Carpet Fresh!

Carpet fresh is one of the easiest products to make and it sells great and of course smells simply fantastic too! What will you need to make it? Baking Soda and Fragrance Oil! Yes, that is all! It's the simple things that are great, right?

There are two ways of making it and I only do one since my dedicated to smelly stuff food processor died. The first obviously is to use a food processor to incorporate the scent into the baking soda, the second is to use a stick blender in a bowl and as a soaper I have have plenty of those :)

Materials:
Baking Soda.
Fragrance (I used Citrus Splash)
Packaging (See below for packaging ideas!)

First, pour your baking soda into a large bowl designated for smelly things. I don't recommend plastic since it will absorb scent. Glass and stainless are preferred. Second, drizzle on your scent. It doesn't take much at all. I get about 8 lbs of Carpet Fresh out of an ounce of fragrance oil.

Then mix the scent in using the hand blender by moving it around to mix the baking soda and the fragrance oil together. Be careful, it will make a mess if you pull the moving blades out of the baking soda. :)










Now package! There are a few different ways that will work great! Use the Pint Mason Jar and the vented Smelly Lids with discs, the Tin Tie Bags in either white or Kraft, the Shaker Jar or the Stand up Pouches! A simple idea that will yield great profits!

May Flowers!

In the May newsletter will be a special on Metal Votive Cups and also on my favorite floral scent of all time...The BNL Sweet Pea! It's simply intoxicating! I decided this month to combine my love of making and burning votive candles with my love of Sweet Pea! This simple project takes very little skill and is simple enough for even a novice!

What you will need:
IGI 4794 Votive Blend
Pink and Green Candle Dye
44-24-18lt Wicks.
BNL Sweet Pea Fragrance
Metal Votive Cups

Once you have your molds together, wick them and then begin to melt your wax. I recommend heating the wax to about 190-195 for the first layer. Since you are working with smaller amounts, it will cool faster than normal in the pour pot. Melt exactly 12 weight ounces of wax for 6 votive candles. I recommend scenting it all at once to make this easier.

For the first layer, I used 3 weight oz of wax dyed with 2 Drops of Kelly Green Liquid. Pour into the molds equally. After the wax starts to cool, move the wick around to keep it centered in the mold.

Next heat your wax back to 190* and make another pot using 1 drop of Red/ Dark Pink liquid Dye per 7 oz of melted weight wax. Pour this on top of the green layer once you are sure it is solid enough to not melt as soon as it is poured. I poured a thin layer first then waited a few minutes and poured the rest, again filling the molds equally. After the wax starts to cool, again move the wick around to keep it centered.

Once the candle wax is cooled and has fully shrunk you will need to do your final pour. I did not color this layer. Before pouring this layer be sure the wick is completely centered.

After the wax has cooled completely, remove it from your molds. This usually will take overnight. If they do not come out easily, pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to release them. This is a simple project, something easy enough for anyone to do! :)





Happy Candle Making!

Enjoy!
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April Showers Bring May Flowers

Mother's Day is just around the corner! This adorable Wax Melt Flower Pot is the perfect gift for any "scent junkie"! Simple to make, they can be larger or smaller and can really have any scents inside! Just a little patience and a little imagination will help create this adorable gift!

This cute Pot of Melts Should easily retail in most markets for around $20-$25 each! An excellent profit and a unique product make a winning combination!

Here is a list of what you need:
IGI 4786 or 4794 wax
Fragrance
Dye
Tart Molds
*Floral Picks
*3x4 Bags
*Ribbon          *These items all came from my local craft store.
*Floral Foam
*Flower Pot

Start by making your Wax Melts. I chose to do mine in several different floral scents. Texas Bluebonnets, Dogwood, Hawaiian Plumeria, Lavender and Freesia all from Bitter Creek South. The catch to doing these is forcing them from the molds BEFORE they are cooled completely so it's best to use a silicone mold release or a powder mold release in the wax when making them. When you can see the center is still a bit soft but the sides are solid, turn the molds upside down on a counter or table and give them a push. Sometimes I do have to bang them once or twice to get them to release. 

