Design, Make, and Sell Bath and Body Products, Perfume

Make Your Own Fragrant Candles From Creamy, Soft Soy Wax

I make a lot of scented products, but the thing that gives me the most pleasure is making soy wax container candles. In my opinion, it's one of the best hobbies you can get into because it's just so fun and relaxing. Not even perfume making is as satisfying, most of the time. There is something about it that makes me as content as a baby sucking his thumb.

The pleasure of high-quality materials.

Perhaps it's the sheer sensory joy of the entire process - the creamy soy wax, the glass and metal containers clinking together, the vivid fragrances, the jewel-like dyes, and the feeling I get when I see my latest batch neatly lined up on the table. "I made that," I think to myself.

Last year at Christmastime, I made "special edition" soy wax candles for my friends and family featuring two beloved fragrances - genuine hot chocolate from a mix (my mom's favorite), and authentic laundry detergent. I know, they sound like unlikely choices for fragrances, but if you think about it, both hot chocolate and laundry are often associated with a mother's love and care. I know they are for me. I had many happy hours working with the materials when I made those candles; in fact, I kept a few of them in reserve for when I need a little boost of cheer.

I make a ton of candles, but what I actually do with them is kind of an issue because I stopped selling them! Most of the time, I give them as gifts, but it's so easy to make so many that it can be hard to find enough people to give them to!

A useful hobby.

I started making candles to use for myself. I wanted to get the exact fragrances that I wanted - no other company made my "signature" scents, the ones with history and meaning. Now, I use the light of my own soy wax container candles to study (I'm in writing school) while the different fragrances relax my mind and stimulate my creativity. The world is a different place in candlelight, and it's easier to let my imagination go and believe in impossible things while looking at a candle's soft, mysterious glow. (I know many writers also use candles for this very reason!)

Good to give as gifts...

I usually give my candles as gifts for any occasion I can think of - to anyone I can think of. I love seeing the delight on people's faces when I present them with one of my handmade (but very high-quality) candles. I try to do it as often as possible! If I go to a party, they make great host gifts. If someone I know is sick - even if it's just a friend of a friend - I can send them a candle. Office mates, teachers, students, neighbors... handmade candles are as universal as home baked cookies or pies, but they don't add any unwanted pounds.

Or good to sell.

I used to sell my candles and had a nice little hobby-business that brought in extra spending cash. I don't sell them anymore because I am happier teaching people to make their own. It's just my personality! But other people have been quite successful selling their candles.

In fact, most of the boutique brands such as Voluspa, Diptyque, Bluewick, and Pacifica started as little one- or two-person kitchen companies. Now they're sold in stores across the country. I'm sure that anyone with a more entrepreneurial spirit than I have can do it - the demand for soy candles just seems to grow and grow, despite the number of companies that keep appearing.

In fact, I was just at my friend's house for New Year's Eve, and I gave her daughters (age 8 and 12) two candle tins each. I was amazed when Anna, the older one, said, "I love soy candles!" It seems that they have a good appeal with kids - I had no idea!

Anyone can learn to make soy container candles.

Unlike many other hobbies, soy container candles are something that anyone can learn to do with a minimum of practice. In fact, with the right guidance, it's possible to get good candles on the first try. There are a few tricky issues that often take beginners by surprise, though, and it's very discouraging to discover them on your own.

How I learned to make soy container candles...

I learned from someone who gave me a 5-minute summary - that's all. She explained the basic concept and I jumped on the idea. I definitely made some mistakes at first. Some things I wish I knew when I started are:

The *right* kind of soy wax to use so that the tops look smooth, even, and professional (all the waxes aren't all the same!)
How to find and use unusual, fresh fragrances that most candle makers don't use - or even know about.
How to stop the surface from rippling as it cools (this is related to why lakes freeze mid-wave.)
The most popular fragrances for candles which keep people coming back for more and more.
How to keep your colored candles from fading in the sun. In full light, it only takes a few hours before the colors go from brilliantly eye-catching to washed-out and ugly.
Creative tricks to dress up plain old containers that don't require a lot of time, labor, or skill.
How to take great photos of your candles and make them look more professional, even if you just used a low-end digital point and shoot camera. There is a *wonderful* piece of software that's much easier than Photoshop, will color-correct and brighten, and acts as a great photo manager. And it's free!
Where to get elegant, modern glass containers - not just country craft looking jam jars or tumblers.
How to make custom sophisticated fragrance blends just like the kinds from upscale fragrance companies, not just simple, non-unique scents that anyone can use.
What scents people prefer vs. what they *say* they prefer (this is surprising!)

I've really learned a lot since then. I've gone from simple travel tins to elegant glass, from elementary chocolate and vanilla to custom upscale scents that I make myself.

How you can learn, too.

When I started, there were no reference materials; I just had to go it alone. These days, there are a lot of websites offering free advice and instruction. All of them cover the bare basics, which will get you started, but they are limited help if you run into problems because there are no good photos! If there are photos, they're either poor quality or dark and blurry. Many of the instructional sites belong to candle suppliers. That being the case, there is still valuable info to be learned from amateur sites - just type "how to make soy candles" into Google and you'll find hundreds of hits.

For those who value their time...

But for people who are serious about learning to make soy container candles and don't want to spend hundreds of hours of life surfing the net, I have something that may be of interest. I am making a DVD and accompanying workbook - a complete course - that thoroughly teaches soy container candlemaking. As you may know, I already write ebooks, but I think a real-time DVD with a printed workbook might be more helpful. Here are some of the "beyond the basics" contents:

How to make great looking labels and creative packaging without needing a computer!
My no-fail way to make custom upscale scents, even for those with no real talent or experience at it.
Small details that make your candles into professional-quality finished products, not just amateur crafts.
For those who want to sell candles, some simple ways to discover new customers that your competition doesn't know about...
Also for sellers, even on a hobby basis... even if you haven't gotten started... the #1 secret to making the maximum amount from your candle business.

Why a DVD and not a book?

This year, I realized how precious time is - time is life! And I want to help people conserve time so that they can spend it on the things that matter, on the people they love and on the hobbies they love. Not on tedious research! If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video must be ten times better. I believe that a video will give you the fastest way to get started.

Yes, it will be more expensive than a book. But keep in mind: you do need to spend around $200 on materials and basic equipment to get started, anyway. Candlemaking is not a free hobby, but it *is* economical. In addition, I have gotten a 10% discount on materials from my best supplier for people who invest in the course. That will add up quickly if you make 50 or more candles per year. (And you probably will - even if you just give them as gifts, your friends will be asking you for more and dropping hints around their birthdays...)

The candle making course is definitely not for everyone. It will only be for the people who value their time and seriously want to do this fabulous hobby, not just surf the net and think about it. It's also for the people who value *my* time, because I am putting a lot of time, energy, and money into it.

Sign up for the pre-release and suggestion list.

If it sounds like something you might be interested in, you can sign up on the pre-release list below. This DVD will teach you how to make upscale, professional-quality soy container candles, which you can do "for fun or profit."

We are well into the "storyboard" phase of the video production, but I am still open to suggestions if there is something you'd like to see put into the video. Sign up for the pre-release list, and you'll get an email address to send your suggestions to. I'd love to hear from you!