How Much Time?

[cnfrost]

So while I wait for my starter kit to arrive, I thought I might take a stab at figuring out what I am getting into. So...........

How much time do y'all spend every week making candles?

And what kind of chandler are you? Do you just do it as a hobby? Do you make enough that you can sell a few on the side to support your habit? Or are you making a serious attempt at running a business?

[Leesters]

Most of these folks have websites, and have a business at it. Me. I just want to learn it, have candles for my house, and give some to friends. Total hobby here. But I haven't even started yet.

Have you went to the gallery yet? Its a forum on here. Go check out the pics on there. You'll see how the real pros make candles. Some of them are absolutely amazing.

[celicagtca]

So while I wait for my starter kit to arrive, I thought I might take a stab at figuring out what I am getting into. So...........

How much time do y'all spend every week making candles?

And what kind of chandler are you? Do you just do it as a hobby? Do you make enough that you can sell a few on the side to support your habit? Or are you making a serious attempt at running a business?

1. 24/7

2. Been doing it for 6 1/2 years.

3. Have the best of both worlds...get to test, while we enjoy the aromas! :highfive:

[number2of7]

My venture was supposed to only be to make a few candles for myself. I got tired of buying expensive candles....

Well, as the story goes....I ended up cleaning out my shoes so I could use the shelves for candle supplies!! And when I'm picking candle supplies over shoes...that's a problem!!

With so many fragrances out there.....I CAN'T GET ENOUGH!!!

And who knows? Maybe in a few years time when I'm old and moldy, I will have perfected candles enough to sell them....at least enough to support my new addiction!!

[SatinDucky]

I started as a hobby. Then learned very quickly that it extremely expensive. Not to mention after the first year of testing you start running out of room to put the buggers that are tested thoroughly. I sell a small amount, no where enough to pay for the hobby. Think I'm around 3 grand in the hole by now

Granted it is an expensive hobby, but it takes a couple to a few years at least (from what I've read, I'm slow so I don't count) to actually make a profit after all the testing.

PS: If you have strong will power and good self-control, it's not so bad. I just have to stop and try each new technique that I see and many hair-brained ideas that just pop in my head. Oh, and if you can limit yourself to say... 6 bottles of FO for the first 6 months, you'll save a bunch of money. Personally I think it's impossible

[Candles by Lisa]

I have to agree with that. I work full time but I have to admit that my candle making takes up almost every spare minute of my time. It is like an addiction though, you must have this fragrance or that fragrance and don't get me started on the molds.

If you can pull in the reins (which I unfortunately cannot do:laugh2: ) you will save a lot of money.

Lisa

[birdieluvr76]

I really only make tarts (and a few votives). I actually use it as a release at the end of a long day. And, it keeps my hands busy, which keeps me from snacking late at night.

I sell some tarts at work, and it just helps me buy more FO

[MeAndMyPuppyDog]

Full Time Job. Doing it for 18 Years...

Seen all the cycles and trends.

[honebun]

"Why don't you make your own candles instead of buying them" said hubby 4 years ago.... lol. I bet he regrets it now I've been up till the early hours of the morning making them and had a full time job to go to. Started off selling to friends and workmates, now have an ebay shop and website. Spent an absolute fortune, took over the house and now have a workshop that hubby built for me to move all the candle stuff out to, but they still spill over into the odd cupboard in the house lol.

[Flowers]

I do it as a hobby. I'm a teacher and have an antique business. Why did I ever start this? Now I'm obsessed. Started out buying wax and stuff from Hobby Lobby...then I found this board and BOOM! I've been doing it for less than 6 months altogether and I'm in for way over a grand. It is like Hotel California...you can check in, but you can't check out!

[Pam W]

For me, candlemaking is just a hobby - but one that pays a little here & there. I sell pillars to friends, co-workers. Also make containers but don't sell those yet...but do make M&P soap, body butters & lotion bars and get occasional request for gift baskets.

The time I spend at my addiction depends on my day job(which is accounting at home)....gotta clock those hours to have money for shipping:wink2: . As with most of us, I've spent a lot on FOs - just gotta try that new designer fragrance!! But I have cut back on that idea a lot and and started blending some of my own scents to use up those little bits of leftovers and have come up with some nice blends that my friends really like.

Yesterday when I dropped off a special order I hear a voice behind me: "Ah, excuse me, you make candles, right? Can you make me one that smells like whatever you are wearing".

....and I don't even want to know what I've spent on testing/playing.

[Leandra]

If I have a free weekend, I make candles all weekend. I make candles just as a hobby. My husband would love for me to start selling them, I just don't feel ready yet, too much of a perfectionist sometimes! I enjoy giving them to family and friends, because I know they enjoy them. I luckily have not caught the FO bug yet (and don't send it over my way ), so in the last 3 years, I think I've only spent about $500.

[starlessjade]

I've been doing this since February and it's just a hobby. I thought it would be fun to make candles for my family, and cheaper than buying gifts. Well, I finally have my mother's day gift finished, and I'm only $500-$1000 in the hole (I don't keep track anymore because it's just depressing). I love doing it though.

How many hours a week I spend on it completely depends on my work schedule. I'm a full time student, so if I have to work later in the day I don't have time to pour anything. If I have the day off, I'll usually spend the whole afternoon and evening pouring some intricately layered monstrosity.

