Cosy Candles & Aromas

This is my handmade tumbler candle range. They hold approximately 6oz of beautifully scented soy wax.

As you can see, I don't colour them as I feel that in it's natural creamy state, the candle can compliment any colour scheme within your home. It also gives it a classy, up market look.

Soy wax candles are very strong smelling both hot and cold. It also burns at a cooler temperature than traditional paraffin candles meaning a soy wax candle will burn up to 50% longer. You will find that you won't get black soot either as soy burns cleaner. That is because paraffin is a by product of oil whereas soy is vegetable based.

If you are looking for an eco friendly candle, then soy is the way to go. A totally renewable natural resource.

The word is that candles being sold in the UK are going to have to conform to BSI Standards for candle safety, warning labels and sooting.

There are quite a few of us discussing this on the forum. We all feel that regulation IS a good thing as there are many people out there who are selling candles without any safety testing whatsoever. Unfortunately, there are people who have purchased a beginner's kit and then think that they are experienced enough to start selling to the public. They give us, the genuine candlemakers, a bad reputation. We spend countless time and resources in ensuring that our products burn safely.

The downside to the proposed new legislation is that it could drive the small independent candlemaker out of business. What would the charge be for testing our candles for safety and sooting? Bearing in mind that every single combination of container, colour and fragrance we offer would be subject to testing.

This is a subject that I will be monitoring closely. If and when these regulations come into force it could mean a complete rethink for many of my fellow small candlemakers.

I was asked the other day what triple scented meant. You may, if you've been browsing candle sites, have seen candles described as being "triple scented".

It's a bit of a marketing trick. For many years the industry standard fragrance load was 3% volume, ie 1/2 oz of fragrance to wax ratio. Triple scented, therefore, means the candle is loaded with a 9% fragrance.

It doesn't necessarily mean that it smells super strong as if a candle is fragranced with a light smell, no matter how much fragrance you add it will never give off a strong scent.

So next time you see a candle described as being "triple scented" you can smile sweetly knowing that it's a bit of spin to make their candles sound like they smell better than the competition.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the amount of people who just haven't got a clue on how to burn a candle safely!

I've got friends who tell me that they just light a candle and then just leave it burning all day, even while they're at work or out shopping. I always have a right go at them about it. I ask them if they read the warning labels I place on my products. Most don't or they'll just skim or ignore it. I then go on to explain what could happen.

With pillars, if you exceed the maximum burn time, the sides could collapse causing a 'blow out'. With container candles, the glass could crack and shatter with the intense heat. In both cases you're looking at a nice mess over your nice coffee table or luxury shag pile carpet or worse a fire that turns into a raging inferno!!

Don't even get me started on votives! The amount of people who think they are freestanding candles is frightening. They're not, they are made to liquefy so must always be placed in a suitable, snug fitting glass container. Again failure to follow instructions will result in the above.

So please, please, please. Always take notice of any warning labels, instruction leaflets or verbal instructions. They are there not for decoration but to possibly save your home and loved ones. Just as a reminder here are the rules.

Never leave burning candles unattended.
Keep burning candles away from flammable materials.
Keep lit candles out of reach of children and pets.
Do not place candles on or near heat sources.
Always ensure that you burn your candles in or on suitable holders.
Once lit do no move your candle.
Always extinguish with care. If possible, use a snuffer.
Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches, etc.
Always ensure that any glass containers with chips of cracks are discarded

Other useful little titbits
Did you know a candle has to have a memory to burn correctly? Basically this is done by allowing the candle to burn long enough for the melt pool to reach the whole width of the candle. The rule of thumb is to allow 1 hour's burn for each inch of the diameter.

Always ensure that wicks are trimmed to 1/4" before lighting. This will ensure that your candle will last longer and burn cleaner.

Sometimes you may find your wick has developed a 'mushroom'. This is a gentle reminder that your wick needs trimming. Extinguish the candle, allow to cool, and then trim the wick before re-lighting.

If on extinguishing your candle you notice the wick has moved off centre, gently realign whilst the wax is still molten.

Prevent fading and warping of candles by storing them away from direct sunlight.

I'm often being asked how do I make my candles and get them to smell so nice. I always say it's a company secret and would have to eliminate them if they knew ... LOL!!

