the small business point yet - I think I'm still a hobbyist. I hadn't even been charging sales tax on the few I've sold. How do you figure out which states you should charge sales tax for and which ones you don't have to? No payroll taxes, it's just me. Is it self employment if it's not my full-time job? I had no idea there was so much involved!

Anyone?

Thanks, Lindsay! Should I worry about individually wrapping them, and should I store each scent separately?

Right now I'm only making votives, and only in small batches (8 to 12 at a time, because that's all the molds I have at the moment). What's the best way for me to store them so that they won't lose scent? I'm trying to build up a little inventory.

Thanks, y'all! I'm off to check both of those out.

I'm not familiar with any of the others, but I have ordered from Lone Star (it's up here near Dallas), and their service has always been excellent, if that helps.

Pier 1 used to have a holiday scent called Cranberry Balsam. Does anyone know where I could find a FO that comes close to duplicating this? Thanks for any help!

I was wondering about that - saw it and thought it might be worth investing in. I'm glad you posted your thoughts, it's always nice to hear from someone who's used the product!

That sounds yummy! I've never made any bath and body products, but I may have to try this one.

Those are wonderful!

I've never started a business before, and have no clue what all might be needed. Any kind of license? Insurance? Incorporate or not? Any information or advice would be much appreciated!