Candle-Making

Are you the creative type? Perhaps you may want to consider candle making. Candles are a popular, practical, and decorative item in the home, and are often given away as gifts on many types of occasions. There are many different specialty candles sold in gift stores, craft shows, over the Internet, and through other venues.

The National Candle Association site offers these facts:

U.S. retail sales of candles are estimated at approximately $2 billion annually.
Candles are used in 7 out of 10 U.S. households.
Two-thirds of candle purchasers say they use candles once a week or more often.

Some people come up with their own unique line of candles, while others purchase candles and add unique touches. For instance, when we were vacationing out on the west coast a couple of years ago, we purchased a beautiful sea-blue candle that was studded with all sorts of colorful little seashells. The wick burned only through the middle of the candle to create a hollow "tube" when the candle was used up... which meant that we still had a pretty seashell- studded momento to keep afterwards.

A variety of books are available to help the candle-maker, such as Candle Making in a Weekend: Inspirational Ideas and Practical Projects (Sue Spear).