It all started with a YouTube channel.
It feels like a past life but I was a full-time YouTuber for a few years in my 20’s. I made DIY videos on anything and everything – jewelry making, macrame, home decor, holiday projects, etc. After 3 years of creating a new video every single week, I got burnt out. A 3 minute video took up to 50 hours to create – setting up the cameras and the lighting, filming the whole process multiple times from different angles, recording voiceovers, sourcing music, and editing a couple hours of footage down to a few minutes. The crafting was such a small part of the process. The business side of YouTube sucked the fun out of it for me. I just wanted to make things. So after 3 years, I transitioned from content creator to the corporate world, but I kept wanting something creative to do on the side.
Several years ago, I randomly picked up The Chemical History of a Candle and that book got me hooked. I started with 10 pounds of paraffin wax and perfected taper candles then bought 40 pounds of soy wax and went on a scented container candle journey. Once I mastered paraffin, soy, and beeswax, I started to feel like I really understood how to make a candle of any shape, size, color, wick type, or fragrance. It’s been five years since I started and I finally consider myself to be a pretty decent candlemaker.
It can take weeks of trial and error to get one specific type of candle right. Every time I get a new candle jar or candle mold, I make multiple versions of the same candle with different wicks to pick the perfect size. Once that is figured out, I’ll switch up the wax blends to see how that affects performance. After that, I’ll try different amounts of fragrance oil to nail down the perfect fragrance load. There are so many factors that affect the way a candle burns and that’s what I love about this hobby. The endless experimentation. It’s part crafting, part science project.
I don’t think I will ever sell my candles. After my experience as a full-time content creator, I’ve realized that I enjoy crafting the most when I’m not doing it for a living. That said – I have obviously started documenting what I’m making and sharing it on the Internet again – in short videos on Instagram, in long form videos on YouTube, and in words on this blog. I was a little apprehensive about dipping a toe back into the world of content creation, but it feels different this time. I’m truly enjoying myself and I hope that if you’re reading this, you’re enjoying Candle Culture, too.
If you are interested in getting into candlemaking, I hope you find that Candle Culture is a good place to start. I’ve got posts about everything you need to get started with candlemaking, where to buy candlemaking supplies, how much it costs to make candles, and much more to come!
