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simplybeelightful

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Posts posted by simplybeelightful

  1. You probably won't like it but my recommendation would be to get rid of your metal molds and buy some good silicone molds.  I lightly spray my silicone molds when my candles start to stick a little bit (usually about every five of six candles), pour around 160 degrees and in a very warm room with no fans going.  The longer the candle cools, the better your results will be.  If done right, you usually don't have to poke relief holes in the top.  Good luck

  2. Pick a theme that goes with your business, i.e. my products were all made from beeswax and honey so my booth was all decorated with bees.

    HOwever, don't overdo the decorations and place things on different levels throughout your booth.

    Also, pick a couple of different colors for your table coverings. I used floor length maroon table cloths with yellow bee themed material as toppers.

  3. If you are gonna do beeswax in a container, use a tin, but make sure to let your customers know that should not handle the tin while the candle is burning as it would be extremely too hot.

    Beeswax does make wonderful votives, pillars, tapers and tea lights though!! :cool2:

    I agree. I have made candle tins and metal bucket candles with beeswax.

  4. Absolutely gorgeous! I love cross stitch! Is that counted? I love counted cross stitch.

    I did a 16 X 20 picture of horses at a stone water trough. Was suppose to be for my husband for our first anniversary. Only took me three years to finish it! ha ha But I have done several large patterns since that didn't take me nearly that long!

    Keep up the good work.

  5. Actually I burn pillars all the time in my camper.

    However, my first choice for any kind of alternative lighting would a primitive candle lantern my husband's cousin turned us on to. They hold a 5" taper candle, are made of wood and are completely draft free. You can burn candles outside in the wind and they do not even flicker.

    The lantern kits can be purchased from www.trackofthewolf.com but we purchased the first one and then make our own using their pattern.

    My husband's cousin belong to a primitive camping club where they cannot use any modern tools so they use these lanterns with beeswax candles for lighting.

    Believe me, these lanterns are the best! They put off an incredible amount of light from just a single taper, kind of like the old oil lamps, are VERY easy to use and, like I said before, are excellent for outdoor use. They can even be retrofitted with a pane of mirror on one side for use as a reading lamp! Plus, they can be moved from room to room quite easily and safely.

    For the candle, I cut some of my taper molds to about 5", which works out okay for me because I also make Shabbat candles for some of my customers who also need that size candle.

    Of course, I only use pure beeswax candles so, even at just 5" they still burn about 6 hours.

  6. Take the credit? Is it about appreciation or profit?

    It's a business decision, or should be. IMO.

    Guess it's a little of both and, if I weren't trying to sell my products myself, I wouldn't mind letting someone put their name on... and, considering I made close to 30K my last year in business, I think I made the right decision for me.

    Most of the retailers that had asked me about private labels went ahead and let me sell under my label anyway.

  7. Here's how I do it. When I decided to start wholesaling my candles to local retailers I set the price on my website the same as the 'suggested' sale price I give to my store vendors. Then I put my candles on sale on my website and sell them for what I want.

    I agree totally. I tell my retailers that they are free to sell for whatever they want but this is what I'm selling for...

    For one thing, you are selling to them WHOLESALE, so you are selling your candles to them for a discounted price. If you sell a candle online for say 20 bucks and wholesale for 10, which is the better for you? Besides, as stated before, your customers are paying shipping and their's are not.

    Trust me, if you are doing craft shows, you will eventually get online orders.

    I totally disagree with selling my products for private labeling. I NEVER do that! I worked damned hard to get my products where I want them, I'm certainly not going to let someone else take the credit for my hard work.

  8. I think I understand what he's trying to do. He lets smoke get in wet paint so it'll have streaks in it. I make sure my candles don't smoke and don't have any suggestions other then severely over wick one. If it was me though, I wouldn't touch that project with a ten foot wick :laugh2:

    Ditto, I have done this and the effect is really nice. However, what I did was to hold a butter knife in the flame of a candle and let the resulting smoke drift onto the paint project.

    I would tell the customer to buy cheap Walmart candles and they will most likely get the effect wanted.

  9. The first thing I would do is toss all of the old candles! You have no idea what is in those candles and it would be very hard to get a good candle out of them. Remember when, as a kid, we used to make candles out of crayons? Fun craft but crappy candles!

    Besides, being a beekeeper, why would you make anything but beeswax candles? It is the best!

    I would have to disagree with an earlier post though, I think pillars are relatively easy to make.

    Get some good poly molds from Mann Lake, use your beeswax, get the right wick, and you'll be hooked for good. Once you start burning your beeswax candles, you'll never burn anything else!

  10. I would have to agree that beeswax tapers are the best, but then I am a little biased (I'm a beekeeper).

    I would recommend, for a first timer, to make molded tapers. I have been making candles for a number of years and still have not mastered dipped tapers.

    I also would not recommend rolled beeswax tapers since the burn time of beeswax candles is your best selling point and rolled tapers do not have that long burn time.

    Mann Lake makes the best poly taper molds. They are a little expensive but well worth the money. Plus, they come in several different styles and sizes. Beeswax candles are SOOOO easy to make in poly molds!

    Good luck and have fun! I love making beeswax tapers!

  11. ... except filling it may or may not be a pain ... though funnels are always nice lol.

    That was my thought. That's why I like the syringes because you can suck the warm lotion up into the syringe. You would probably have to refill to get the amount needed for your container.

    My thoughts on the baggie were that, my lotion is quite warm when I put it in the jars. How hot is that baggie going to be on my hands? Even the syringes get hot.

    I like the piping tool idea. Basically a larger capacity syringe.

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