As with every holiday, consumers are inundated with warm scents that range from fresh balsam trees to cinnamon and cider blends and during the 2021 holiday season I thought, "hey! let's make some candles!" So with every random creative idea I get, I went straight to Etsy and YouTube fell head first down the rabbit hole.
On Etsy I found so many great ideas for creating my own designs and themes. One theme I loved was childhood cereals! There was everything from Fruit Loops to Coco Puffs and they all had reviewers in absolute love with how the scents transported the users back to Saturday mornings sitting with cartoons.
I then explored making my own wax melts. I created formulas for various scents and determined the branding, shipping, and packaging necessities, because I wouldn't be me if I didn't create random branding and operational strategies for the 101 businesses that pop into my head. BUT once came back down to earth and wondered, "How can I recreate this my way and without a lot of money?". It was then that I came across Bath and Body Works wax melts. Being a lover of B&BW candles for decades, I know they don't do wax melts, so my interest was piqued. I soon realized people were turning their B&BW candles into wax melts! Check out these listings on Etsy!
I then started my deep dive into *deconstructing* candles!
When it comes to *deconstructing* candles, there are many ways to do it. One way is just taking the candle out of its container and chopping it up as Rachel Schafer Montgomery and ScentJunkie03 do in these videos. However, I am not a fan of that method because there is no uniformity to the sizing and based on my research, melting B&BW candles as wax melts result in a much stronger scent so I would want uniform pieces so I can gauge the scent allowed to each piece. Also, I want my wax melts to be cute, even if they just melt away.
After further research, I've determined that my favorite method thus far is melting the wax down using a candle warmer and using silicone molds to create cute shapes. Although I prefer to use a wax warmer like PrettyPolkaDots does in this video, there are various ways to melt your wax. For instance, Melinda Haiden uses a microwave and Always Armeda boils a pot of water and places her candles in the boiling water. As shown in those videos there are also multiple ways to pour but if you want to get fancy with it, check out Missouri River Soap. She uses a batter dispenser and it gives her more precision when filling the molds.
Which ever method you choose, I hope you have fun finding new ways to enjoy for favorite scents and join us on Sunday, February 6th for Wax Melts & Wine, where we will be *deconstructing* our used candles into Valentine's Day themed wax melts! Also, if you just want to buy some amazing candles and skip the creative fun, check out Haus A Home. Haus A Home is a lifestyle brand that integrates sustainability seamlessly into your life and has amazing soy candles.
Wishing you Peace, Love & Creativity,
Andria