My year of Candle making

During the initial lockdown a lot of people got bored. That’s a gross understatement to say the least. People sat around mourning the days where we could go out and see our friends, go clubbing, go to a pub quiz or to the gym or on holidays. It was hell. A lot of people got into new hobbies. At the start a few of my friends and I started knitting, until I gave up after realising I gave myself a very long knitting project which has now been abandoned for almost a year. Now with no hobby to keep me entertained as my boyfriend and our flatmate played video games together without me I had to search for something new. Something a little less time consuming where I could see a finished product sooner. I started making candles.

I know a lot of people out there started their own candle making business during lockdown it seems and I can’t really blame them. It’s fun, creative and VERY satisfying to watch the wax slowly melt and reset in the jar. My name is Melissa, I have my own candle business called Liss’ Lights and this is the origin story to my small candle business.

My boyfriend and I had a few candles that we would light every so often, sadly the wick all burnt out and the candle had “tunnelled” (this is where the candle burns like, you guessed it, a tunnel and leaves wax around the sides that are then unused and usually thrown away and wasted.) Being the stingy person that I am, I decided to get crafty. I went on amazon, searched up melting pots and found a bowl that fits over a pan to use as a double boiler that even came with candle wicks! I ordered it and joyfully waited for my parcel to arrive. Once it came I set it up, boiled some water, scraped out the wax from the jars and watched and the lumps of red wax turned to liquid and the room filled with a scent you could only describe as Christmas. And that was it. Suddenly I was obsessed and I was ordering wax, jars and oils. I even started saving any glass jars I used. I started by just making some candles for family and friends as lockdown gifts as I learnt all the specifics of how to best colour and scent a candle. Soon I was being encouraged to actually sell them, I was shocked that anyone actually liked them enough to encourage me to carry on but I thought to myself why not? So I made an instagram and facebook page to promote them.

It took a while to gain some traction but soon enough I had been getting some orders. From old friends I hadn’t talked to in years to friends of friends. It blew me away. I didn’t think anything would happen at all, I was so sure that I would get no follows or interest and I would forget about it all in a week and go onto another hobby. But that didn’t happen, instead I was getting more follows, I posted on apps and pages for local neighbourhoods and got more orders from people I have never met before who are now regular customers. I have set up an etsy shop, this has been the most difficult way to grow so far, and got my first sale! I am not the most impressive candle business out there but I continue on my path to growing my brand and promoting my little business and I hope that one day I can be getting enough orders to do this full time.

If you would like to help and support my business please follow me on @lisslights on Instagram @candlesbymelissa on facebook and my etsy shop @LissLights