kfintoni Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Good afternoon everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on this subject. I have been poking around Etsy to do some price comparison and keep coming across candles with dried flowers and herbs on the top and throughout the candles. Many of the shops that offer them had over 100 great reviews, not a one mentioning the house almost burned down. I was always under the impression that this caused a huge fire hazard dried florals and flame equals trouble. This is the main reason I have never done it myself or even tried it. What do you all think of this? Have any of you ever done it successfully? I am attaching a picture of one for example. This is not my candle and there is no business name to protect the innocent. Karen in MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I'm not quite certain about the appeal of it. I wouldn't personally do it. I've never burned such a candle, so I don't know if it would make it smoke more, etc. I'm thinking that it may all sink and move away from the wick as some types of glitter do, although some glitters can clog the wick and I don't know if this could have the same effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Personally it looks like crud to me. Last thing you want to do is put flammables or foreign material in your candles. What in heaven made these people think it was safe or pretty?!! Gadz!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Ask your insurance provider what they think. (Don't actually because you already know the answer. ) i have a small small line of thin ritual taper candles that i dust with powdered herbals and resins. Anything bigger than a fine powder caused a pretty big fire from a 3" tall 1/4" taper. The bigger herbals can, and did, catch fire. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I can just picture sparks flying out of the candle if any one of those dried herbs caught fire. Sounds like a lawsuit just waiting... Here's another thought... what judge would award a not guilty verdict to a chandler that knowingly put flammables in their candles that started a fire?!! Something to think about.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixFyre Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 I'm with Candybee and TallTayl. It's time consuming enough to go through the testing process of making a safe-burning candle with just wax, wick, container, color, and fragrance. Why throw in another element that truly you can only cross your fingers and hope never catches fire? I think there are many other ways of having unique candles without the added hazard. The shops you looked at may have hundreds of positive reviews with no tales of burning houses....but it only takes that one time. Personally, with all the time, effort, and money I've invested into this craft, I'm going to do everything possible to protect myself and possible future customers. The dried flower and herbs, to me, are a big, bright, flashing, neon pink "SUE ME" sign, lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Another thought.... how fast will your insurance company drop you if they found out you put flammables in your candles?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 That's a nice candle for causing fire. Floatables like herbs and flowers and potpourri will burn and will suffocate the wick as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfintoni Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 I am glad that you all agree with me that this is just wrong. I have never done this nor will I ever. I had a friend a few years back decide she was going to make candles after talking with me about it. She mod podged pansy petals and dried flowers on the inside of a jar before filling it with wax. It looked real pretty until it caught fire. Needless to say she does not make candles anymore. I was just amazed at how many I found on Etsy like this. Should be listed as all natural soy candle vegan friendly bubble gum scented essential oil torch. Karen in MA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdcharm Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 On 4/22/2017 at 3:36 PM, Candybee said: Personally it looks like crud to me. Last thing you want to do is put flammables or foreign material in your candles. What in heaven made these people think it was safe or pretty?!! Gadz!! It's like leaf litter! I remember seeing someone selling a gel candle with real peppermint candies in it ... what did they think was going to happen? It's annoying because it then gives a particular type (or all) candles a bad name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehatch1 Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 I have made lavender candles for myself and sprinkled dried lavender buds on the top; I like them because they look pretty and rustic. They burned well and did not catch fire or even soot. When the flame burned, it pushed the buds to the edge of the container, away from the flame. HOWEVER, I feel like I'd be too nervous to sell them because of the possibility of a lawsuit if someone burned their house down. So, I haven't used dried lavender in the candles I've sold. Just for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 (edited) I did do it when I first started making candles as well as make stained glass looking candles with tissue paper. There was a book that encouraged doing those things, but both ideas are flammable. Of course the authors of such DIY decorating projects say they never intended for the candle to be burned ... though there was no mention of that in the book. I would think the case of so many people doing this indicates the larger number of people who don't test their products enough or at all. Edited April 28, 2017 by Scented 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 47 minutes ago, Scented said: I would think the case of so many people doing this indicates the larger number of people who don't test their products enough or at all. That's a scary thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scented Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 6 hours ago, Candybee said: That's a scary thought! It is, but if you see this out there as a demonstration or published in a how-to book or as an idea you might tend to think that it's safe. And when a fire doesn't start on the first one then you might think it's safe, because it didn't happen to you ... but the problem is it is going to happen to someone somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 I do this but I place another light layer of wax over top to keep the petals from being ‘dry’ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Just because you see it on Etsy does not mean do it! Just takes one spark and you can set off a fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Additions of combustable material is a great way to void your insurance. always a great idea to consult ASTM Candle safety standards to be sure you’re covered. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisS Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 On 2/16/2022 at 9:32 AM, TallTayl said: always a great idea to consult ASTM Candle safety standards to be sure you’re covered. So many times this. Safety standards, ASTM, NFPA, OSHA, etc., are written in the blood of people who have been injured, killed, or suffered significant property damage due to the very things in these standards. Just because you've gotten by so far doesn't mean it can't happen to your product. I'm sure the products that had incidents and caused the standards to be written were perfectly fine without incident...until they weren't. Not only from a product liability, insurance, and financial standpoint, folks need to decide if they're ethically willing to risk someone's life with some flaky little flower bits. Can you live with setting someone's home, pet, or child on fire just for a pretty candle? If not, don't do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfroberts Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 3 hours ago, KrisS said: So many times this. Safety standards, ASTM, NFPA, OSHA, etc., are written in the blood of people who have been injured, killed, or suffered significant property damage due to the very things in these standards. Just because you've gotten by so far doesn't mean it can't happen to your product. I'm sure the products that had incidents and caused the standards to be written were perfectly fine without incident...until they weren't. Not only from a product liability, insurance, and financial standpoint, folks need to decide if they're ethically willing to risk someone's life with some flaky little flower bits. Can you live with setting someone's home, pet, or child on fire just for a pretty candle? If not, don't do it. I'd like to say the same for dough bowls too. 1 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura C Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Yikes! Photos of those burnt and charred wooden bowels is scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Did y'all catch C&S's Live video on FB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightLight Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 No but I hope they would do a segment of candle do and don’t. All that stuff on candles, yikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 they spread out botanicals on a silver tray and tried lighting them on fire and that is all I'm gonna say to that. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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