By Shannon Meza | Posted: Sunday, May 16, 2004 12:00 am
With the right supplies and technique, homemade creations can be a work of art
I was five and Kiddie Kampus was the place. There, sitting at an outdoor table I made my first candle. Newspaper lay beneath old coffee cans filled with hot wax, orange and royal blue. It was an agonizing decision, but I settled on blue. String in hand, I dipped it in the wax repeatedly, fashioning a thick misshapen pillar. I can't speak for the quality, but it was something to be proud of.
Twenty plus years later, I made the second candle of a lifetime. This time I had lots of choices. From the shelves of silver molds, tall, small, short, square and round, I settled on a star shape. Chrissy Smith, a candle maker and co-owner of She's Crafty, guided me through the candle-making process at her home workshop in Philomath. Grateful the color choices were more abundant than those of my prior experience, I picked two shades of green wax for the chunk candle I was making. This time, choosing a scent proved to be the biggest challenge. With an untimely cold hindering my decision making process, I opted for one of Smith's favorite scents, Pears and Petals.
I left before the candle cooled, so I didn't get to see the finished product. However, it arrived a few weeks later, and, if I may say so, it looks pretty fancy. It's a far cry from a misshapen pillar, and this time I know it's quality.
How it began
For Smith, candle making began four years ago with a kit she received as a gift. "I played with it and played with it," she said. As her interest expanded, Smith began doing some research which led to experimenting. "It just kind of grew," she said. So did the expense of making and giving away candles as gifts, until the business side eventually developed to maintain her habit. Living in Georgia at the time, Smith started her business as a street merchant, calling it Firefly Lights.
Smith later moved to Oregon and sold her candles at a few festivals, where she met Julia Quick, another candle enthusiast, who was working to open a store where candles would be sold. The two became business partners, and in November 2002, opened She's Crafty in Albany. Due to scheduling issues, the store closed after a year. The two entrepreneurs now work out of their homes and sell candles wholesale.
Tie-dye, polka dot, mosaic and chunk candles are just a few of the types they make. In addition, they handcraft embedded designs such as birds and tropical trees, even Elvis. Daydreamz in Albany, Myrtlewood Gallery in Philomath, and Angelic Articles in Newport, all carry their handcrafted candles.
Handcrafted vs. store bought
It generally comes down to quality -- the quality of the scent oil, and the quality of the wax. "If you get a candle from a candle maker that uses high quality wax, it's going to last you for a long, long time," she said.
A 2{ inch candle burns on average 30 to 40 hours. To make the wax harder and stronger, she mixes additives, stearic acid and vybar, into the melted wax.
"You can mix scents and put whatever concentration in you want," she said. Another perk of a handcrafted candle. Smith loves natural smells like blackberry sage and sandalwood, while Quick enjoys sweeter scents like apple pie and wild berry scones. Having completely different tastes in scents provides a nice variety for customers.
Good alternatives
For the beginner, a candle making kit can be a good way to get started. A kit generally includes some color, wax, wick and possibly a mold. "The quality maybe iffy, but it gives you a handful of supplies right away." Smith said.
However, you can easily piece together your own kit or add to your candle making accessories with common household items. Cut the edge off of foil and wax lined canisters such as French's Onions, Ovaltine, or even orange juice containers and Voila!-- an inexpensive candle mold. "I've gotten away with re-using these five or more times," Smith said. If the candle gets stuck, just peel the container off. These cheaper versions can even add some unexpected design. "If you use a milk carton and make the bottom the top of the candle, you get the folds in top of your candle, it's kind of fun," she said.
Instead of purchasing a new candle thermometer, give new life to the unused candy thermometer already sitting in a drawer or pick one up at the grocery store for a fraction of the price.
And, if you'd rather not spoil your good double boiler, or spring for a pouring pot, check out the local thrift stores for a deep skillet and saucepan. "Goodwill is a great place for candle making supplies because you don't want to use a good pot, and you're not going to use this in the kitchen ever again," she said.
Candle maintenance
"There are rules to burning candles, although most people don't like to follow them," Smith said. First, trim the wick to one-fourth inch every time before burning the candle, which allows it to burn properly. It is also suggested to burn a candle one hour for every inch in diameter. "If burned longer, the whole candle will warm and it can start losing its integrity." Ideally, the melt pool should go out to the very edge, then be blown out. "Even if you're going to be a bad candle burner, its good to do that the first few times," she said.