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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Easter Bunnies & Jellybeans!

It's almost Easter! That means so many things to me but to my kids it means the "bunny" will come drop fun things in their baskets! Of course Easter Baskets aren't just for cute pigtailed little girls in pretty dresses, they are for their Mom too! This project is taking the simple jar and making it into a seasonal delight!

For this you will need the following:

Jellybeans Fragrance
IGI 2281 wax from BC North (the BCS Version does NOT mottle)
44-32-18z wicks
Sunshine/Lemon Yellow liquid dye
12 oz. Apothecary Jar
Glass Bubble Lid with Closed Fitment
Jelly Beans (don't eat them once they have been in the jar!)
Mottle Max
Bow tie Wick Holder Clip

Start by melting your wax. For a single candle I used 10 weight oz of IGI 2281, 3/4 tsp Mottle Max & 2 drops Sunshine/Lemon liquid dye. In the mean time I wicked my jar using two of the 44-32-18z wicks. Space the wicks so that the tabs are just a hair apart. You want them very close so the flames create a single melt pool rather than further apart making two separate melts.

Once your wax is to temp, around 185-190* add your fragrance. For this candle I weighed out .6 weight oz of fragrance. Add this to your wax and blend. Pour into a room temp jar at about 180-185*. Keep any extra wax in the pot to do a repour. Use the bowtie wick holder to keep your wicks straight. These are amazing for double wicked candles! I LOVE THEM!

This wax is not a single pour, it will require a slight top off. It does however not shrink as much as most straight paraffin waxes. The finish is a nice mottled, home baked bubbly look! Very much the trend! The photo shows the difference in the wax as it is cooling. The area that looks cloudy or snowflaked is mottled. This is the desired look in this particular candle. Once it is cooled down, it is ready to be repoured. Heat the wax you have reserved to ten degrees above the original pouring temp. Once at the desired temp, top the candle off to level the surface and eliminate any dips, allow to cool and trim the wicks and you are done! :)





This simple project can be done in a variety of ways! For an ocean themed candle, think of putting some shells in the lid and maybe even some sand, scent the candle in Ocean Mist, Sea Breeze or Tidal Wave! For a spice scented candle, try adding some of the Rustic Potpourri to the lid! A silk Gardenia inside the lid of a gardenia scented candle! The only limit to this project is with your imagination!

Happy Easter & Happy Candle Making!
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Pricing your product!

Figuring out what to charge for your product may be just about as daunting as learning how to make it was to begin with. There are so many things to consider. Do you pay shipping? Do you drive to pick up your supplies? How long does it take to make it? Am I planning to sell only retail or retail and wholesale? Each question twists the answer in a brand new light! I will be going over pricing products that will hopefully ease some of the pain in this process.

I will use for this example Jelly Jar Candles since they are likely one of the most popular sold.



Consider ALL your supplies when making candles. Some things, like liquid dye, ink to print labels are best estimated. I also estimate my fragrance cost. I added all my scent costs up one time...and divided by the number of them there were and came up with my "average cost" including shipping. This is probably better since not all scents are likely to cost the same. With things that have absolute prices: jars, lids, wax, wicks etc. use those costs and don't forget to add in your cost for shipping! It costs you, you need to charge for it as well. If you drive to pick up supplies, figure your cost to get them...again, add that in.

• Wax: IGI 6006 $89.70 per case, $35.00 to ship it to me = $124.70 That means my wax is actually costing me $2.08 per lb or $0.13 per oz.
• With fragrance as I said above. I use an average cost. My average cost is $18.00 per lb. $18.00 plus $2.00 per lb to ship = $20.00 per lb or $1.25 per oz.
• My cost for dye is averaged and I figured my cost per lb of wax to add dye is $0.10
• I use a label, a wick stickum and a warning label on each jar as well. This is an averaged amount per candle of $0.40
• My jars, the 8 oz mason Jars cost $6.72 and the lids cost $0.20 each. So the cost for the lids and the jars is $9.12 per dozen plus $4.00 to ship = $13.12 This comes out to $1.09 per jar.
• My wicks are $9.49 a dozen for the CD 10's. I use one per jar. They are $0.10 per candle.

Ok, so we have the basics down. Now it's time to break it down to show you the way to cost it out. With the IGI 6006 I like a very full jar so I use 6.5 weight oz of wax per container. I use 1 weight oz of scent per lb of wax. The easiest way to determine the cost of the wax and scent is to add that cost together and break it down like this:
Wax per lb = $2.08 + Fragrance per oz. $1.25 = $3.33 per lb or $0.21 per oz.

$1.35 for the cost of the wax and fragrance
$0.10 for the cost of the dye
$0.40 for the cost of the wick stickum, labels and ink
$1.09 for the cost of the jar and lid
$0.10 for the cost of the wick
$3.04 total cost to make an 8 oz Jelly Jar Candle

Now there are many ways of determining your selling price but don't undersell yourself. You worked hard to make this candle. No sense in giving them away. Retail prices are generally your cost times 3 or 4. So in this case, your selling price would be between $9-$12 per candle. If you plan to wholesale your product, you will want to keep your retail prices in line with the resellers of your product. Standard wholesale is cost times 2, so in this case around $6.00 per candle. The shop will double that for a standard retail mark up and thus they will likely charge $12.00.

Keep in mind these are only estimated costs based on estimated shipping. The amounts you buy and your shipping will create some variation in this price. It's just to show you how it's calculated so you can figure your own costs easily.