Wax melts!

It's almost summer in the South! With the changing of the seasons, many customers will choose to skip burning candles during the summer months. Keep them coming back for more of your delicious scented goods by selling them melts and electric wamers for both a flame free scent and to be sure that their house smells great in the summer too! Making simple wax melts is just that, simple! Although simple and very little testing is involved, in today's market these little bits of scented wax are big money makers!

I recommend for this project using one of two waxes. The IGI Paraflex 4786 container blend (if you are doing just Clamshell melts) or the IGI Paraflex 4794 votive blend (if you plan to make the single molded tarts and the Clamshells). You can use any of the candle dyes we offer in both of those waxes, whichever is easier for you. The Clamshells are currently the most popular choice for making the melts, just pour, cool, close, label and sell! Simple packaging and mold in one! The 6 Cavity Clamshell is the most popular for the average lover of melts, for the more serious customer we also offer a larger Clamshell that makes ten cubes!

To begin, melt your wax. I use a Presto Kitchen Kettle to melt my wax, then weigh in the amount of wax and Fragrance I will need to do each batch into my 4 Quart Aluminum Pouring Pot. Heat your wax to 180-185*. Add your dye and blend well then add your fragrance and again blend well. Allow the wax to cool to 150* to no more than 160* to pour to avoid melting the plastic packaging. Let the Clamshells cool and you are ready to label and sell!

**Bitter Creek South's 6 Cavity Clamshell molds:
This mold holds approximately 5.5 Weight oz. of wax.
Outside Dimensions: 5.75" H x 3.874" W
Cavity Dimensions: 1.5" H x 1.5" W x 1" D
This is NOT the same size as the North's Clamshell, they are larger.

Bitter Creek South has LOTS of new scents, Check them all out on our website!
24 Carat
Apple Streusel
Apples & Evergreen
Applesauce Cupcakes
Banana Colada Cake
Chai Tea
Dusty Mexican Morning
Fresh Baked Bread
Funnel Cake
Hot Maple Toddy
Leather
Mistletoe & Ivy
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Pineapple Mango Type
Pomegranate Lemonade
Strawberry Passion
Tea Cakes
Teakwood Mahogany
Tobacco Caramel
Wedding Day Type

Gel Chunk Candles

Chunk Gel Candle Making

I decided to try playing with my gel again after another hiatus from it. Every once in a while I get this urge to be super creative. Gel is an awesome medium for creativity!

Today my project is a gel & paraffin creation! I think with spring coming, or at least in some places, (we got almost a foot of snow this week but I remain hopeful that spring really is near!) that it's time to break out some new ideas!

For this project you will need the following:
GelWix or Zinc Core Wicks (Testing will be essential for this!)
Wick Stickums
Liquid Candle Dye (for my gel I used orange and red for the over pour I used Ivory on this one)
Low Density Gel Wax
Low Shrink Container Wax (I used IGI 4630)
Gel Aroma Fragrance (I blended Champagne, PeachPreserves and Apple Juice. It's awesome!)
And a Container (I am upcycling a jar I had on hand for this but these look great in any glass jar!)

Start by melting down the appropriate amount of gel for your container. I usually use about 2/3 of what the jar will hold in weight. For this jar I poured it into a Pyrex Pie Plate.















Once it is cooled completely, I then tore up the gel using my hands and placed the chunks into my already wicked container as shown below.















After that is complete, I melt my paraffin wax for the over pour. For this I use anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the total capacity of the jar. It depends largely on your chunks. After a few you will get the swing of how much to use for each depending on your technique. Pour the hot wax over the gel chunks.















Once the candle has cooled, you are ready to clip the wicks and package per your likings. This is a simple project that looks great and takes very little time to complete.

Be sure to always use only scents that are gel safe when using gel waxes. Not doing so you can risk flash fires. Bitter Creek sells Gel Aroma scents for gel candle making. Most fragrances are not gel safe but those are guaranteed. For more info on testing fragrances for gel safety and more info on gel, please see http://www.gelcandlemaking.com

Beary Nice Scent!

Spring is almost here and what is cuter than a sweet little teddy bear for your spring shows?

Making wax dipped bears is a simple way to allow someone to experience great scent without the flame of a candle! These are perfect for a shelf in a baby's room or an elderly person in a nursing home, the office or anywhere you can't burn a candle or don't want to. They are a nice addition to any room that needs a "Beary Special Friend"!