I would like to start selling a few here and there, but so far I only have one scent tested and ready. I'm graduating in a few days, so hopefully I'll have a little more free time when I'm not taking classes.

[Wicknwax]

I have been running a candlemaking business for 7 years now

I now candlemake 9am-1pm and then 6pm-8pm

And weekends on and off (I do like to spend time with my kids at the weekends)

[Chickie1st]

I too started out "thinking" I would save money by making my own candles. I bought a kit from someone on eBay then started researching on the web. I found CT and read for months. I believe I read every single post that was there.*faint* There was so much info (Thank You everyone who has shared info!!) and so many beautiful candles and B&B pics that I couldn't wait to get started. I started buying more wax, Pillar and Container thinking I could just whip up both types in no time at all. Then came the FO's, Molds and every single wick ever made! lol I quickly learned that the wick that came with my kit didn't work for other size Pillar molds and waxes after having my counter, cabinets and floor drenched in wax (have pics to prove it) from pillars that ran over.:spit: Ohhh then came finding the Feathering wax and more blow outs cause I didn't know that it was supposed to leave a shell. I finally got that figured out and then as if I didn't have enough going on, I found my self spending too much time in the B&B section and got that bug! I Read up on everything I could find about body butters, soap, lotions and potions ingredients and what they do and then came more suppliers for the butters, oils, more FO, m&p soap, jars, tubes etc and took that plunge as if candles weren't enough........ can you say Thousands of $$$$ later??? lol I don't even want to know!! :whistle:

And to top it all off, I now have the Mineral Make Up bug and reading everything I can get my hands on about that, thanks to a lil enabler I have here (Mel) lol.:highfive:

I am supposed to be trying to pack my house up to get it ready to paint and spruce up to put on the market to sell so we can move out of Tx..... and here I go buying MORE supplies. Aaaaaaakkkkkkk does it ever end????

I've sold a few candles here and there but the most enjoyment I have is seeing someone's face when I just give them a candle......if I could afford it, I'd just give them all away to people to brighten their day!!! Maybe one day.......

Is there a Therapist in the house????? I think I have an ADDICTION !!!

[Pam W]

I too started out "thinking" I would save money by making my own candles.

:laugh2:

[k0mptec]

been consumed with this "hobby" for close to 2 years....

[mizbizzyb]

I started with gel only in 2000.....then incorporated wax in early 2005.

I work 2 jobs plus candles....24 hours in a day is not enough for me.....

Have control over your spending......when we did our taxes for the last 2 years 2005 my money sent from just PayPal was $6k.....last year 2006 it was $9400......some of it was stuff I just wanted to "try"

Did I recoup all of it no....but I cannot complain.

[debscent]

Pretty much every weekend. Mine started as a hobby but slowly grew into a business. It's not my full time job, but it's a good chunk of my time. I have taken the last two weekends off (I was away on vacation) and I take the entire month of January off, but seriously--at least every weekend. During busy season (Sept - December), it's every night after work, weekends (12-18 hour days) and alot of missed holiday parties. This year I am starting to pour my fall scents for shows, etc. now.

[manda]

I have been hooked for almost 8 years now. I mainly make candles for myself and family and friends. I have sold a few, i like chickie just like seeing peoples faces when they get a lovely candle. I am now considering starting to sell them. Hoping to get a website up and running pretty soon, thats if i can get my other half to work on my site instead of every other tom,dick and harrys. I work part-time so setting out at least one day a week and a few hours here and there is pretty much all i get. I am now on holiday for the next week and as of yet have not made any plans, so candles here i come.

My other half never complains about the money i spend because im pretty strict with myself. Goodness know what will happen when i start selling them, probably wont be able to help myself. At the moment i seem to buy every colour i see, rather than FOs so that's not so hard on the purse strings. Everyone that knows i do candle are always amazed at the colours you can get, that's what i really like, brilliant bright different coloured candles. I started because i got tired of seeing the same candles in the shops, and when i bought these candles they had a poor burn from them. So I investigated candle making as a hobby and when i got my computer 2 years ago i eventually found CT, what a blessing that was:-) the things you learn on this wonderful site from all you wonderful, talented people.

mandy

[myst25872002]

I started out with candles about 1 year ago because a neighbor and friend knocked on my door and said I made too many candles do you want a few (never being one to turn down something free) I said sure I'd love to have them. I ask her how she made them and that started it for me. I am the type who researches everything and after many many hours on the internet and then finding this site I realized that what she was actually making were not very safe and decided to try and do better. After alot of research and testing I feel safe letting family and friends have my candles and have sold a few picture canes but for now it's just a hobby but then I found the B&B section on here sooooooo as anyone one here can testify one thing snowballed into another and now I make cp soap, lotions, body butters, and testing lip balms now and have plans for several other things on my to do list. My family and they're friends and they're co-workers all love my stuff and I think I could actually make some money from it but I am a perfectionest and have to research and test everything to death so I hope to have a good business some day but for now it's just a hobby and things for family and friends. I can't say exactly how much time I spend on it a week because it varies from week to week.

I have found that even though it's an expensive addiction it is also very good for the mind and spirit in many ways and is also very good for the self esteem because when someone is calling you to rave about something you gave them to try and is telling you that they're friend or co worker etc is desperately wanting to buy some and how much they love it, it makes you feel good about your acomplishment so in my book it's money and time well spent.