For those of you who sell your candles......

[Holly]

How many hours a day or week do you spend making candles? Just curious.

[KristinesShower]

We pour candles 3 times a week about 5 hours each of those days. It is usually because we have orders for them, but sometimes we also make backup stock.

[Abbiepql]

This time of the year - If I get a day off - I consider myself LUCKY.

I do about 4 hours a day in the evenings, about 10 hours a day on weekends. In about 3 weeks, for the holidays, I hire help and they work to process and package while I am at work. Hubby and son help closer to the actual holidays for all those gifts that I put off till the end! LOL

The rest of the year I work weekends only and I do about 8 hours a weekend to keep up stock and fill orders.

[VickiB in CA]

It varies so much for me. When I used to pour in my kitchen, I could pour all day and just get about 30 or 40 done. But now that I have an industrial 150 lb wax melter and a shop, we can put out 150 in a day if we need to in just a matter of a few hours.

I was curious - how do you all pour? What is the size of your batches? Do you have a big melter or use a presto pot?

Hope you don't mind me adding questions to your question

[Jeana]

I was going to add a question too. How many people have full time jobs and do candles on the side?

I'm still very small time and in my kitchen. I go back and forth with the double broiler and presto pot. I haven't been busy with sales lately because I am searching for a new container blend. (Not and easy or cheap task)

[bugtussle]

I am a full-time chandler. We have 2 small bldgs (1 for pouring and 1 for labeling & storage.) I work 6 days a week, sometimes till 8 or 9 in the evening. I don't pour everyday, because I make deliveries and have to drive 60 miles about every other week for supplies. Sunday I go to church and then it's naptime. Sometimes naptime is out. It is a very full-time job, but I truly love it.

[Lorrie]

I work full time out side of candles & Soaps. I work on that part of the business approx. 30 hours a week. I actually pour on the weekends and label during the week. I also make most of my soaps on the weekend too. I put it 20 hours on Sat & Sun.

Then Mon-Fri. I do most of my research, answering emails, packaging up orders, and shipping, plus maintence on my website.

From Nov- To just before Christmas I work from 6 at night until Midnight pouring candles.(During the week) And from about 6 in the morning until 8pm on the weekends just filling orders.

This year I actually have alot more candles in stock because I had the extra money to purchase supplies. So I am a head of the game this year...

I hope that this helped..

[Fire and Ice]

Right now I'm laid off work so I'm working 7 days a week to make up enough stock for all the christmas shows I'm doing pluse all of the wholesale orders.

I use a double boiler system still because I can melt and pour larger qualities VS presto pots. But am thinking of getting presto for mixing wax for clamshells.

The stock is at an okay level right now but will be increased with the holidays coming up. I have about 400 candles poured but will increase that to 600 or so.

Luckily my wax is local so I save lots of money on shipping because I'm using tons of it right now.

[KristinesShower]

My business is my full time job, but my MIL works with me and she does all the pouring.

We melt 25lbs of soy three times a week and pour from Pyrex containers that fit about 6 candles in each one. It is time consuming, but I have found I can keep a handle on them that way. Any bigger batches make mistakes for me for some reason, so I keep them small.

Needless to say we have about 20 Pyrex containers and must time them perfectly or we have to pour a ton at one time lol

[Sharon in KY]

I use Presto Pots for melting, Plastic Pitchers for mixing and 2 cup plastic measuring cups for pouring Tarts. I work most every day and usually about 10 hrs a day. But during that time I'm on the phone or the computer. I make mostly tarts and pouring and packaging take me a long time. I think I make a lot till I read what you all do. A busy day for me is pouring 50 lbs of wax and this time of the year I go through 3 to 5 boxes a week. Love what I do, just wish it left more time for other crafts.

[Holly]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It seems that many of you spend a substantial amount of time and enjoy it. I am hoping that once I am done with all the testing (main testing that is) I can speed up a bit. The testing is soooo time consuming. I currently work in the kitchen which is driving my husband nuts. He supports me in this but wants to move me out to the shop. I use the presto pot as a double broiler method with the big pour pots and little pour pots. Down the road this may have to change. It is kinda awkward at first when the smaller amounts get bigger -- have to rethink the numbers, etc.

[soygirl]

I work a full-time job in addition to making/selling candles. I spend an average of 10 hours a week pouring either in the evening or on weekends. Plus another 10 hours per week doing website maintenance, bookkeeping, market research, ordering supplies, shipping, etc. I use presto pots to melt and pyrex beakers to pour. I don't make up a lot of stock in advance, and pour most on order. I don't do wholesale, because right now I don't have the time for it. Staying retail has kept me from getting in over my head with orders. I only do 2 - 3 craft fairs per year, mainly for promotional purposes. I work from my home, but I'm lucky enough to have a room solely for candle-making that was an old upstairs kitchen, from when the house used to be a 2-family home.