twotyerfryer Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Last January my wife and I celebrated our 13th anniversary by going out of town. While on our mini-vacation from the craziness at home, we walked into a small storefront candle shop. The smells were immense and free for any nose to partake. There must have been two hundred different candles, most were votives loaded into baskets. My wife was in heaven sniffing here, sniffing there like a bloodhound after a rabbit. :smiley2: Eventually she came up with about six different votives which we took home with us. The cold throw of each was good and she was happy to have new candles.About one month later for Valentines day our three kids and I decided to make candles for our lady of the house (a.k.a. super mom). We went to Hobby Lobby and bought some supplies, came home and put together three container candles using paraffin wax. They hardy put off any scent at all but mommy was so happy. Something in me sparked and I started reading online about candle making.I have been involved in heavy construction, mostly boiler work, for the past twenty years and have done substantial damage to my back. So I have been considering a new job for the past two years. I love working with my hands and solving problems so candle making looked pretty enticing.I ended up at Candle Science's site and ordered some PB wax as well as CB135. These along with a small assortment of one ounce F.O.'s and die chips arrived a few days later. I followed Candle Science's instructions and started making votives and subsequently testing them. It was then that I realized that finding the correct wick could be difficult at times depending on the candle itself. I've been frustrated often after the candle has cured for several days and still has no or little H.T.I asked my wife how well those six candles we had bought worked when they were burning. "Poor" was her response. Though the C.T. was fine, almost all six had no H.T. I was taken back. How could someone sell candles that didn't work? I take pride in my work. I always have. My boiler jobs and now my candles are my signature. A couple of months ago I finally had to quit my job as the back pain was to great. So now I work on "cooking" up new candles, working on recipe's and test them out to make sure I have candles that work. Eventually I want to get my own business going. I don't think my wife could be happier as well. Free candles for her!I have another small order coming in this week, so I'm hoping to get more bugs worked out in the effort to get a business off and running.I've lurked here more than I've posted by far but thank you to everyone who has posted how it's done correctly. Thank you also for ideas and suggestions.-Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerWicks Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi There Steve, I was looking also & found candles & soap! Learning & testing everyday! Have fun, Tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Steve. Sounds like you have found your passion. It is so cool to be able to do something you love to do, instead of working for the 'man". Welcome to the forum and to the craft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simply fragrant Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Steve, Great to meet you...keep us posted on your progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periwinkle Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Steve! I'm new too. I wanted to try making candles, just because I love them. But I am starting to think about trying to turn this into a way to earn some income. It's a lot to undertake though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asheebeans Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Steve! It's great to hear people's stories of how they got into the biz. I used to buy HI candles and the hot throw was amazing--but the tunnels were horrible! All that wasted wax! I am lucky enough to live near Nature's Garden and saw an ad for them in our local paper. I'd saved the ad, meaning to go there and when I finally did (around July or so of 2001) I was in heaven! I bought a container candlemaking kit and took it home.....and the rest is history. Candlemaking started out as something for me to do when I was working 3rd shift. After testing quite a bit I began selling. I never wanted to become a millionaire doing this, and at best I just recoup my costs....but I do love it and it is a fun way to occupy your time! I've put the biz on hold for a while because of school (getting my BSAS in December! Yay!) but love the fact that I can sell alot or a little, whatever I want because it is MY business! I think you will enjoy that too. It is great to do something you love and have control over the entire process. Best of luck to you and your wife on your fragrant adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hey Steve - from boilers to melters, eh? Great story! Welcome to your new addiction! Hope you have fun and derive a lot of satisfaction from making candles!(Did anyone warn you yet about soap?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 (Did anyone warn you yet about soap?)oh, nice, Stella! Like the man hasn't got enough on his plate already. Stay away from the dark side, Steve. It will consume you just like the candles will! (I'm just dabbling in the dark arts, candles are my passion.) Welcome, enjoy, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 It's because of all that soap porn... rotted my brain... Candles are a gateway drug... now I need more and more and more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardLOZ Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Dont even go down the soap path.....LOL.I have tinkered and would love to do more, but I guess until they can put both more hours in the day and more days in the week it will remain tinkering for me unfortunately.Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandleMakinCutiePie Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 My first dabble in candles was when I was looking for a way to make some extra money. I started looking into selling candles for other companies.In searching for companies to sell for, I came across many candle supply companies.I got to thinking how much more rewarding making my own products would be as opposed to selling for someone else.So..I bought some supplies and gave it a go.I soon realized candle making was not quite as easy as I had thought it would be but I was instantly hooked on doing it!I am not selling yet but hope to some day,when I can make a quality product.I am truely addicted to candle and tart making and even if I never make a dollar doing it I have definitley found a hobby that I love! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twotyerfryer Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 Stella, I have looked at soaps in fact! My wife and I went to Whole Foods several months ago and they had a block of soap (about 20" cubed) that was marbled and my wife loved the scent. Of course it was natural, or as natural as anything can be these days. They were cutting off chunks and selling it by the pound. Very enticing in deed. Our daughter, who is almost 10, wants to start her own little business. She has talked about soaps, air fresheners, and the like. I better watch out as she doesn't know a stranger apart from the social rules we've taught our kids, so she could be my future competition. I'd hate to ground her. :smiley2:Boilers, yep. I was one of the top boiler guys in the Kansas City region. I've always loved working with fire. Not sure that I'm necessarily a piro but one of my other hobbies has been metal working. I've built forges, and foundries at home for either shaping metal or melting it. I love trying to figure out how things work and how to then build them. Metal working was my first passion and I suspect will always be, but with the condition of my back I simply cannot do as much as I used to.I find many of the same principles in melting wax as I do in melting metal. Wax is obviously much safer and technically is not as difficult but it's still an adventure in solid/liquid/solid.On another note, people have been asking me for melts like the ever popular S or Y companies. I found a silicone mold that makes great little bricks (originally made for brownie bites). Melts have taken off. The same people are excited that the melts have a great smell and last as long as they do. Maybe business is starting faster than I thought it would.-Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella1952 Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Hey Steve - melts are "hot" right now (no pun intended). I would love to learn some metal working - my younger son welds but he moved away and is not available to do my bidding...Soaping is a lot of fun... your daughter might want to try some simple M&P projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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