Making the bears is simple! The bears in my picture are dipped in IGI 1343 and combed out. She is scented in Baby Powder. I call mine Beary Scented Bears. People love these little guys! These are a simple enough project and yet generate great profits! These adorable bears also have a velcro close back with a place to put potpourri, aroma beads, scented corn cob etc. if you don't want to dip too!

To make the bears here is what you will need:

• A Presto Kitchen Kettle OR a wide pot to dip the bears in to.
• Bears for Dipping
• A wire rack of some kind to place over the pot to drip the bears.
• A doll stand (optional. Some people like this to "brush" the dolls fur)
• IGI 1343 wax
  
• Vybar 103
• Fragrance
• Thick Rubber Gloves (With insulated lining, this is a HOT project!)
• Thermometer
• Large Tooth Comb or Fork (I use a fork)
• Tongs
  

Optional Items for Bears:

• Accessories & Clothing for bears
• Pans for bears to set on
• Flowers for the bear to hold
• Various Fabrics for Bows etc.

Ok! Now that you have all your items to make the bears here is the nitty gritty on "How to"!

First Assemble all your equipment and supplies, add approximately 1 weight pound of wax to your Presto Kitchen Kettle, 1 teaspoon Vybar 103 and melt the wax in the Presto Pot to about 170 - 180 degrees. (With white or light colored bears no dye is required, but on darker colored bears you may want to add a little dye to match the color. This will cut down on the white wax "dandruff" later. You can also use a hair dryer to "melt" the dandruff in later if you prefer.)

Once your wax is melted, add your fragrance. You can add 1-1.5 weight oz of scent per weight pound of wax. Stir until well blended. (Keep in mind that with white bears, using scents that have a dark color or a yellow may affect the end color of the bear. Try using scents that are as light as possible preferably clear.)

Next, dip your bear into the melted wax in the Presto Pot (use the tongs to dip and roll him in the wax), pull him out and squeeze out a bit of the excess wax. You'll want to wear thick, lined rubber gloves to protect your hands when you do this, as the wax is very hot!

Once your bear is squeezed out, it is time to start fluffing him back up! Some people lay the cooling rack across the top of the pot to let the excess drip back into the pot, others prefer to place him at this time into the doll stand. If you prefer to put the teddy on a doll stand (small sized) place the clamp of the stand around the neck of the bear. This helps keep the bear from falling over while you're posing him, and allows you to position him just the way you want him to look (head tilted, etc).



















At this point keep fluffing the fur, just run the comb or fork through until he is fluffed back up! I find running it "up" the fur fluffs it out best. Remember, the fur will be stiffer from the wax, so however he looks is how he will stay. Work fast, they don't cool that quick but once they are cooled they are hard to fix. If you do need to fix the fur once it has cooled too much, running a low heat hair dryer over it will give you time to "fix a spot".











Some tips for making your bears:

• Jointed bears seem to work best, but any sitting bear will do.
• Also, the longer haired bears work better for fluffing than short hairs.
• The most common sizes used are from 6" to about 10".
• Better quality bears will hold up better to hot wax... some cheaper glued bears can fall apart, so keep this in mind when bear shopping, and when melting your wax! Our Bears are high quality bears that hold up to temps up to 190 with no problem.
• You can dip other types of stuffed animals besides bears too!
• White bears can discolor with some fragrance oils! Try to use oils that are clear or very light in color on white or pastel bears.
• Average 6 - 10" bears sell for anywhere from $20.00 to $30.00 retail! (depending on your area, the quality of the bear, and the decorating and packaging of the final product, average seems to be around $25.00). That's a great profit when you are only spending around $5 per bear!
• Pre warn customers that the bears will naturally lose scent over time, and that since they sit at room temperature, naturally they cannot "throw" scent as well as a potpourri burner or similar. They will need to refresh their bear every few months or so. You could even sell bottles of refresher oil (fragrance & DPG) for them to sprinkle on their bear when they're warming him with their blow dryer!

Bear Care:

• Do not set waxed bears on wood surfaces as the oils in the wax can stain the wood!
• These are not toys, keep out of the reach of children!
• These are not candles and are not meant to be burned!
• To refresh your bear, simply use a blow dryer to heat him for approx. 1 minute.