Seriously though, it isn't too difficult to make candles. The problem lies in getting the right combination of wax, fragrance, and colour and wick size. Ask any candle maker and they will tell you of the months of frustration. The amount of money invested in raw materials just to get a product that will burn correctly, give both good hot and cold throw and, most importantly, burn safely.

So what exactly will you find in my candles?

Well firstly my candles are made using soy wax. Soy wax is a recent newcomer to the candle making industry. It is a by product of the humble soy bean. The soy bean is picked and processed into oil. This vegetable oil then undergoes another further process to turn the oil into wax. There has been some controversy surrounding the increased cultivation of soy beans in Brazil which is causing the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Rest assured that during my research into soy wax I did find an ethical company that produces its wax from soy beans grown in the USA. That company is NGI and their wax is called Ecosoya.

The next thing you'll find is fragrance. Now don't think that you can use any old oil to fragrance a candle. So many try and make candles using pot pourri oils. This will not fragrance your candle as the oil has been "cut" to weaken it. You will need full strength uncut, undiluted, quality fragrance oil. The best oils for candle making are manufactured in the USA. There are a large number of US suppliers of good quality fragrance oils available to purchase from. The next step is adding the correct volume percentage of oil to wax. Most common is a 6% fragrance load. However, you may find that with some fragrances you will need to increase or sometimes decrease depending on the strength of the oil. Always ensure that you never exceed the amount for a particular wax. A wax will only hold a certain fragrance load. This will vary from wax to wax. Many people make the mistake of overloading the fragrance only to have the whole candle ignite after it has been lit. This is because the wax acts much like a sponge. Any excess oil will seep and lay on the top thus causing a fire hazard. Soy wax can take quite a high fragrance load but I only use 8%. Any fragrance oil that doesn't perform at 8% gets ditched.

If I decide to add colour then I use proper colouring dye. I don't use crayons as they are not refined enough for professional candle use. They will clog the wick when burning. Instead I use special colour chips.

Finally, I use a natural braided cotton coreless flat wick. There are many types of wick available. Hemp, paper core, cotton cored, and zinc cored. Again, certain wicks will perform better than others but this will depend on the type of wax, fragrance load and type of candle, whether it is a pillar, container or votive.

I often get asked whose candles I'm selling. I always reply with "my own brand". Yes, I do make my own candles and I make them from scratch in a corner of my kitchen.

You see unlike a lot of independent candle sellers out there, I am not a rep or involved in any party plan organization at all. Now I'm not having a go at these people as after all everyone needs to earn money, but I do feel that I get tarred with the same brush.

You see I really do know my products because I make them. I haven't just been handed some company literature that I have memorized or worse still bought some candles from Tesco or ASDA, tarted them up, and sell them as my own creation.

How can you answer people's queries relating to issues like burn time, sooting, tunnelling, mushrooming wicks, fragrance load if you have never made a candle. You have to have gone through the burn (excuse the pun)of creating, testing, remelting, retesting, maybe half a dozen times until you know that you have a product that will stay fragrant from first to last burn, looks good and more importantly is safe and not a fire hazard.

So when I explain about my candles and candles in general you can be assured that it is from someone who does know their craft.

There are lots of people out there who think that all there is to candlemaking is to just melt some was, colour it, add some fragrance and then stick a wick in it.

If you want candles that will set fire to your home then yep that's all it takes. However, if you want to make a safe, great smelling product then it takes many, many months of researching and, above all, testing.

Hence the title "The Joy and Pain of Candlemaking". Why? Simply put, before you can experience the joy of a well made candle you have to go through the pain and frustration of perfecting your candle. Whether it is a simple tealight, a container candle or a pillar.

Have I put you off yet? I hope not as candlemaking is a wonderful hobby that you can do from the comfort of your own kitchen.

DaWanda is a fab new place to sell all your handcrafted wares. For those of you familiar with Etsy, this is run along similar lines but it is European based as opposed to US based.

There are, however, crafters from all over the world. I myself have just opened up a DaWanda shop and have added my tumbler candle range to it.

I first came across DaWanda through the UK Craft Forum where it was mentioned by a few members. I thought I'd take a look and decided that it could be another good selling outlet for my products.

There are some beautiful pieces of handiwork on offer made by very talented individuals. In this day of mass production with ever lower quality standards it is refreshing to see more consumers turning their attention to handmade items.

They may cost slightly more to purchase but one thing you can be assured is that the products are made with great love and care. We are passionate about our chosen craft and we do put in a little bit of ourselves in everything we make.