As soon as they are out of the mold, insert the Floral Pick (remove the wire as shown in the photo above first!) slowly first using the pointed end to start a hole then turning  it around and inserting it slowly using the blunt end. Be sure they do not get too cool before attempting this step. They MUST be warm in the center and not fully solid. If they are too solid they will crack.

You now will have the "flower" part done. Place a 3" x 4" bag over the "flower" and tie it off with ribbon so it looks like this.

Now that all your "flowers" are made, stick the floral picks into the foam and arrange then so they look like a pot of flowers. You may need to use hot glue to anchor the foam into your pot as they are pretty top heavy with all the melts in them.

Enjoy this unique idea and try making some for your next craft show or home party! They are sure to be a hit!

Chunk Pillars

I was asked questions recently about chunk pillars and thought...Hmmmm it's been a long time since I did those! I thought more about it and it really had been years. I love the look of chunks, especially bigger chunks like these in various colors! This project is actually fairly easy even for someone newer to candle making.

Here is a list of supplies that are needed to make these great chunk candles!

IGI 4625 Pillar Blend
Candle Dye
Fragrance (This one is made using BNL Cookie Jar)
2/0 Square Braid (or if using a Wick Pin WSB8)
3" Diameter Aluminum Mold, Wick Pins Optional
Mold Sealer Putty and Mold Plugs


First melt your wax and add the Vybar. Per lb of wax, use 1/2 to 1 tsp Vybar 103. The first thing to do for this candle is to make the chunks. For three candles two 3" x 4.5" and one 3" x 6.5" I made three batches of chunks each 1/2 lb.

To make the chunks, you can pour into various plastic containers. I used a Velveeta Cheese keeper top. (Kitchens can have some great candle and soap stuff hiding! LOL)




Next cut the chunks into the warm but pliable and still semi solid wax. Use a sharp knife. Put this in the freezer for a few minutes after this step to allow them to become fully solid and come out of the mold. 





From this point you will have chunks to fill your molds that look similar to this. You can make the chunks as big or small as you want. The size of the chunks will make differences in how they look in the finished candle. Experiment to find what suits you best!






Next fill the molds with the chunks. Be sure to pack them in there good. When the hot wax is poured over them some will melt a bit.








And the final step is to fill the mold with the plain ivory or clear wax to make the final candle. I chilled my chunks in the fridge before pouring my over pour. This prevents the chunks from melting. Some melting can look cool. Again, experiment! Pour the wax into the molds at 175*. A repour may or may not be needed after the candle begins to cool. Mine did need a slight top off in the very end. Enjoy making these fun candles!





Happy Candlemaking!
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Beachin'!

It's getting oh so close to the time of year we can all hit the beach! I personally love the glow of the sun but I am a bit afraid of the damage the sun will do to my skin. The solution? Bronzing lotions! You can make this by using all Bitter Creek Products! This is a very fast, very simple product that will allow for a great return on your product dollar! These can easily market for $6-10 for a 4 oz bottle!

For this project you will need:

Lotion Base (available at both the North and South)
Bottles (available at both the North and South)
Caps (available at both the North and South)
Coconut Scent (available at both North and South)
Bronze Mica (available only at the North location)





Because our lotion base is so thick, I have to gently warm it in the microwave or heat the gallon by placing in a sink of very hot tap water to be able to pour it into my bottles using a funnel. You can also use a cake decorator squeeze funnel, or a zip-lock bag with a corner cut off if pouring cold. If making full gallon batches, our gallon pumps are the easiest way to fill bottles. Do not heat the lotion base over 100* F. Add 1 oz of fragrance per gallon of lotion base or follow the chart located on this page for smaller amounts: http://www.candlesupply.com/BBfochart.html

To make the bronzer effect, you will want to use about 3/4 tsp per 4 oz of the base. Mix this in then pour into your bottles. This is an awesome summer product that will set you apart from the rest! It will leave a very light sheen with a hint of color on your skin! Perfect for a night on the town after a day at the beach!




You can also "customize" your base by adding 1/2 oz per gallon of any fixed oil! Soybean oil works great!

Happy Lotion Making!
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