Well, this way, I can add to my blog as well as share my vast knowledge.
My first informative post will be about selling candles online.
Candles seem to be a big hit for those that want to make their own products. They are somewhat simple to make, smell nice and make wonderful gifts.
The downside is that they are very heavy and expensive to ship. Anyone looking to purchase candles is much better buying a couple and using flat rate shipping. one 16oz candle will cost around $6 to $7 to ship, so if one can buy a few for $10 shipping, that is much better.
The only real differences to candles are the colors, scents and what the wax and wicks are made of. From everything I've read, lead wicks are bad and inexpensive candles release a lot of soot into the air. I agree with the soot part as I have seen many cheap candles with all of that black soot around them.
I don't know much about lead wicks, but I've seen some cheap candles with a piece of metal in the wick. I'm thinking the metal is actually lead and thus a lead wick.
Soy candles are pretty popular now. They burn cleaner and doesn't everyone just love soy? I guess the closer our candles get to anything organic, the happier we are. The only problem is that the soy isn't quite friendly to the fragrance oils. Therefore, a lot of candle makers use a soy blend. That seems to work fine as the candle smells nice yet still burns cleaner than most.
I know there are other types of wax, but if you do decide to sell candles, be sure that they are a soy blend. At least have some soy candles in your collection to attract buyers to your store.
For the fragrance, there are essential oils and synthetic fragrance oils. Many argue that essential oils are better, because they are natural and don't result in harmful waste. Others will argue that fragrance oils have a stronger smell and don't use up so much resources as the essential oils. The essential oils have to be extracted out of flowers and such, and it does take quite a bit to make a small amount of oil.
Either way there are pros and cons. Fragrance oils are less expensive and come in a lot of different scents. Essential oils are somewhat limited in scents, and I'm really not sure how many candle makers even use them. I'm sure it would be a good selling point though.
Don't forget to purchase insurance if you decide to sell candles. Just in case something happens and blame is placed on one of your candles. Also be sure every candle is labeled properly and that you send out additional information to inform your customers of candle safety.
One of the new trends is food replica candles. My favorite is the 9 inch pie with 5 wicks in it. Seriously, how safe is that? Of course you'll have even melting, but what if a child were to pull that down on themselves? Having a big platter of melted wax with 5 wicks burning at the same time is just a bad idea. At least with a jar, not all of the wax is likely to spill out.
I really don't think candles should be used around children period. They are so curious about flame and it's just not worth haveing the scent. My children are 3 and 4, and I still don't burn candles around them. No matter how many times I would tell them to be careful, they'd forget or get goofing around. It's just not worth it.
Therefore, if you decide to make food candles, don't make any hazardous large pie candles. Also, be sure to include warnings about candles and children. I even put in my listings that they are not to be used in households with young children. Sure I may lose sales, but that piece of mind is really worth it.
Plus, a lot of the food candles are made with gel, which burns hotter than wax. The gel can cause severe burns. It's used as it's clear and looks like syrup. I often see it used for fruit pies and fruit toppings.
My favorite candles are the electric ones. There is no flame and even the bulb is safe as it is dipped in silicone. Looking at the construction of the candle, it really does not seem to complicated. The only bad thing is that electric candles haven't caught on yet. Most customers are looking for burning candles. They don't last as long as the electric candles, but they don't use electricity. There is no searching for an outlet or checking that electric bill wondering how much the candle costs to run....LOL
Either way, candles are fun. They smell nice and get used up. Unlike trinkets and figurines, where people complain that they have too many. If they have too many candles, there is always someone wanting to burn them.
Always remember to be creative, and people like to buy pretty candles. If you are going to make a chunk candle, feel free to color the wax instead of leaving it white. Not that we don't like the look of coolwhip with chunks of jello in it, but maybe lets pretend we have pink or blue coolwhip.
Swirl candles would be great as well. A strawberry and cream swirl candy would be great. Yeah, I'm hungry ;)
Happy candle making!
Christi, Owner
Little Online Store
Thank you for visiting!
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1 comments:
Nice post. And I love scented candles. I have scented candles all over my home. lol.
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