Creative Decorating & Packaging Ideas:

• Try adding a little glitter or mica to the wax for a sparkle bear!
• Tie some colored ribbon around his neck to match the different holidays (red or green for Christmas, red or pink for Valentine's Day, etc).
• For a primitive bear, use homespun fabric for a ribbon, and hang rusty bells from his neck for Christmas!
• Use a paper punch & tie a card on your bear!
• Bears look great packaged in a clear cello bag tied with ribbon, raffia, twine or yarn!

Name Ideas:

Bear Air Fresheners, Air Bears, AromaBears, AromaAnimals, Fluffy Stuffies, Dippedy Dogs, Waxy Wabbits, Scented Stuffies, Potpourri Bears, Plush Scents, Fuzzy Fragrances, Scented Snugglers, Smelly Bears, Scraggly Bears, Bakery Bears, Bed Head Bears... just use your imagination!

Everything Is Coming Up Roses!

Valentine's Day is coming up in just over a month. The first thing people think of when they think Valentine's Day is Roses! Bitter Creek has roses, Wood Roses & ours won't wilt or die in a few days!

This simple project can be a single rose or a dozen or any number in between! You can place them in a vase, arrange them in a florists box or just give a basic bouquet or a single rose to your Valentine!

This is a simple project that takes little time and the impression they make is lasting, literally!

Our delicate, hand crafted Wood Roses look very realistic, and last forever! Never worry about your beautiful roses wilting again. These make great keepsakes and gifts that will last much longer than real cut flowers. Available at Bitter Creek North in a great selection of over 20 gorgeous colors to match any décor!

Lightly mist the wood flowers with fragrance oils mixed with our Reed Diffuser Base in a spray bottle to scent. Be careful not to overly saturate the petals as they can fall apart if too much fragrance oil is used. Spray evenly with a fine mist so as not to leave visible oil spots. Be aware that some fragrance oils may cause discoloration, so we recommend testing each fragrance on a single flower before making a large batch. Do not dip or submerge the flower in fragrance oil!

Sell refresher mist in a 1 or 2 oz spray bottle or in a glass dropper bottle for customers to freshen their flowers! Great for table centerpieces. Use wire cutters to cut stems to varying lengths and add silk leaves to create your own floral arrangement. Wrap a dozen long stemmed Wood Roses with some dried baby’s breath in clear cellophane tied with a sheer ribbon for a romantic bouquet. Mix several colors or just one single color to create a stunning bouquet. Single roses sell great in bars… why not sell scented wood roses that will leave a longer lasting impression (wrap a blank white label around the stem for those who want to write a note or give their number)!

Petals are hand crafted of birch wood and are finished with green silk leaves and a 13” long bendable green stem. Available in bunches of 8 closed bud roses.

We’ve seen crafters sell scented wood roses for $1 to $2 a piece, or an average of $18.00 per dozen. Great profit item!

**Caution: Direct sunlight may cause colors to fade over time. Colors shown may look different on your computer screen than in real life.

Go Crazy With Room Spray

I see so many unique items out there and then at the same time I think there are twenty times more that are drab and boring. A sure way to get yourself and your product noticed is to stand out from the crowd!

I happen to be a room spray junkie! I have bottles of it all over my house. Some I've made but most I have purchased. I always say it's the packaging that gets their attention and the scent that gets them to buy! So combining awesome scent with unique looks is essential!

I have used just about anything that would not compromise the product from dried floral to coffee beans, mica, glitter, baby clothes pins and potpourri to strips of fabric, metals, and even silk floral inside my bottles. Anything that grabs the eye and will fit inside my bottle is fair game! Thinking outside the box is essential for this kind of product. Be noticed! Be different!

These are all made using BC products! You will need the following for these:

Cyclomethicone
Glitter or Mica
Bottles
Spray Caps
Labels
Fragrance Oil

These are made using our 4 oz Boston Round Bottle the 2 & 4 oz. Black Spray Caps and the Kraft Labels. The one on the left is scented in BNL Cucumber Melon and has Holographic Glitter inside, the Middle is scented in BNL Clean Cotton and has mini clothes pins I picked up from a craft store and the right bottle is scented in Fruity Loops and has Gold Mica inside.



As you can see the same basic product takes on three entirely different looks with a simple change of what's inside! The left bottle I made for the little boys, it's called Monsters Stay Away Spray the middle bottle I called Clothesline Fresh and the right bottle is made for girls and is called Pretty as a Princess Spray. You can use your imagination to come up with tons of names and variations of this product to make a name for your small business!



Happy Crafting!
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